Senate Bill 14-15-36
| Bill ID: | 14-15-36 |
| Name: | Developing a Conduct Policy on Hate Speech |
| Proposed: | 04/20/2015 |
| Sponsor: | Ryan Belcher, Undergraduate Student |
| Proposal: | Last month, an email surfaced that detailed statements of racism and misogyny. As a result, the campus community has responded in a variety of ways. The University Administration tried to determine whether the email violated campus policy; they ascertained the actions taken by the individual did not violate university policy. The student has taken a variety of voluntary measures in wake of the email. Those actions include: withdrawal from school for the semester, sensitivity training, and relevant education. On April 2nd, the Student Government Association hosted a town hall where students expressed displeasure with the lack of policy regulating hate speech. Concurrently, President Loh has expressed interest in drafting a policy that results in "restorative justice" in future cases. The Student Government Association President and Director of Shared Governance have been working with University Administration to recommend the University Senate develop a policy change to the Code of Student Conduct that allows for the University to take action against instances of hate speech. We request to see to following changes: Revisions to the Code of Student Conduct to give the University authority to formally respond to hate speech. Specifically, we wish to see an addition to Section 10 of the Code to include acts of hate speech as prohibited conduct. Draft restorative justice responses to acts of hate speech, such as: A). education through the Office of Diversity and Inclusion B). sensitivity training, C). meeting with concerned groups D). crafting an apology E). working with any person or organization deemed relevant. A draft pledge against hate speech for students to sign when starting their first semester at the University. The statement could be modeled off the Code of Academic Integrity: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination." |
| Active? | No |
| Policy: | http://president.umd.edu/policies/2014-V-100b.html |
Status
| Status: | Completed |
| Completed On: | 04/28/2015 |
History
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2015-04-21 |
| Decision Date: | 2015-04-28 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted not to charge a committee with review of the proposal. |
| Actions: | The SEC discussed the proposal at length at its meeting on April 28, 2015 and ultimately decided not to send it to a Senate committee for further action. |
| Next Step: | Letter to Proposer |
| Related Files: |