FAQs: Safety and Community

There are a few possibilities for you if you are feeling targeted or upset. (1) Is there an opportunity for you to engage with the event sponsors or producers and ask questions? It is recommended that you approach this opportunity with a spirit of creating dialog, not interruption or violence (2) You can organize a counter-event or create a student organization with an opposing view and host your own event (3) You can silently protest (4) Seek out resources if you need immediate self care. These can be on campus, like a trusted advisor or circle of friends, or visit SHAC. (5) Find out as much information as you can. It is often difficult to seek information if you are jarred by an unexpected event. However, if you have notice of the event, ask questions and find out the who, what and when so you have all of the information. (6) Remember that the First Amendment protects free speech. Often we don’t like what people are saying, or disagree with an ideology, but they still have the right to host an event or a speaker.

Although the First Amendment gives people the right to decide where best to express themselves, the right to exercise free-speech rights may hinge on where you choose to exercise those rights. The Supreme Court has said that public entities like PSU have discretion in reasonably regulating the “time, place, and manner” of speech. The right to speak on campus does not mean people have a right to speak any time, at any place and in any manner they wish. The campus can regulate where, when and how speech occurs to ensure the functioning of the campus and achieve important goals, such as protecting public safety.

The Office of the Dean of Student Life is always here to answer your questions and to help you find resources.

Smith 433, 503-725-4422, askdosl@pdx.edu

The Code of Student Conduct outlines the expectations that we have of each other as students and members of the community. The Code outlines prohibited behavior, the process for addressing behavior that may violate the Code, and the consequences for violations of the Code. One important feature to be aware of is that the Code process does not always result in sanctions, there are sometimes facilitated conversations or other non-sanctioned resolutions.