USF’s Board of Trustees (BOT) re-endorsed a statement on free expression in state universities at its Tuesday meeting. 

This comes just after USF updated a policy that has redefined how students can organize on campus, including needing to get pre-approval if they plan to gather with amplified sound and displays.

The endorsement complies with a recommendation by the Board of Governors (BOG) to have universities reaffirm the declaration annually, according to board chair Will Weatherford.

“I think the board is happy with the things that our university is doing to make sure we’re protecting both students and the First Amendment,” Weatherford said. “It is not easy. We know these are complicated times.”

The statement itself is five years old. It defines how college campuses are a breeding ground for diversity and different viewpoints.

“It reinforces the key purpose of our university to provide a learning environment where divergent ideas, philosophies, new and old, can be vigorously debated and critically evaluated,” Weatherford said.

Just an hour before, history professor Adriana Novoa spoke of her reaction to protesters being tear gassed at the Tampa campus in late April.

As a parent of a USF student, Novoa said she felt terrified. As a professor, she said she felt ashamed. 

“No student should ever learn obedience through fear and silence at university,” she said to the board.

Related: USF students are divided over new on-campus gathering policies – The Oracle 

After her three minutes of speaking time ran out, she was encouraged to pen a letter with the rest of her remarks. Weatherford then commended President Rhea Law and the administration for how they handled the spring’s protests. 

“We have the responsibility to protect and defend our students,” he said. “We have a responsibility to protect and defend the First Amendment and we have a responsibility to prevent anarchy on our campuses like we saw on other campuses around the United States.”

Over the summer, USF updated its activity and events policy to clarify some time, place and manner restrictions students will have to follow to gather on campus.

Related: Protesters at USF need pre-approval to gather with amplified sound and displays – The Oracle 

BOG’s Civil Discourse Initiative, which started in 2021, says debating, challenging and respectfully arguing about opinions are necessary skills. 

“Development of such skills leads to personal and scholarly growth and is an essential component of the academic and research missions of each of our institutions,” the statement reads. 

While promoting civil discourse, the statement also emphasizes the university’s responsibility to not “stifle” ideas even when they are “abhorrent.” The statement says people should be allowed to express their beliefs and disagree with others “without fear of being bullied, threatened or silenced.”

“And though we believe all members of our campus communities have a role to play in promoting civility and mutual respect in that type of discourse, we must not let concerns over civility or respect be used as a reason to silence expression,” the statement reads.

Prior to the endorsement of the statement, Novoa expressed her concerns with how students have been impacted by USF’s response to protests in April. 

This is not the first time Weatherford has defended the university’s response to on-campus protests.

“I’m proud of the campus police and the way that they manage themselves and represent the university,” Weatherford said in a June BOT meeting. “I’m proud of law enforcement for being by our side and helping us navigate a thorny situation.”

Related: USF leaders applaud response to campus protests despite criticism – The Oracle 

But, BOG’s statement reaffirms the administrations’ rights to prevent unlawful expression through time, place and manner restrictions.

Novoa said that while these restrictions should be “reasonable and content neutral,” they’ve been influenced by political pressure. 

“Will my daughter be protected from the government if her thinking and beliefs do not sit well with any government that she would need to face in the future,” she asked rhetorically. 

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