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Support Structures for Free Speech and Lawful Protest

Download the proposal for Support Structures for Free Speech and Lawful Protest

Feedback on the proposal was due on December 10, 2021. The large number of responses are being collated and will be shared back soon along with next steps.

Any campus community member can submit feedback on the proposal. A number of groups will participate in formal consultation. 

Goals of the proposal:

  1. Broaden the opportunities for members of our campus community to support and engage with students seeking to make change including creating specific opportunities for student and faculty engagement.
  2. Create consistent opportunities for students to be heard both outside of protest events and during protest events.
  3. Reorient the campus protest response from a largely emergency management framework to a student development framework.
  4. Improve transparency around roles and responsibilities for protest response.

What are our current structures?

As we move through consultation and transition to new structures, these efforts will continue to be supported by our current structures to support first amendment activities.

  • Emergency Management Policy Group (EMPG)
    • Standing policy group that convenes to address any campus emergency
    • Only activated for protest scenarios if there is a sufficiently large or disruptive event
    • Convened by Vice Chancellor for Division of Finance, Operations and Administration
  • Demonstration Operations Team (DOT)
    • Multi-office team that meets weekly to prepare to support students and the campus
    • Manages logistics, engagement with protesters, and alerts appropriate offices to emerging issues
    • Led by Associate Vice Chancellor for Risk and Safety Services

What are the proposed structures?

  •  First Amendment and Protest Oversight Group (FAPOG)
    • Lawful protests are not emergencies. The name of this group emphasizes the support for first amendment rights this group is intended to facilitate.
    • Each office represented on FAPOG will be listed publicly along with the responsibilities managed by that office to improve transparency.
    • The membership of FAPOG is larger than that of EMPG to ensure consistent contact with key stakeholders.
  • First Amendment Support Team (FAST)
    • Based on a Spring 2021 recommendation of the Campus Safety Community Advisory Board to implement an explicit and swift system to interface with student organizers who are working to be heard on crucial issues before they hold a demonstration.
    • FAST will be a transparent and accessible listening body for students.
    • FAST will be independent and neutral and members will receive training and meet regularly.
    • Participation in FAST will be compensated when it is outside of an employee’s normal scope of work.
  • Protest Support Team (PST)
    • PST will support student health and wellness during protests.
    • Students will be able to use the PST portal to indicate that they will be planning an event and request support.
    • During the pilot year, CAPS and CARE support will be options for support along with access to drinking water.
    • Services can be provided in-person and remotely.
  • Protest Logistics Team (PLT)
    • Transition DOT to the PLT and share responsibility across the newly created groups for supporting students.
    • The PLT’s primary charge will be to coordinate the campus logistical planning and response for protests that cause disruptions to normal campus access or activities.
    • While members of the PLT may support students directly in their employee roles, PLT will not be the primary outreach point for supporting student activists or for communicating with and educating our student community.