Guest Speakers
The freedom of speech and assembly guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth amendments of the United States Constitution shall be enjoyed by the students of Pensacola State College including the opportunity to hear off-campus or outside speakers on the College campus. Free discussions of subjects of controversial nature shall not be curtailed.
Students at Pensacola State College are expected to accept fully the responsibilities that accompany the freedoms of speech and assembly which they enjoy. When inviting an outside speaker, a student organization is charged with the responsibility of making a choice that reflects the students’ genuine concern for the best interest and welfare not only of their own organization but of the College and the community as well.
Policies concerning the issuance of invitations to outside speakers shall be limited to the following:
1. A request to invite an outside speaker will be considered only when made by an organized student group recognized by the College.
2. Invitations by an organized group shall not be issued to an outside speaker without prior written concurrence by the President of the College, or such person or committee as may be designated by the President (such person or committee thereafter referred to as his or her authorized designee), for scheduling of speaker dates and assignments of campus facilities.
3. Any speaker request shall be made in writing by an officer of the student organization desiring to sponsor the proposed speaker not later than ten (10) calendar days prior to the date.
4. Any speaker request shall be made in writing by an officer of the student organization desiring to sponsor the proposed speaker not later than ten (10) calendar days prior to the date of the proposed speaking engagement. This request shall contain the name of the sponsoring organization; the proposed date, time and location of the meeting; the expected size of the audience; and topic of the speech. Any request not acted upon by the President, or his or her authorized designee, within four (4) days after submission shall be deemed granted. A request made by a recognized organization may be denied only if the President, or his or her authorized designee, determines, after proper inquiry, that the proposed speech will constitute a clear and present danger to the institution’s orderly operation by the speaker’s advocacy of such actions as,
a. The violent overthrow of the government of the United States, the state of Florida, or any political subdivision thereof;
b. The willful damage or destruction, or seizure and subversion of the institution’s buildings or other property;
c. The forcible disruption or impairment of, or interference with, the institution’s buildings or other property;
d. The physical harm, coercion, intimidation or other invasion of lawful rights of the institution’s officials, faculty members, or students; or
e. Other campus disorders of a violent nature.
In determining the existence of a clear and present danger, the President, or his or her authorized designee, may consider all relevant factors, including whether such speaker has, within the past five (5) years, incited violence resulting in the destruction of property at any state educational institution or willfully caused the forcible disruption of regularly scheduled classes or other educational functions at any such institution. Where the request for an outside speaker is denied, any sponsoring organization thereby aggrieved shall, upon application to the President, or his or her authorized designee, obtain a hearing within two (2) days following the filing of its appeal before the Student/Faculty Hearing Panel for a de novo consideration of the request. The matter may be referred to the District Board of Trustees of Pensacola State College if the Student/Faculty Hearing Panel believes that the request was improperly denied by the President. Any sponsoring organization aggrieved by the action of the Student/Faculty Hearing Panel or the District Board of Trustees of Pensacola State College in denying the request may obtain judicial review upon application at any court of competent jurisdiction, state or federal, by presenting its verified petition setting forth the grounds of complaint and giving adequate notice of such filing to the President. Upon a hearing to be conducted as soon as practicable, and at such time and place as the court may prescribe, the court shall either reverse or affirm the decision of the President as may be proper under the law and facts. When the request for an outside speaker is granted and the speaker accepts the invitation, the sponsoring organization shall inform the President, or his or her authorized designee, in writing immediately. The President, or his or her authorized designee, may, at his or her discretion, require that the meeting be chaired by a member of the administration or faculty and may further require a statement to be made at the meeting that the views presented are not necessarily those of the institution or of the sponsoring group. In accepting the invitation to speak, the speaker assumes full responsibility for any violation of law committed by the speaker while on campus.