BU Sets New Speech and Protest Policy

The Bluefield University Board of Trustees recently passed and put in place a new speech and protest policy for BU students. The new policy was originally drafted by Josh Arnold, vice president for student development and admissions, and Tonia Walker, vice president for intercollegiate athletics, in order to set a new standard for returning and incoming students.

“While we are aware that the history of sports protest began many years ago, as an advocate for student-athletes, I understand the difficulty of navigating campus politics,” Walker said. “I simply wanted to ensure that BU student-athletes used their platform to protest during competition in a manner that allowed their voices to be heard and was conducted within parameters of NAIA expectations and University policy.”

The original Bluefield University free speech policy was passes by the Board of Trustees in April of 2018, but when demonstrations related to kneeling during the national anthem started happening in the spring of 2021, a need to clarify the policy was noticed. According to Arnold, the protesting demonstrations in the spring of 2021 showed the University that more clarification and education was needed regarding the Speech and Protest Policy.

“An addendum to the 2018 Board resolution was drafted, reviewed by the College Leadership Team, Student Government Association, and Student-Athlete Advisory Council, and forwarded to the Board of Trustees for further consideration,” Arnold said. “The Board of Trustees voted to adopt and immediately implement the addendum as an extension of our existing free speech resolution.”

The new policy says that BU recognizes that its students have rights to free speech and the right to protest, but it requires that the speech or protests be done in a “caring and respectful manner.” It says that the speech and protest must not interfere with others’ rights, including the University’s right to protect its image.

The new policy attempts to ensure that the rights of students are not infringed on while also maintaining an environment that protects not only BU students, but also employees and the university as a whole.

“I don’t think there will be a change in campus culture,” said BU President David Olive about the new Speech and Protest Policy. “This language simply makes more explicit what was already being expressed as boundaries of speech for those who represent the University in various roles. The written policy will help strengthen awareness of the heightened expectations of students who represent the University in a given capacity.

The policy says, “Students who represent the University through participation in campus employment, student organizations, performance groups, intercollegiate athletics, etc., are assumed to be speaking on behalf of the University when functioning in their official capacity and are expected to support University policies and positions.”

It continues with, “University officials may exercise their professional judgment when determining if representative speech, demonstrations, protests, and other forms of expression are incongruent with the University’s mission and message or may interfere with the learning environment. When possible, alternative channels of expression may be provided.”

This policy is now in effect and will be enforced across campus. For more information about the policy, you can contact Arnold at jra269429@bluefield.edu or Walker at tgw291065@bluefield.edu.