During the summer, while many students and faculty are off campus, University administration has quietly introduced four new policies aimed at limiting public expression.
We all saw what happened this spring, when members of our campus community exercised their right to free speech and were met by shameful repression at the hands of University administration. Rather than regretting their ill-advised decisions, administration is now trying to codify repression in the Campus Administrative Manual.
These four policies are currently open for public comment by anyone with a NetID.
The policies are FO-86, FO-15, FO-81, and FO-82. Here is the link to leave public comment.
We encourage all members of the University of Illinois community who care about free speech and nonviolent collective action to write a comment on these policies before the August 11 deadline, to let administration know that these policies are undemocratic and inappropriate for a college campus.
“Last semester, the university unlawfully tried to make SEIU bargaining members dismantle the Free Palestine encampment. Now, when they think no one will pay attention, they are trying to push out a new policy in the Campus Administrative Manual that would give the university the unimpeded authority to require such a thing, potentially putting the job of any worker who doesn’t comply at risk.”
-Lindsey Stirek, NTFC Steward, in reference to policy FO-15.
“An issue throughout these four policies is that they hinge on prior approval and/or proper forms of request, which chills free speech by default.”
-Shawn Gilmore, NTFC Steward
