Editorial, Washington Post, Nov 14, 2019 —  Radford University, a taxpayer-supported institution in southwestern Virginia, is in a public relations hole entirely of its own making. The question is how deep its administrators will insist on digging…

It turns out, after what campus police called an “in-depth” investigation, that a low-level university employee — neither administrator nor professor — was caught on video and admitted stealing papers from four of the news racks, as The Post’s Joe Heim reported. The administration and police won’t reveal the thief’s identity, although they know it; they won’t charge the employee because they say taking free newspapers is not a crime; and they won’t offer an explanation of who swiped the papers from 18 other news racks. Nor will they offer a motive or explanation for the theft…

The university’s strategy, if you can call it that, is tailor-made to prolong Radford’s embarrassment, calling into question its leadership’s judgment…

— MORE — 

Here’s one suggestion:  If the bulletin board space is so crowded at RU that it has to be censored, then why not expand the opportunities to post bulletins without censorship?

Details on the RUspeechless Facebook page.

They would only cost a few hundred dollars each.  And here’s what an outdoor bulletin board would look like.

This is the American Association of University Professors flyer which The First Amendment / Higher Education class did not create.  However, who would argue that the AAUP does not have every right to create and distribute this flyer on campus?   Is it overstated?  Obviously.  But  sometimes that’s the point of the “vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials” protected in the New York Times v Sullivan decision.    — Prof. Kovarik.

RU: PRISON CAMP ON THE NEW

(1) “Free speech zones” that limit speech to tiny designated areas.

(2) Censorship of all postings on bulletin boards for faculty and students, requiring pre-stamping.

(3)  Censorship of everything posted in the dorms.

(4) Offering only about 12 “public” bulletin boards (limited to pre-stamped postings) on the entire campus located in out of the way places where students rarely go like the basement of Heth Hall.

(5)  Tight control of all email lists (but open to commercial interests).

(6) Prohibition of anyone handing out flyers or other materials anywhere on campus except from pre-approved tables in and around the Bonnie.

(7)  Collaboration with the city to limit the signs students can place on student housing.

[Co-sponsored by RU Chapter of the AAUP]

PROTEST FOR YOUR RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH IN A FREE SOCIETY

Mayday:  Wed. May 1^st

Bonnie Plaza 10 AM to 1

Monday, Feb. 18, 2013.

• 07:30 — Sharp eyed university censors notice half a dozen unauthorized communications chalked into sidewalks. “#PlaidSwag” looks suspicious.  Superiors notified.
• 09:30 — University censorship action group (UCAG) concludes that a non-cyber information attack is underway.
• 9:45 — Vehicles parked over information attack sites to deter spread of dangerous ideas.
• 10:00 — Criminal incident information recorded.
• 10:15 — University powerwashing crews swiftly deployed.
• 10:45 — Non-cyber information attack threat diluted.
• 4:45 — Report on effective use of human resources forwarded to Superiors.
• Unfortunately, this is all true, except the part about the UCAG — we actually don’t know what they call themselves or what they call unauthorized chalkings.

In November, 2012,  Radford University received a  “yellow light” rating on free speech  from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

What this means is that a formal outside review has found RU policies deficient.  At the begining of the Spring 2013 semester, no move to change RU policies was apparent on the part of the Radford University administration.