The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) are urging University of Iowa president Sally Mason to issue a statement recognizing the First Amendment rights of Professor Serhat Tanyolacar and make clear that his artwork is fully protected under the First Amendment. The letter was issued in response to the forced removal from [...]
This week, Villanova University's administration cancelled a weeklong, artist-in-residency program led by performance artist Tim Miller. NCAC and FIRE are calling on Villanova to reverse this decision. The joint letter (below) points out that the decision to cancel Miller's residency violates the principle of academic freedom. Miller is known as one of the "NEA Four" – four artists whose grants [...]
We're happy to report that MSU has removed it's charge of "spamming" against student government leader Kara Spencer. Electronic Frontier Foundation's Legal Director Cindy Cohn said, We're pleased that MSU has reversed course and will not only drop the charge against Ms. Spencer, but will reconsider its flawed policies. When a school's anti-spam policy requires students to get approval before [...]
FIRE analyzes two big online speech cases in colleges. Looking at the MSU student found guilty of spamming for sending out emails to professors, and the blocking of JuicyCampus at TSU, the article looks at the legal and social implications of these decisions and how they could shape expression on campus. Gene Policinski looks at the state of the First [...]
NCAC and 10 other civil liberties organizations have joined FIRE and the Electronic Frontier Foundation in an open letter to the president of Michigan State University. The letter defends MSU student Kara Spencer who was charged with spamming. Here are excerpts from the letter: We the undersigned write to express our profound concern about the state of free expression at [...]
Michigan State University student Kara Spencer sent out an email to 391 MSU faculty stating her concerns about plans to shorten the change the fall 2009 academic calendar and schedule. Her email called for a review of the decision. One recipient of the email - a plant biology professor - complained to university administrators, who called in Spencer for a [...]
TSU bans Juicy Campus on the university Internet network, in response to a concerned parent. Juicy Campus CEO disagrees. F.I.R.E. says, "it was only a matter of time."
