Wiley: UW-Madison supports free expression

UW–Madison supports the right of individuals to express their personal and political views on university premises, as long as the manner of that expression does not impede the rights of others who feel differently, says Chancellor John Wiley in response to student protests at the Government and Non-Profit Volunteer Fair held Jan. 31 at Memorial Union.

The event attracted protestors opposed to the presence of recruiters from several federal agencies.

“Open debate, particularly about matters of great societal concern, has long been a hallmark of this campus,” says Wiley. “This is a place where free expression and differences of opinion matter. The ‘sifting and winnowing’ plaque on the front of Bascom Hall celebrates this tradition, and reminds us of an enduring legacy that we have a responsibility to protect.”

Wiley adds that students with differing viewpoints have an equal right to express their views by visiting the career fair, meeting with recruiters and conducting their business without harassment or disruption.

Numerous avenues for First Amendment expression are open to members of the community interested in conveying their personal or political views, including picketing outside the building, handing out literature on the first floor of the Union and lodging a formal complaint with organizers.

Information on these options is widely available to the campus community through the Student Organizations Office and Central Reservations office of the Wisconsin Union.

“We will protect the rights of students who wish to associate with recruiters,” Wiley says. “Should a student or student group make a decision to act outside of our established parameters for protest, they are essentially accepting responsibility for the consequences of their civil-disobedience action.”

The Union career fair was not disrupted and hundreds of students met with recruiters from non-profit and government firms from across the country.

More information on university policies related to protest at the facilities of the Wisconsin Union is available online.