Students have a right to participate in peaceful demonstrations on campus, according to university policy.
The Student Code of Conduct outlines the process and stipulations of a student demonstration, but this is not an attempt to limit students’ ability to host peaceful protest, according to a university official.
Students are prohibited from participating in any protest or activity that disrupts university operations, according to the Student Code of Conduct.
The policy is not new, said Dr. Amy Ayres, vice president for student affairs and dean of students.
“This does not infer that students are not allowed to participate in demonstrations,” Ayres said. “Rather, it simply indicates that doing so in a manner that disrupts university operations or infringes upon the rights of others could then be a violation of the code of conduct.”
Ayres said she does not view protest as something officials should attempt to prevent.
“In my opinion, peaceful and lawful protest can have positive benefits, as it plays a key role in student activism and social change,” Ayres said.
Ben Patterson, religion sophomore, said it’s good for students to have the ability to protest.
“It goes back to freedom of speech, but they should do it peacefully,” Patterson said. “We see it all the time on the news about protests getting out of hand.”
There should be guidelines and rules to ensure peaceful demonstrations, Patterson said.
I would not be likely to participate in a demonstration, Patterson said.
If students wish to conduct a public demonstration on campus, they must register the rally with the dean of students at least three days before the event, according to the student handbook.
More information about registering a student demonstration and the policies governing demonstrations on campus can be found in the student handbook, available at okcu.edu.
Leave a Reply