Resolution 6-08
Title: University Council Speech Proposal Resolution
Authors: Dave Henry, Rod Miller, Miriam Baker, and Joseph Brown
Sponsors: Student Life Committee
Co-Sponsor: John Bradberry
The Student Senate as representative of the student body of the University of Georgia does hereby
resolve:
Whereas, The Student Affairs Committee of the University Council has asked for a month
long period of public comment on their proposed new speech policy;
Whereas, The student handbook states "When you enroll at UGA, you assume special
responsibility for university conduct regulations." It further states, "They were
not made to deny any of the rights guaranteed you previously." The proposed
speech policy directly contradicts this by attempting to prohibit speech and
writing which "harasses";
Whereas, The issue of harassment of individuals is already clearly covered by UGA's
student conduct regulations (pp. 12, Ill., Section 4.), which states: "No student
shall intentionally harass another person. Harassment includes, but is not limited
to, threatening, intimidating, verbally abusing, impeding, telephoning, following
or persistently bothering or annoying";
Whereas, These conduct regulations are printed in both the student handbook and in the
Student Judiciary's publication
CONDUCT REGULATIONS AND
PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED IN DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS;
Whereas, The new speech policy is an unnecessary expansion upon the current conduct
regulations regarding harassment;
Whereas, The second sentence of the third paragraph of the proposed speech policy
represents a vague broadening of the prohibition of harassment. Prohibiting
"Actions, including spoken and printed words" which "intentionally harass" is
likely to be found Unconstitutional by virtue of the First Amendment if
challenged in the courts;
Whereas, The proposed speech policy seems to contradict itself in that it calls any attempt
to limit "hurtful" ideas "an exercise in futility," but then goes on to provide just
such a limitation;