WSU gets worst free speech rating?

[Shox The Revenant]

Saw this in the Eagle and was angry as hell. According to a Free Speech Group who monitors colleges and universities around the nation and how well they support free speech, WSU and Central Mizzou State are the worst rated colleges in Missouri and Kansas in supporting free speech. Evidently, WSU's policy on sexual harassment doesn't follow the US Supreme Court's decision on what constitutes sexual harassment. Do you agree?

https://www.kansas.com/news/local/education/article237998364.html

[ShockTalk]

Are you angry as hell at WSU or FIRE? A lot of what I read seemed stupid. Didn't think the article was worth the paper it was written on. Am I missing something?

[Kung Wu]

Yeah, because it's important that we can tell sexually explicit jokes in class.

[Kel Varnsen]

Yeah, because it's important that we can tell sexually explicit jokes in class.

That's a hill I'm willing to die on, sir!

[Kung Wu]

Saw this in the Eagle and was angry as hell.

Please explain what about this policy has you angry?

• Sexual Harassment
  
  Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment can take several forms:
  1. Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment occurs when submission to unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment or participation in an academic program; or submission to or rejection of unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions or academic decisions affecting that individual, including but not limited to grades, pay, promotion, and transfers.
  2. Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment occurs when unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with a person's work or academic performance and/or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment for working, learning, or living on campus, or in connection to an institutional program. The determination for whether an environment is “hostile” is often contextual and must be based on the circumstances.
  3. Third Party Sexual Harassment occurs when unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature is perpetrated by individuals who are not employees or students at the University.

[Shox The Revenant]

My bad, I'm angry at FIRE for giving WSU such a poor rating. I find it utterly absurd.

[Kung Wu]

My bad, I'm angry at FIRE for giving WSU such a poor rating. I find it utterly absurd.

Then this will really fire you up ... compare our sexual harassment policy above with K-State's (which got a "green light"):

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature in which submission to or rejection of such conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's work or school performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment
Types of Sexual Harassment

Quid pro quo- when the perpetrator makes anything (getting a raise, obtaining housing, getting an certain grade in a course) contingent upon the victim providing sexual favors
Hostile environment- when unwelcome and persistent sexual conduct creates an uncomfortable and hostile environment for the victim

[ShockTalk]

Then this will really fire you up ... compare our sexual harassment policy above with K-State's (which got a "green light"):

Perhaps the Eagle reporter should explain the difference. Better yet, they should have FIRE explain the big difference between WSU's statement and KSU's. Put their feet to the fire so to speak.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

I'm highly skeptical about this idea that free speech on college campuses is somehow "under attack."

Here's an article written by the president of Columbia, who is also a first amendment scholar. And by the way, the article is part of a project funded by the Charles Koch Foundation (so arguments about how it's "liberal" or "left wing" can be left at the door, thanks):

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/free-speech-crisis-campus-isnt-real/591394/

And for those of you who won't freak out that the source is Vox, here's a pretty good examination of just how much the "crisis" is being overblown:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/8/31/17718296/campus-free-speech-political-correctness-musa-al-gharbi

Lastly, this is a pretty good (although numbingly dry) article examining the two polar opposite views, and has some interesting information about the FIRE organization:

https://www.aaup.org/article/tale-two-arguments-about-free-speech-campus#.XelnJuhKiUk

[Kung Wu]

I'm highly skeptical about this idea that free speech on college campuses is somehow "under attack."

I share your skepticism. I think there ARE some heavily leftist run campuses that shut down conservative voices by preventing them from being guest speakers, but those are far from the norm. At least I hope they are.

[wufan]

Agree with KungWu. Not a fan of hecklers veto or, in rare instances, making “time and place” restrictions untenable by requiring an absurd amount of security to be provided by the speaker as a condition of the speech.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

I share your skepticism. I think there ARE some heavily leftist run campuses that shut down conservative voices by preventing them from being guest speakers, but those are far from the norm. At least I hope they are.

Absolutely. FIRE has been overreacting for some time, but their "rating" of WSU struck my nerve.