Campus Community Standards

At UC Berkeley, we embrace vigorous debate and the challenging of conventional thinking as essential to our mission of learning and discovery. At the same time, we are committed to maintaining a community where all members can learn, teach, work, and engage safely without disruption. These standards help ensure that our tradition of free speech flourish while protecting everyone’s ability to participate fully in campus life. 

The following information highlights policies and guidelines based on California State Senate Bill 108, SEC. 219, 34:

1. Campus Time, Place, and Manner

The following regulations and policies identify the allowable parameters of free speech activities and the campus:

A summary of the components of these regulations and policies can be found at this campus website.

2. The Code of Student Conduct

The Code of Student Conduct identifies acceptable student behavior, and relevant state and federal laws, which delineate legal and illegal activities. See the following resources:

3. Systemwide Anti-Discrimination Policy

The UC Anti-Discrimination policy prohibits protected category harassment and discrimination, ensuring compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

4. Process for resolution of complaints and violations

  • The process by which the campus resolves a complaint of a policy violation may be described in the policy that addresses the specific type of violation that is alleged. Please visit the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination website for more information about the UC Anti-Discrimination policy and the UC Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment.
  • Suspected criminal activity on campus is reported to the relevant law enforcement agency.
  • This imposition of disciplinary consequences upon a student for a violation of policy is addressed through the process described in the Berkeley Student Code of Conduct (see above).
  • Employees are disciplined for policy violations pursuant to the published employment policies that pertain to their category of employment.
  • People who are not affiliated with campus are subject to criminal prosecution for crimes committed on campus. Non-affiliates can be excluded from campus pursuant to the process described in Penal Code section 626. Violation of campus policies and regulations may result in the partial or total exclusion of non-affiliates from campus facilities.   
  • When a campus policy or campus regulation does not specifically describe the due process afforded to an alleged violator who is not affiliated, the campus provides the alleged violator with written notice and an opportunity to respond in writing before imposing a consequence.

5. Range of possible consequences 

In order to create inclusive spaces where all voices are heard and our community members can engage in their educational, academic, research, and patient care pursuits, the University must also take consistent and fair accountability measures against individuals whose conduct violates the University’s policies, state law, or federal law, including but not limited to, discrimination based on shared ancestry under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These accountability measures are taken only after disciplinary proceedings are completed with appropriate procedural safeguards [6]. Accountability measures for the violation of the University’s policies may include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • Students: Educational sanctions, written warning, disciplinary probation, exclusion from areas of the campus or from official University functions, restitution, suspension, and dismissal. 
  • Staff: Counseling memorandums, written reprimands, suspension without pay, reduction in pay, and termination or dismissal. 
  • Senate Faculty: Informal counseling memorandums, written censure, reduction in salary, demotion, suspension without pay, non-reappointment, denial or curtailment of emeritus status, and dismissal.  
  • Non-Senate Academic Appointees: Informal counseling memorandums, written warning, written censure, demotion, suspension without pay, reduction in salary, non-reappointment, and dismissal. 
  • Visitors and Non-UC Affiliates: Exclusion from campus, restitution, and potential for criminal sanctions for violation of University rules in accordance with the California Education Code.

6. Campus response to disruptive activities

The University’s policies, rules, and regulations are designed to support the University’s mission of education, research, and public service. 

The University has explicit policies that protect and foster extensive opportunities for free expression, speech, and assembly. In addition, academic freedom protects freedom of inquiry and research, teaching, and expression and publication. The University also has policies that comply with federal and state laws, protect lawful access to University programs and facilities, address unsafe behavior and aim to prevent the destruction of property. These policies apply regardless of the cause or content of a particular protest, speech, or other form of expression, or whether the conduct involves expression at all. 

While systemwide policies affirm the constitutionally protected rights of all members of the University community regarding free expression, speech, and assembly, these activities should not disrupt the University’s functions, impede orderly operations, or place community members in reasonable fear for their personal safety [1].

If violations of local, state and federal law or University’s Time, Place, Manner and Expressive Activity policies occur, they will be addressed with the following consistent tiered response, with an emphasis on providing community members with multiple opportunities to adjust their conduct:

  • Initially, people engaged in committing a policy violation should be informed of the violation and asked to change their conduct. Multiple requests may be made, and compliance with the requests means the response will not be escalated.

  • If the people involved do not comply with requests to alter their conduct, they will be warned about potential consequences and directed to comply. If the conduct continues, UC Police Department (UCPD) and/or Campus Fire Marshal will assess the situation and, based on their assessment, may issue an unlawful assembly notice/announcement, orders to disperse, orders to identify oneself, or other relevant orders.

  • In the final phase of tiered response, people who refuse to change their conduct as directed may be cited for a violation of the relevant University policy. If they are breaking the law they may be cited, detained and arrested for unlawful behavior, or subject to other police actions. Stay-away orders may be issued for higher severity violations and/or for repeat offenses. The University may utilize University of California Police Departments or other state or local law enforcement agencies to maintain the health and safety of the University community.

  • Members of the University community who are arrested for unlawful behavior must have their conduct evaluated for potential violations of University policy. Members of the University community who are cited for a violation of University policy must go through the applicable campus review process [2].

While the tiered response outlines consistent expectations in many situations, it is not a rigid prescription that will capture all situations, all specific violations of policy or law, or all response actions. It does not dictate a specific timeframe. A tiered response does not mean a slow response but one that fits the situation and the resources to address it. Specifically, if violation of policy or law poses an immediate threat to life safety [3] or critical University functions, the University will act accordingly and mobilize the appropriate resources, which may include UCPD, Campus Fire Marshal, and/or other resources to respond. This is consistent with the University’s established tiered response approach, where an escalation of threat to life safety or of disruption to operations demands a rapidly escalated response. The tiered response approach outlined above is rooted in the best practices and recommendations of the Robinson-Edley report [4] and the Community Safety Plan [5] to encourage free expression while safeguarding the rights of all members to teach, study, and exchange ideas freely.

7. Fostering healthy discourse and community

The following links describe how the campus intends to foster healthy discourse and bring together campus community members, and viewpoints that are ideologically different, in order to best promote the educational mission of the institution and the exchange of ideas in a safe and peaceful manner.

8. Supporting the balance between free speech activities, educational mission, and student safety

The following are educational programs and activities for faculty, staff, and students to support the balance between free speech activities, educational mission, and student safety.  The campus intends to develop more such programs.

9. Campus mental health and trauma support resources

These webpages describe resources available on campus for faculty, staff, and students to receive mental health and trauma support:

Notes 

  1. Regents Policy 3303: Policy on Employee and Student Protections Related to Student Press and Student Free Speech Rights, Policy on Speech and Advocacy (PACAOS 30), Policy on Use of University Properties (PACAOS 40)
  2. UC Board of Regents statement on conduct guidelines issued by UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. | University of California
  3. Life safety: Imminent threat of harm or endangerment to people and/or systems designed to protect people from immediate harm (i.e., fire detection and suppression systems)
  4. Robinson-Edley Report and Implementation Plans
  5. UC Community Safety Plan
  6. Consistent with Regents Bylaw 40, for faculty, the proposed imposition of any type of disciplinary sanction will proceed in accordance with the established policies and procedures for discipline, including an opportunity for a prior hearing before an appropriate advisory committee of the Division of the Academic Senate.