The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for respecting the Campus Community's right to free speech and expressive activity while maintaining CWI’s mission and operations.
This policy applies to all CWI students, student organizations, employees, invited guests, and visitors.
Campus Community: CWI students, student organizations, administrators, staff, faculty, and invited guests.
CWI Property: Any premises or property owned, leased, or controlled by CWI, including all real and personal property, resources, funds, information systems, and college-owned or controlled websites and social media accounts.
Designated Public Forum: CWI property that has been opened up for use to certain groups or for the discussion of certain topics. Such restrictions may not be based upon the viewpoint of the speaker and must be reasonable in light of the purpose served by the forum. Examples of Designated Public Forums at CWI include, without limitation, interior bulletin boards, official CWI websites and social media pages, and reservable classrooms and meeting rooms.
Disruptive Activity: Activity conducted in a manner or at a time or place that is either incompatible or unreasonably interferes with the educational or other legitimate functions of CWI.
Expressive Activity: Any lawful verbal, written, audio-visual, or electronic means by which individuals may communicate ideas to one another, including all forms of peaceful assembly, protests, speeches and guest speakers, distribution of literature, carrying signs, and circulating petitions.
Facilities Planning and Management Department (FPM): The CWI department with authority over all CWI physical/campus space.
Indoor Public Areas: Facilities that have been opened up to members of the general public for a specific campus function. Unless designated for a specific campus function, indoor areas of CWI property are not public areas.
Nonpublic Forum: CWI property that may be used only for its intended purpose and which may be subject to speech regulations reasonably related to the intended purpose. Examples of nonpublic forums at CWI include, without limitation, administrative office space and other facilities not subject to facilities use requests.
Open Public Forum: CWI property that has been opened up for use to the Campus Community and Visitors for Expressive Activity. Restrictions on Expressive Activity in Open Public Forums may not be based on the viewpoint of the speaker but may be subject to content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions. Public Outdoor Areas, as defined in this policy, are considered Open Public Forums.
Public Outdoor Areas: The generally accessible outdoor areas of campus where members of the public are commonly allowed, such as grassy areas, walkways, or other similar common areas, and do not include outdoor areas where access is restricted from a majority of the campus community. Public Areas do not include the interiors of CWI facilities (unless otherwise designated), parking spaces, or areas that are being used for CWI educational activities or are otherwise reserved.
Reserved Outdoor Areas: Locations in Public Outdoor Areas of CWI- owned facilities which may be used for Expressive Activities involving the use of tables, chair, booths, displays, or exhibits.
Student Organization: The Associated Students of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍø (ASCWI) and any registered student group recognized by CWI as an organization which is authorized to identify itself as being associated with CWI and which has taken the required steps to maintain recognition.
Visitors: Members of the general public who are not active members of CWI’s faculty, staff, or student population who may access public areas of campus.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Idaho protect the rights of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom to petition the government for all people. CWI honors the Campus Community’s ability to exercise the these First Amendment rights by establishing guidelines to promote free speech while maintaining a safe and operable campus.
As an institution of higher education, CWI has a particular responsibility to safeguard free speech rights. The United States Supreme Court, in Healy v. James, described public colleges as “peculiarly the marketplace of ideas,” where students learn to exercise the constitutional rights necessary to participate in this system of government and to tolerate others’ exercise of the same rights.
CWI also recognizes its’ responsibility to provide a secure learning environment that allows members of the community to express their views in ways that do not substantially disrupt the operations of CWI. Reasonable limitations may be placed on the time, place, and manner of free speech and expressive activities as deemed necessary by CWI in order to serve the interests of health and safety, prevent disruption of the educational process, and protect against the invasion of the rights of others.
The following restrictions apply to activities on or using CWI Property:
This policy does not permit activities which constitute the following:
Restrictions on all CWI Property:
Any individual or organization who wishes to engage in the following Expressive Activities in the Public Outdoor Areas of campus shall be permitted to do so freely as long as the person’s conduct abides by the General Conditions for use of CWI Property and reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions.
Expressive Activities in Public Outdoor Areas are Subject to the following time, place, and manner restrictions:
CWI reserves the right to restrict certain facilities, classroom space, and indoor and exterior walls to official CWI business only. Such spaces are Nonpublic Forums and are subject to reasonable regulations. For additional guidance on the use of space of CWI facilities, see OP 070 – Space Use.
Bulletin boards are Designated Public Forums subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that are not based on the viewpoint of the speaker. For additional guidance on the use of CWI Bulletin Boards, see OP 190 – Campus Posting Policy.
Facilities available for use by the Campus Community and Visitors constitute a Designated Public Forum and are subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that are not based on the viewpoint of the speaker. A request to use facilities for Expressive Activities, including invitations to speakers, shall be made in accordance with OP 120 – Facility Request. No individual or organization not expressly authorized to represent CWI for the event or activity shall use the CWI name to imply official college sponsorship of the speaker in advertising or publicizing the event, except to identify the specific location of the event.
Distribution of written materials inside of CWI facilities shall not involve personally delivering materials to students within hallways, entryways, or classrooms and no person shall be compelled to accept any written material. However, written materials may be made available at tables that are reserved in interior spaces in accordance with the reservation process set forth in OP 120.
All CWI websites and social media pages constitute Designated Public Forums and are for the purpose of furthering the mission, vision, and core themes of CWI. CWI reserves the right to restrict or remove any content that does not relate to CWI business, programs, and/or services or which otherwise violates CWI policies or guidelines, including without limitation, Administrative Guidelines – Social Media.
Faculty, students, and Student Organizations engaging in expressive activities, whether on or off-campus, do so with the express understanding that the statements, opinions, and representations of the speaker(s) are not representative of CWI and that CWI neither endorses nor sponsors the expressive speech of any speaker not expressly recognized as representing CWI.
Conversely, CWI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine the content of all official CWI communications, sponsorship, messaging, and engagement.
Failure to enforce this policy in one instance does not waive CWI’s right to enforce it in any other instance.
A Campus Community member or Visitor who believes a CWI official has infringed on the ability to engage in Expressive Activities protected by this policy may report such complaint through the appropriate reporting processes available to employees and students. Any individual may report an alleged violation using CWI’s Ethics Hotline, available here - .