Freedom of Expression on Campus
As a public university, the University of South Carolina Aiken upholds the First Amendment of the US Constitution to protect the right to freedom of speech and the rights to religion, press, assembly, and petition for each of the members of our campus community. Open debate and deliberation, the critique of beliefs and theories, and uncensored academic inquiry are all essential to our shared mission of discovery and dissemination of knowledge. Differing opinions challenges our openness and ideals, which ultimately can foster growth. At the same time, we want to ensure the safety of all involved in any events of expression at our institution. Safety of all involved is our utmost concern when opposing dialogues confront one another. The university works is tasked with working with members of our campus community to ensure that one group does not infringe on the rights of other groups, pose threat of danger to any part of our campus community, or disrupt the operation of university operations or planned events.
We encourage student groups interested in planning any type of public demonstration to contact the Office of the Dean of Students at (803) 641-3442 or [email protected] to develop a plan to ensure successful implementation of upcoming events. All events must follow our solicitation policy (ASTAF 106: Solicitation Policy).