Regents Policy 3303: Policy on Employee and Student Protections Related to Student Press and Student Free Speech Rights

Approved February 5, 2009

No University of California student shall be subject to disciplinary sanctions solely on the basis of speech or other communication that is protected from governmental restriction under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, Section 2 of Article I of the California Constitution, or Section 66301 of the California Education Code, provided that nothing in this policy limits the University’s authority to:

1. evaluate student performance according to academic and curricular standards the University may establish;
2. establish and enforce constitutionally permissible regulation of the time, place, and manner of student speech on or in University buildings and grounds;
3. establish and enforce constitutionally permissible, non-content based regulation of the use by students of University-created designated public fora; 
4. establish and enforce constitutionally permissible, non-viewpoint based regulation of the use by students of University-created limited public fora;
5. establish and enforce non-discrimination policies; or
6. levy and disburse student fees.

Furthermore, no University of California employee shall be dismissed, suspended, disciplined, reassigned, transferred, or subjected to a negative personnel action solely for acting to protect, or otherwise refusing to infringe upon, the rights of a University of California student protected under this Policy.