First Amendment
The open exchange of ideas is the foundation of a great university. Universities are places for discourse, debate and learning from different views, experiences, and knowledge of other people.
What is freedom of speech and what does it protect?
Freedom of speech is essential to a strong democracy. The First Amendment generally prevents the government – which includes CSU as a public university – from controlling what people say or limiting their expression.
The First Amendment guarantees your right to speak and express yourself. It gives you power to control what you think and freedom to say what you want.
The First Amendment does not, however, give you the right to control what other people think or say, or limit their expression. It doesn’t guarantee that other people have to listen or agree with you, and it doesn’t give anyone the right to silence the free speech rights of others through threats, intimidation or violence.
Other people also have the right to speak their ideas and debate your ideas, or just to ignore you.
Universities are places for the exchange of ideas, discourse, and debate – learning from the different views, experiences, and knowledge of other people, including those who disagree. So it’s important to know the rules and responsibilities that go along with your rights.
CSU 福利小视频 speech-related policies
What is speech?
- Expression of ideas, perspectives and values
- Peaceful protests or demonstrations
- Clothing
- Posters or flyers
- Refraining from speaking
See more about the .
Your Voice
Your voice has power, and you can use it to have an impact on your world and the issues that matter to you. Most speech is protected, some is not – knowing the difference and what you can do gives you power to make your voice heard.
Use your voice:
- Use social media to express your views
- Talk with friends and classmates
- Organize a petition drive
- Email or phone your local, state, or federal representatives
- Join a
- Write a letter to the editor
- Find a club that’s focused on an issue you care about – or create one
- Volunteer with local, regional, or national civic groups that address issues you care about
- Get involved with ASG, your student government, or your faculty or staff councils
- Write your university president or other leaders
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
It’s important to:
- Educate yourself about the issues, both pro and con
- Consider your own arguments through a critical lens
- Listen
- Set and be respectful of your own boundaries and the boundaries of others
- Get out of your comfort zone and get into the learning zone by considering perspectives and arguments that contradict your own
- Prioritize your well-being, particularly when pushing your comfort zones
- Remember that we all come from varying experiences and backgrounds, which shape our perspectives in different ways
- Learn the difference between dialogue and debate
- Remember that freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences
- Keep in mind that criminal threats and harassment of individuals, as well as violence, are not protected speech
- Recognize that the First Amendment protects your right to express yourself AND it equally protects the rights of others to express themselves, even if you strongly disagree with their speech
Your Voice
Your Vote
Your Rights
If you witness or are involved in an incident of bias, including those involving speech, here’s where you can report it:
Readings and Resources
- (University of Michigan)
- (Facing History)
- (University of Michigan)
- (University of Michigan)
- (Vanderbilt University)
- (Faculty Report)
- (Book)
- (CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation)
- (TILT at CSU)
(Harvard University)- (Ford Foundation)
- (University of Alaska, Anchorage)
- (University of Alaska, Anchorage)
- (Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation)
- (Indiana University Bloomington)
