Free Speech and Expression

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®) is committed to providing an educational environment and workplace that allows the dissemination of knowledge and diversity of thought by means of research, teaching, discussion and debate. The College's Free Speech Policy protects the rights of speech, expression, affiliation and peaceful assembly, which are guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Ohio Constitution.

In accordance with our Free Expression Procedure, the College is an "open campus" that allows for free expression under the First Amendment. To that end, the College does not exercise restraint on speech other than the reasonable time, place and manner restrictions allowed by law.

Types of Campus Spaces

The common outdoor areas of the College are deemed traditional public forums, subject to reasonable restrictions of time, place and manner of expressive activity.

The common indoor areas of the College are designated as limited public forums where student groups and non-College groups may request to set up tables for the limited purposes of distributing printed materials or collecting signatures on petitions.

All other areas and facilities of the College are deemed nonpublic forums and are intended for the use of the educational functions and operations of the College.

Diversity of Speech

To protect the free speech rights of individuals and groups, the College does not exercise restraint on the speech of any particular group other than reasonable time, place and manner restrictions allowed by law.

We do not consider the act of allowing a religious group to pass out literature on campus as a violation of the separation of church and state doctrine, which, generally, restricts the following three actions: coercion in religious matters, creation of an expectation to support a religion against one's will and practices that state or imply that religious liberty does not encompass all religions.

While there may be, from time to time, only one visible group, it is because they may have been the only group to have requested space and not because of any affinity for or adoption of their message by the College. Nor is their presence meant to be a statement on the College's expectations of its students or as a means of coercion. The College does not make any judgments on the content of a group's message and only requires that any group seeking space to exercise their speech do so in accordance with our Free Expression Procedure.

We understand that in operating as an "open campus" there may be groups that some students will disagree with. However, we welcome these conversations and will allow students to express their concerns consistent with their rights to free speech and expression.

Time, Place and Manner Restrictions

To protect free speech rights while preserving the use of College property for the advancement of its mission, the College has established reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on expressive activities in College spaces:

1. The College reserves the right to place reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on expressive activities in the traditional public forum areas of the College, which are narrowly tailored to serve a significant institutional interest; employ clear content- and viewpoint-neutral criteria; and provide for alternative means of expression.
2. The College does not require outside groups to obtain a permit from the city or pay a fee to the College to demonstrate within traditional public forums or near campus grounds.
3. Individuals or groups should contact the Campus Scheduler’s Office for the desired campus to reserve at least 10 business days in advance of the expressive activity, whenever feasible, so that the respective campus presidents, Legal Services and the Department of Public Safety, as appropriate, may be notified, and the space requested is reserved.
   • Public safety needs, including any security, law enforcement, fire safety or emergency medical needs, should be brought to the College's attention at the time of scheduling.
   • If the requested area is not available due to scheduling conflicts, an alternative area will be offered.
   • For limited public forums, individuals and groups shall not interfere with, approach, touch or verbally antagonize College students, employees and staff. All individuals participating in the expressive activity must remain at the table for the duration of the activity.
4. Signage: Signs may be no longer than 62 inches long and no wider than 50 inches wide. Organizations may display no more than six signs at their demonstrations. Individuals and groups are not permitted to hang signs or banners on campus buildings, landscaping, hardscapes or trees.
5. Sounds: Due to the proximity of offices and classrooms, amplified sound and other loud noise are not permitted. Loud noise is any noise that is audible more than 50 feet from the source of the sound and/or occurring during any restricted hours.
6. Ingress and Egress: To ensure accessibility for students, faculty and staff, any activity to occur in a traditional public forum may not block sidewalks, walkways or streets in a way that obstructs pedestrian or vehicular traffic; must maintain ingress and egress; and two means of egress or the minimum number required as emergency egress by public safety officials, whichever is larger, must be accessible. Any activity to occur in a limited public forum must not block or obstruct the hallways, stairwells, classrooms and doorways of the space.
7. Restricted Hours: Expressive activities in the outdoor areas must be conducted and concluded when the College is open for business operations and classes are in session.

More information about time, place and manner restrictions and procedures is available in the College's Free Expression Procedure.