Free Speech at RIC: The Student Bill of Rights & The Chilling Effect

Roman Kavanagh

Opinions Editor

May 2025, just days before finals week, a group of protesting RIC students marched into Gaige Hall where the Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education was discussing the suspension of 20 majors. So why didn’t the administration stop those students at the door? The answer is: because of the First Amendment. 

As students at a public college, we have the same free speech protections as public citizens, with a few minor exceptions to ensure the school is still able to provide an education without impediment. But what exactly are those exceptions? How do we know when what we’re doing is protected under our rights as students? The college used to have an answer to point to: the Student Bill of Rights. Since 2022, however, this clarifying document on student rights has been missing from the RIC Student Handbook.

So what happened to the old Student Bill of Rights? Strangely enough, nobody seems to know the answer. It seems that despite the decision being made in 2022, the administration who was involved with the process have since mostly been replaced. What we do know is that there’s something being done to fix it.

I interviewed Dr. Valerie Endress, RIC professor and leader of The American Democracy Project. She told me that her ‘COMM 261, Issues in Free Speech’ class is currently working on drafting a new free speech policy which they will be presenting to RIC’s administration at the end of the term. “That’s not to say that they’re going to adopt it,” Dr. Endress clarified. But rather, “I think they’re probably going to use it for a draft to fine tune it.” The direct impact that Dr. Endress' students are making the preservation of their own rights sets a precedent for how RIC truly values its students’ voices.

Image taken by Anchor News photographer

Now some may argue that our Student Handbook includes policies on free speech, and what we can and cannot say. But the problem is that the language included in the Handbook is weak and vague in places that the Student BIll of Rights previously supplemented. As a strong advocate of free speech, Dr. Endress stressed how important it is to have clearcut rules set out protecting our rights as students. “Free speech in higher ed is very different than free speech in K-12,” Dr. Endress said.  “Higher ed has been recognized by the courts to challenge students’ thinking.” This is an important part of the function of our universities. So as for a new free speech policy? “It’s absolutely essential,” said Dr. Endress. Not just for logistical purposes, but also, “For the symbolic quality of who we are.” 

Especially in light of recent events, the edification of our rights are more important than ever. “Because colleges and universities have been a target of the recent presidential administration and Donald Trump,” said Dr. Endress,  “I think it’s all the more important that we have to define what those rights and responsibilities are. This shouldn’t be a time [where] people are afraid to speak out. College campuses should be a safe place for people to explore multiple ideas and to look at perspectives both pro and con, and hear speakers and have their own point of view challenged.”

Not only does it affect our lives now, but in the future, it is important that we understand our role in society as citizens in a democratic nation. “As a public institution,” said Dr. Endress, “we need to reinforce that you have the same rights and responsibilities of adults who are protesting in the ‘No Kings’ Rally downtown.” We are the democratic people of tomorrow, and that sentiment starts right here on campus.