Free speech has been a hot buzz topic on campus for almost a year now. As a result of discrepancies in administrative action toward students and ambiguity in the Use of Outdoor Space on the Athens Campus policy, Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Kent Smith charged Student Senate to create a committee whose main purpose was to review the current policy and report any recommendations. Representatives from Student Senate, Graduate Student Senate and Students for a Democratic Society drafted these recommendations for the administration and presented them at the end of spring quarter last academic year. We had been anxiously awaiting a response until meetings reconvened fall quarter. After several drafts and situational disagreements, Dr. Smith presented his proposal to the committee last week. Expressing my enthusiasm and happiness would be an understatement in comparison to the commitment to shared governance and students that Dr. Smith has portrayed in his suggestions. The idea of an open campus for free speech and expression is closer to a reality thanks to these recommendations. Policy changes take time, but now with executive administration support, the process should move quickly and hopefully the policy will be implemented by spring. I would like to publicly thank the Committee on Free Speech for the countless hours spent revising the policy and Dr. Smith for his support and genuine interest in student rights.
Amanda Roder is a senior integrated language arts major. She is vice president of Student Senate and chairperson for the Committee on Free Speech.
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Letter to the Editor
