2018 Virtual Case Study: Event Guidelines for Student Affairs The University of Texas at El Paso Team Leader: Stephanie Prieto Team Members: Annet Armendariz & Alejandro Munguia

The Present

● A forum sponsored by a campus student organization provoked shouts and shoves among the audience members. The campus police had done their best handling the disturbance. They dispersed the students and community members with no injuries or arrests. ● Hogwarts University (HU) is looking forward to avoid any discrepancy related with our students and community at any event sponsored by the university.

Currently at Hogwarts ● Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right. There is no place that this right should be more valued and protected than U.S. Colleges and Universities. Speakers that participate on campus events bring diversity of knowledge that enriches the learning experience of students, faculty and visitors. ● Students, administrators and faculty have the right to assemble, to speak, to attract others, and to hear the speech of others when they choose to listen, as well as to ignore the speech of others when they choose not to listen. ● HU does not discriminate any political, religious, philosophical, or academic viewpoints.

Free Speech or “Safe” Speech ● College campuses around the country have experienced major student protests. Students think that most of the time colleges promote hostile environments that could harm minority students and hinder their ability to learn. ● At HU, some of our students have demanded that college administrators and faculty should create “safe spaces” in which offensive speech is prohibited. ● These demands have sparked debate about the nature of free speech, individual rights, and campus rights.

The Proposal The creation of new proposals and guidelines for outside speakers is necessary to continue to bring diversity of experience and enriching events that promote debate among students, faculty, staff and visitors.

External Speaker Policy Purpose: To protect the integrity of the university and freedom of speech keeping students and visitors out of harm. The policy covers the guidelines for approval of external speakers and events on at HU. Background: External speakers play an important role at HU, exposing students to a range of different ideas, beliefs and opinions. They also play a significant part in our public engagement programs of activity and within our students’ own events and activities organized through student organizations. Most speakers are uncontroversial but in some cases speakers can cause disagreement and provoke a hostile environment. We are introducing this policy that prevents external speakers to don’t break the laws of others by threatening, discriminating or using abusive/insultive language. https://www.reading.ac.uk/web/files/policy/external-speaker-policy.pdf https://www.reading.ac.uk/external-speakers/sp-external-speaker- policy.aspx

External Speaker Policy Cont. The External Speaker Policy ensures that student organizations, full-time event planners and faculty consider the measures that are required to support an event at HU. The policy covers main areas of prevention: Organizing events and Student Affairs approval Management Risk Plan Mandatory Training

Management Risk Plan Purpose: To protect the safety of those attending the political gathering, or for the safety of the protesters themselves. All student organizations must choose a location approved as an adequate location to meet or have a guest speaker. These locations will be fully equipped with amplification (if applicable) and must have proper fire exits as per the university’s evacuation plan.

Adequate Location Definition ● Adequate location to host an event is especially important for our university. ● As university, we need to ensure that we have the correct space; room for audience, services, accommodations for special needs, parking, etc. Student organizations will need to plan their event with two weeks in advance to find and make any accommodations to the event, if need it. ● The student organization will receive a list of places available at campus as well with the capacity of each room.

As part of the risk management assessment, all organizations will be required to complete a short questionnaire to provide as much information as possible to smoothen the event’s agenda. Examples include: How many people are expected to attend the event? What is the site capacity? If the event attracts more than 100 people, campus police will have to be contacted and required to assist. Does the area cater people to with disabilities? Will accommodations be provided? If not, please consider relocating the event to an appropriate area. Adequate and appropriate fire extinguishers should be provided in accessible positions near the event location. How will you communicate with the crowd? What information signs are required? Is the organization flexible in case something unexpected occurs? Does the organization have someone accountable for making sure all activities are accomplished?

Training ● It will be mandatory to student organizations and event planning employees to attend a training session. ● The student organization will learn to carry out the planning of an event on campus. They will be given information about the expectations of the university regarding speakers that are allowed to invite. On the process of planning, the student will be able to ask themselves the following questions: ○ Whom.- Whom does the student organization should invite to a forum? ○ What.- What would be the topic/subject? ○ How.- How practical will the speaker be? ○ Why.- Why or what is the forum required?

Training Cont. ● Event planning employees will be train on a Management Risk Plan. It will include information regarding security and emergencies. ● All employees and students of HU tolerate and protect the expression of opinions whether or not they have the same point of view. This sessions of training will improve and promote a safe space for our students as well as for their speakers.

Safe Space Policy HU will be required to create and implement a Safe Space Policy which protects the safety of any person in HU space or attending an HU event. A full-time officer, or staff member, under the division of Student Affairs will be required to assist every HU event to supervise conduct amongst the guest and audience. Training will be provided and mandatory for all student organization’s presidents and full-time event planners. If unacceptable behaviour is reported by either the guest speaker or a member of the audience, the full-time staff member has authorization to ask that person to leave the premises immediately. “These rules and regulations are designed to prevent substantial disruption of the University’s educational and other critical activities, protect lawful access to University programs and facilities, avoid unsafe behavior, and prevent the destruction of property. Their application does not vary according to the cause or content of a particular protest, speech or other form of expression, and the rules and regulations are designed to enable extensive opportunity for expressive activity.“ (Time, Place and Manner Rules. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2018, from https://hr.berkeley.edu/news/time-place-and-manner-rules)

The Purpose To have a place that is safe for the security of students. Liberty cannot exist when people are forced to conform their thoughts and expression to a single viewpoint. Differences of opinion are the natural byproduct of a vibrant, free society.

Risk is the possibility of an unexpected or unwanted result Risk is the possibility of an unexpected or unwanted result. Having risk management strategies in place prevent negative outcomes from occurring and will also reduce the magnitude of impact in the case of a negative outcome. It is also a method used to protect the university and it’s students/staff/faculty population. Implementation of a Safe Space Policy will protect any audience member or student who is at risk of discrimination.

Conclusion All these changes are intended to continue improving the education experience that we provide at HU. We are committed to the learning opportunities that our students get from these events. The students have their right to continue expressing their opinions and we are here to find ways to better serve them for future generations to come.