Board of Regents adds policy manual revision to agenda
Kennedy DeRaedt/Iowa State Daily
John Nash (left), Regent Milt Dakovich (middle) and Regent Patty Cownie (right) listen to the Property and Facilities Committee. The Board of Regents held a meeting Feb. 27, 2019, in the Reiman Ballroom at the Alumni Center.
April 16, 2019
The Board of Regents has made an addition to its Thursday agenda.
The board will be discussing a proposed revision to the Board of Regents Policy Manual 4.2 — Freedom of Expression. The revision expands upon the Campus Speakers and Programs by adding definitions, guiding principles and instructions on the use of university grounds and facilities, as well as how to file complaints to the Board –– directions which were previously missing.
The addition comes as a result of Iowa Code Chapter 261H, which was set in place March 27.
“Iowa Code Chapter 261H is an act relating to speech and expression at public institutions of higher education in the State of Iowa,” according to the executive summary of the Policy Manual Revision. “The chapter directs the Board of Regents to adopt a policy addressing speech and expression at the universities under its jurisdiction.”
The revision also makes some minor changes in the wording of section five of the proposed policy, Campus Speakers and Programs, for readability purposes.
The proposed policy additionally states that its intent is not to give universities the ability to restrict First Amendment rights.
“Nothing in this policy shall be interpreted as prohibiting the Regent universities from regulating or restricting expressive activity that is not protected by the First Amendment,” as stated in the policy.
The Board of Regents will be meeting Thursday in Iowa City at the University of Iowa. Live Streaming of open sessions and agenda can be found on their website http://www.iowaregents.edu.
