Aloha UH ?ohana,
When we announced the implementation of the updated free expression policy and procedures (Time, Place and Manner Policy or TPM) on an interim basis on July 1, we intended to provide clear, viewpoint-neutral guidelines that would protect expressive rights while ensuring our campuses remain safe, accessible and functional for teaching and learning. There is no question that free speech, academic freedom and robust intellectual debate are the lifeblood of our 10-campus system.
The interim TPM policy and procedures are the product of significant outreach, education and engagement with our campus community and others over the last year, as our resource website shows. During this time, we have heard extensive feedback from students, faculty and staff across our campuses, and the policy has undergone significant revisions in response to these conversations.
Since the implementation, we have heard concerns from some members of our community that the interim rules, particularly around parameters such as the 25-foot building setbacks, the 60-decibel noise thresholds and chalking feel overly restrictive and could discourage expressive activity. At the University of Hawai?i, our community has a rich, proud history of peaceful protest. It is essential that our policies not only withstand constitutional scrutiny on paper, but also maintain the trust and confidence of the people they govern.
Your concerns have been heard. I am directing the withdrawal of the interim TPM policy and procedures, effective immediately. We will return to our pre-interim guidelines (the 2014 version of Executive Policy 10.206, “Free Expression on University Campuses”) while we continue our conversations together and identify a new path forward.
This pause will allow us to build on the consultation already completed and more effectively build a TPM policy with our community. We are committed to striking the right balance between protecting active learning environments and honoring our historical role as a forum for moral and political expression from all vantage points and perspectives.
During the remainder of this semester, we will proceed as planned to host open, in-person listening sessions to ensure everyone has the opportunity to share their concerns, ideas and suggestions.
I want to thank everyone who has stepped forward to share their perspectives, write letters and participate in this debate. Your engagement is a powerful demonstration of the academic freedom and active civic participation that makes the University of Hawai?i so special.
Let us continue to engage in a constructive, respectful dialogue that models the very best of who we are as an institution.
With warm aloha,
Wendy Hensel
UH President