The university strongly encourages free-speech and acts to protect it even prior to Trump’s executive order. |Photo by Chris Crosby
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 2 in order to protect freedom of speech on college campuses, but at the University of Rhode
“The University already has a policy supporting freedom of speech that has been in place for years and years,” said URI Vice President of the Division of Administration and Finance, Abigail Rider. “When we look at the president’s executive order, it doesn’t really affect us.”
Chapter six of URI’s University Manual outlines the rights and responsibilities given to faculty and students. In particular, it emphasizes the right of members of the campus for freedom of expression without moderation from the University.
Section 6.12.16 declares that, “Visual presentation of information and ideas through the movies, the drama, the dance, painting, sculpture and other art form shall be as free from restraint as the presentation of ideas and information by means of speech or the printed page.”
At URI, students are allowed to do what they want as long as it poses no threat to others. This means that even the most extreme views have a place on campus.
“There are limits but they are only for safety such as if we are afraid there will be a violent altercation or harm to property,” Rider said. “We may have police on hand or seperate groups.”
Rider believes that the executive order has more an effect on private universities than public ones, as public universities are more government operated.
“Still, I think most private schools have a similar freedom of speech policy as URI,” she said.
Although URI has a policy to uphold freedom of speech, some students feel that this is not the case. Ed Tarnowski, president of the URI College Republicans, applauded Trump’s decision to sign the executive order.
“As the Chairman of the URI College Republicans and as the State Chairman for the Rhode Island College Republicans, I am on the frontline of this issue and I can tell you that it is a real problem,” Tarnowski said. “I’ve heard so many stories of ideological suppression here at URI, across the state, and across the country. It is unacceptable – full stop.”
Tarnowski emphasized the importance of the first amendment among college campuses.
“The bedrock of higher education is being exposed to and engaging in the free exchange of ideas, and we should not tolerate speech policing in America,” Tarnowski said.
Similarly, the URI College Democrats also believe in the importance of freedom of speech in democracy and the educational environment. However, the URI Democrats alluded to how both public and private universities already uphold protections of freedom of speech.
“It is unclear what this executive order actually aims to accomplish,” said the URI College Democrats in a press release. “We are hopeful that the president’s newfound commitment to the First Amendment will extend to freedom of the press, which has been under attack repeatedly throughout his presidency.”