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, 111., 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;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Student Body of the University of Georgia through its elected members of the Student Government Senate does hereby URGE THE STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL, THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, AND/OR THE UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION NOT TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED SPEECH POLICY OR ANY FUTURE PROPOSALS WHICH IN ANY WAY LIMIT FREE SPEECH ON THE UGA CAMPUS;


BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of the body shall send a copy of this resolution to: Members of the University Council Student Affairs Committee, University President Charles Knapp, University Vice President for Student Affairs Dwight Douglas, the Chairman of the University Council, Executive Committee Hugh Ruppersburg, Director of Judicial Programs William Bracewell, and Chair of Student Affairs of University Council, Ed Larson.