SG Senate endorses BOG Free Expression Statement
Student Government (SG) senators unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday endorsing the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) Free Expression Statement which encourages civil discourse on campus.
The resolution, primarily authored by senior political science and philosophy major Sam Rechek, states that SG “can and should play an active role in promoting the principles of civil discourse and free expression on campus.”
“It is a goal of Student Government to foster a culture of free inquiry and civil discourse for the USF’s student body on all three campuses,” Rechek said.
The statement’s main goal was to get Florida’s 12 postsecondary public universities to encourage the exchange of ideas and perspectives, debating and challenging others’ opinions and free expression.
While the statement was written in April 2019, the BOG requested in January that leadership at each university within the Board of Trustees, Faculty Senate and Student Government annually review and endorse it.
Senators had some concerns with it, including the statement’s impact on limitations of classroom recordings, speech zones and use of amplified sounds in designated areas.
Being able to freely express concerns and opinions without the fear of being silenced is a part of the resolution, Rechek said.
Some senators also questioned how the university will handle conflict resolution in case a student’s expression victimizes other students, citing the possibility some students could abuse the protection of expression the statement provides.
This concern was quickly shut down, however, as other senators brought up the fact that the BOG’s statement takes that into consideration as it states universities still have the authority to “restrict expression that is unlawful, such as true threats or defamation.”
Rechek guaranteed that all students will be made aware of their limitations and responsibilities, ensuring a comfortable learning environment for all.
More Stories
Bomb threat at USF Cooper hall wasn’t legitimate, police say
University Police (UP) determined a reported bomb threat at Cooper Hall on Tuesday night wasn’t legitimate. After sweeping Cooper Hall, UP found “nothing of concern,” according to a universitywide email sent out at 12:39 a.m on Wednesday. The investigation is still ongoing, according to police. The USF community was first alerted to the bomb threat […]
Pro-Palestine encampment protest at USF broken up by tear gas
Law enforcement broke up a pro-Palestine encampment of around 100 protesters at the USF Tampa campus Tuesday evening using tear gas. The demonstration was the second in two days at USF where students, employees and community members urged the university to divest from companies with financial ties to Israel. Related: Several protesters at USF arrested […]
Several protestors at USF arrested during pro-Palestine encampment protest
Three protestors were arrested by University Police (UP) Monday afternoon during a pro-Palestine demonstration outside the Marshall Student Center (MSC), according to USF spokesperson Althea Johnson. Johnson said the three arrests included a student, an employee and an individual who is not associated with the university. Related: USF pro-Palestine hunger strikers removed from BOT meeting […]
The Oracle needs your help
Dear reader: Reporters for USF’s award-winning student newspaper, The Oracle, have recently navigated through a pandemic, a rapidly evolving political climate and a change in university president – all with the goal of sharing important news and stories. Though The Oracle has been an integral part in keeping the USF community informed since 1966, we […]
USF won’t install more physical protections following recent on-campus suicide
USF will not be implementing additional physical safety measures over a month after a student leapt from an upper floor inside the Interdisciplinary Sciences building, USF spokeswoman Althea Johnson said. The incident marked the third on-campus suicide since fall 2022. A week after a student fell from an upper floor of Beard Garage in 2022, […]
Meet USF’s new student body president and vice president
A new era of Student Government (SG) just arrived. In a quick five-minute ceremony, student body president-elect Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and vice president-elect Sumit Subhash Jadhav were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. Their term will start on May 6 and last for one year. Related: Take a look at USF’s student leaders’ swearing in ceremony […]