Eastern Michigan University wants to make sure it protects freedom of speech on campus. As a result, today, during its Board of Regents meeting, it updated its free speech and speaker policy.
The new policy clarifies that faculty, staff, and even outside groups can host speaker events. The previous policy focused more on recognized student organizations on campus.
Gloria Hage is Eastern's General Counsel.
"The circumstances as to which we would say no, a blanket no, would be very limited. I can't really speak to those right now because they're not in front of us. But again, as the board articulates, it's a broad free speech policy and through our other procedures, those are designed to be able to bring speakers to campus and not to disallow them."
Public safety concerns would be one of the reasons why EMU may deny a request.
The last time Eastern updated its free speech policy was in 2003. The change was made in part because of national and local events regarding freedom of speech that are currently being debated on college campuses.
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— Jorge Avellan is a reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him javellan@emich.edu
