Regents' Policy Manual - Section 2.2: Speakers from Off Campus

Adopted Date: 09-12-1996
Amended: 12-19-2024

Applicability

This policy applies to all speakers at the University who are not affiliated with the University of New Mexico, including those sponsored by current employees of the University acting within the course and scope of their University employment and organizations other than academic and administrative departments of the University, private corporations, non-profit corporations, unincorporated associations, University-recognized student organizations, including ASUNM, GPSA, chartered student organizations, sponsored student organizations, and affiliated student organizations sponsoring any one or more of the foregoing entities or enterprises.

University Principles

As a public institution, the University encourages open inquiry and spirited debate on its campus and will not ban or punish constitutionally protected speech based on its content or viewpoint. The University provides a forum for a wide variety of speakers, including those expressing ideas different from others at the University. The University has confidence in the ability of its students, faculty, and staff to critically evaluate all ideas that may be expressed by speakers from off campus and to meet conflict and controversy with understanding and reason.

Policy

As a public institution, the University encourages open inquiry and spirited debate on its campuses and will not ban or punish constitutionally protected speech based on its content or viewpoint. The University provides a forum for a wide variety of speakers, including those expressing controversial ideas different from what may be viewed by others as mainstream ideas. The University has confidence in the ability of its students, faculty, and staff to critically evaluate all ideas that may be expressed by speakers from off campus.

The use of a University venue or the sponsorship of an off-campus speaker by a University unit does not amount to University endorsement of the content of the event or the views expressed by the speaker, the attendees, potential protestors or the sponsoring organization.

As an academic institution, the University expects that presentations of speakers on campus will be of educational value, and that they will be conducted in an orderly manner. The University may reasonably regulate the time, place and manner of expression of its speakers from off campus to ensure the speaker does not disrupt the University’s activities and programs. Academic departments, administrative offices, student governments, and chartered student organizations may invite off-campus speakers to address the University community in accordance with established policies and procedures. The University expects sponsoring units to critically evaluate requests by outside organizations to speak on campus and ensure that their intended speech represents constitutionally protected conduct or activity.

University facilities normally will not be made available for non-affiliated or non-sponsored speakers except as othewise allowed by the University's facility rental policies and procedures. This policy is not intended to restrict the use of University facilities for meetings of a professional or academic nature arranged as part of the University's regular functions.

Members of the audience should permit speakers to be heard without harassment or disruption and be respectful in their expression of dissent. The Regents condemn speech and counter-speech that includes discriminatory, stereotypical, and derogatory speech targeted at one or more individuals based upon their actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, citizenship, or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity.

Implementation

The President shall adopt administrative policies and procedures to implement this policy.

References