Posted on 01/18/2019 6:27:20 AM PST by reaganaut1
Written in 1903, the University of Texas fight song’s opening lyrics are “The Eyes of Texas are upon you/All the livelong day.” Unfortunately, for many on campus, the sentiments expressed are more than just a catchy tune—it’s a frightening reality.
Thanks to four policies that the school maintains—a verbal harassment ban, an Acceptable Use Policy governing internet & digital use, a Residence Hall Manual, and a “Campus Climate Response Team”—the eyes of the University of Texas really are on students, keeping tabs on their speech all the time, everywhere.
First: UT’s ban on “verbal harassment.” Contained in the school’s Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities, the ban prohibits speech that is “offensive”—which may include “insults, epithets, ridicule, [and] personal attacks.”
Certainly, “offensive” is a highly subjective term. What’s toxic to one student may be perfectly acceptable to another. Alas, the school fails to sufficiently define the term, putting students in the precarious position of postulating whether their words might wound another, even if they weren’t intended to. And although the rules nominally provide an exception for speech that is “necessary” to the expression of an idea, there’s zero guidance about what the phrase means or how it might be applied.
The school’s Acceptable Use Policy is just as bad. Governing information-technology resources (such as email and internet access), it prohibits communications that are “uncivil,” “rude,” or “harassing.” Again, “uncivil,” “rude,” and “harassing” aren’t defined, thus placing a tremendous amount of discretion in the hands of university bureaucrats. Should these rules be violated, potential punishments “include[,] but [are] not limited to: Verbal warning, Revocation of access privileges, Disciplinary probation, Suspension from the university, [and] Criminal prosecution.” Can a snide comment on someone’s social media page using a university Wi-Fi signal truly open up students to suspension? It would appear so.
(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...
When democrats get back into power the whole USA will be like this.
The market will decide on the University of Texas.
After the publishment of this article, or articles on the same topic, applications to the University of Texas will decrease, and enrolment will decline.
That’s the way markets work.
The Nazis got rid of the Jews from the colleges and universities. The Socialists, a/k/a Democrats will get rid of Christians and whites from the colleges and universities.
There was a time when male students were men and wouldn’t allow conformity tyranny.
UT had better be VERY careful - being a state institution, it is fully subject to the 1st Amendment, and ALL of the officials involved in any incident will be subject to a Title 42, Section 1983 suit for “deprivation of civil rights under color of law.”
Oh, and this is TEXAS - there are a LOT of people here who simply will not tolerate this nanny state crap...and there are lots of lawyers down here who are drooling to take on a case like this.
Go to college, get punished for acting like a college-aged kid, sue, and retire at age 21.
I hope that UT gets its comeuppance in a number of areas. I went to graduate school there and I want to write about a specific problem I faced. I am a heterosexual and was constantly being “hit on” by lesbians. By the time I graduated I was quite convinced only lesbians were hired for that school...the whole school, not just a department. And no one as far as I know, thinks women ever act that way. I couldn’t wait to graduate which I did with honors. I will never go back and I not send them a dime.
So sarcasm could be banned under these conditions.
Does anyone remember a time when you sucked it up and moved on or stick and stones...
It’s Austin. Austin is to Texas what California is to the USA.
Sounds like hell
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