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Normandale Community College Policies and Procedures

2.14 Public Presentation and Speakers

Related Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board Policy: 3.1 Student Rights and Responsibilities

Related Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board Procedure: None

Purpose: To uphold the right of free expression and exchange of ideas, to minimize conflict between the exercise of that right and the rights of others in effective use of College facilities, and to minimize possible interference with the College’s responsibilities’ as an education institution.

Part 1: Members of a faculty, academic department, administrative office and recognized student life groups may invite non-college speakers to address meetings on–campus.

Subpart A: The presence of a guest speaker on the campus of Normandale Community College does not necessarily imply approval or endorsement of the College of the views expressed by the guest speaker or by anyone else at the event.

  1. College administration may require either or both of the following:
    1. The meeting to be chaired by a person approved by the College
    2. The speaker to be subject to questions from the audience

Subpart B: An invitation to a non-College speaker may be rescinded only if the President, or their designee, determines, after appropriate inquiry, that the proposed speech will constitute a clear and present danger to the orderly operation or peaceful conduct of campus activities by the speaker’s advocacy of such actions as:

  1. Willful damage or destruction or seizure of College buildings or property
  2. Disruption of, impairment of, or interference with, classes or other College activities
  3. Physical harm, coercion, intimidation, or other invasion of the rights of College Students, faculty, staff or guests
  4. Advocacy of violation of law
  5. Other disorder of a violent or seriously disruptive nature

Part 2: Public presentations of copy-righted media

Subpart A: Copyright Act restricts the use of videotapes/DVDs/video files (bought or rented) for private showings and prohibits their public performance.

  1. Students are not permitted to show copyrighted media without paying public performance fees in other on campus or at off campus official meetings.
  2. The Copyright Act contains a special exception, "fair use" rule; someone other than the copyright owner may make limited use of a copyrighted work without permission for purposes such as teaching, research, scholarship, criticism, parody, and news reporting.

Part 3: Freedom of Expression

Protection of First Amendment rights; time, place and manner restrictions; and disruption of college operations are all key considerations. These are outlined in the Normandale 6.13 Freedom of Expression Policy. 

Policy History:

Date of Adoption: 1999

Department Owner:

Date and Subject of Revisions: 2009

10/29/18 – Updated Minnesota State Colleges and Universities vs. MnSCU and formatting changes

4/15/24 – Added references to Minnesota State Board Policy 3.1 Student Rights and Responsibilities and Normandale Policy 6.13 Freedom of Expression, updated to current terminology in the Copyright Act, removed gendered language, removed term of certainty from purpose statement.

Next Review Date: 2027-2028