Student Handbook: Principles of the Community- Freedom of Expression and Dissent

Relevant Excerpt

Dartmouth prizes and defends freedom of expression and dissent as fundamental to its academic mission of learning, teaching, research, discovery, scholarship, and creative work, which relies vitally on open discourse and the free exchange of ideas. Dartmouth therefore upholds and protects the right of its students to exercise that freedom. 

At the same time Dartmouth recognizes that this freedom exists in the context of its residential community and mission as an academic institution, in the context of federal and state law and local ordinances, and in responsibility for one's own actions. The right to free expression and dissent is not unfettered. Its exercise must reciprocally allow for others at Dartmouth to exercise the same freedom, must not deliberately obstruct the principal functions and activities of the institution, and must not constitute unlawful activity or prohibited conduct such as harassment, discrimination, retaliation, coercion, or threat. (See also: the standards of conduct adopted by Dartmouth's schools.)

Within those general bounds, freedom of expression and dissent is broadly protected and any limitation imposed by Dartmouth on expressive activity must be content and viewpoint neutral and narrowly tailored to serve a substantial institutional interest. Expressive activity, and the right to refrain from it, will not be restricted because of subject matter, message, or point of view. This is equally true whether the expression is, for example, popular or unpopular, accepted or contested, considered sympathetic or offensive, or whether it is made in celebration or protest, joy or sorrow, affirmation or dissent. Dartmouth expects its campus to be a space for lively discussion and that limitations of expressive activities will be the exception not the norm.