Instructions 3

Communication Skills – Ethical Responsibilities of Public Speaking (Discussion Response)

Please respond to the following. Thank you

1. Speech codes at colleges and universities are very common features on campus. Especially college students, they all have their own opinions on race, religion, sexuality, gender, etc. As stated in the textbook, it is very important when giving a speech to a group of different race or gender, to not offend anyone in any way that include insulting or abusive language. I think colleges and universities should adopt policies that officially prohibits any use of verbal language that is offensive to any person of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. The policies should make anyone found guilty of engaging in susceptible to punishments ranging from reprimands to expulsion. Creating policies is a way to “chill” the environment for such expression by punishing various forms of speech based on either content or viewpoint. This is a way to limit harassment on any college campus that would spare the would-be victims of hate speech psychological, emotional and even physical damage.

Source

Hudson, David L. “Free Speech on Public College Campuses Overview.” Freedom Forum Institute, Mar. 2018, https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/first-amendment-center/topics/freedom-of-speech-2/free-speech-on-public-college-campuses-overview/.

2. As we know, freedom of speech is our first amendment right. But in the case of public discourse at a college or university, a private university may impose unconstitutional restrictions. “While public universities are beholden to principles of the First Amendment, they may impose what is known as time, place, and manner restrictions on the exercise of those rights by individuals on campuses.” This means that a public university can impose restrictions on speeches regarding if they are reasonable and content-neutral. I feel that this is designed to steer students away from hateful speech that may be offensive to any race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Imposing these restrictions leaves the communication open-ended and can help prevent disruptions while still allowing freedom of speech. On the private university side, they may impose stricter regulations on this and have students removed and withdrawn from the campus if their speech is found to violate the campus rules of free speech.

In conclusion, public universities are primarily un-restricted in allowing students freedom of speech but may impose guidelines for a time and place for the content of a student’s speech. Meanwhile, a private university can impose more significant restrictions if it doesn’t violate the law. However, this must allow the campus to remain open to a range of diversity and perspectives.

References: https://campusfreespeechguide.pen.org/the-law/the-basics/