For the purpose of responding to campus climate concerns and enforcing California Senate Bill 108, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) has made effective three new policies and procedures. These policies have been effective since Sept. 3, 2024 and detail explicit information regarding camping on university property, posting policies, and the scope of expressive activities.
The Policy Prohibiting Camping on University Property which essentially prohibits people camping “on University Property without prior written authorization.” Camping equipment is defined as “tents or other temporary shelters, tarpaulins (tarps), cots, beds, sleeping bags or pads, camping mats, pallets, hammocks, cooking/warming equipments” and University Property is any land owned or managed by the UC Regents. In order to gain approval for camping on University Property, a request must be made to the Vice Chancellor of Planning, Budget & Administration and the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.
This policy is related to the UCR Policy: Expressive Activities; Time, Place and Manner Regulations, and was revised to reorganize and clarify previous policy, as well as to comply with the University of California, Office of the President directives. The expressive activities policy applies, “Policies Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations and Students: Policy on Speech and Advocacy,” a UC system-wide directive. The policy dictates, as “UCR promotes and respects the free exchange of ideas and information. As provided in this policy, UCR grounds are generally available for Expressive Activities” so long as prior authorization is provided.
Expressive activities are defined in the expressive activities policy as “actions by an individual or group designed to engage, or aimed at, a larger audience, or to send a broad message. Common Expressive Activities are demonstrations, protests, assemblies and rallies, vigils, picketing, speech-making, leafleting, and other writing and drawing communicating a message.”
For example, UCR has the authority to establish time and space restrictions for when and where certain expressive activities can occur, restricting activities from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Most locations on campus are available for expressive activities, some would require prior approval. Examples of available spaces include “lawns, plazas or patios,” while others such as “buildings dedicated to research, health, dining, administrative, study, and instruction,” would require prior approval.
Other notable points establish that “concealing one’s identity, including wearing a mask or disguise, is prohibited” when it is done to imitate or evade recognition due to law or policy violations.
The final policy which has been implemented as of recent is the Posting Policy for Students. This policy “sets rules as to how, where and when Printed Materials may be posted, hung, or otherwise mounted on UCR buildings and grounds.” It provides explicit guidelines for where, when, and how to post printed material on campus grounds, and condenses material found across different policies from years prior. Additionally, the policy has a section entitled “Chalking, Painting, and Similar” for student activity regarding chalking on sidewalks or other open surfaces on campus, where if no prior approval is given, the activity will be considered vandalism.
On Sept. 17, 2024, an email was sent by the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Brian Haynes outlining the various policies and that he is, “writing to inform you that free speech principles are a foundational pillar at UC Riverside. We encourage all UCR students to advocate for their views while abiding by state and federal safeguards that provide an inclusive, welcoming space for dialogue, debate, and discourse.”
The Associated Students of UCR (ASUCR) released a post on Instagram on Sept. 19 outlining the various policies and stating that “ASUCR does NOT endorse these policies and are actively encouraging students to speak out about these policies during the comment period.” Students were asked to submit their concerns to policy@ucr.edu by Sept. 22, 2024. Additionally, ASUCR shares, “Note that these policies are being implemented by administration. We acknowledge that these policies make it difficult to protest peacefully about causes important to students and we ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEAK YOUR MIND!!”
