Ohio University interim freedom of expression policy adopted to comply with new state law

To ensure compliance with the Ohio Higher Education Reform Bill, Senate Bill 135, Ohio University President Hugh Sherman and Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Sayrs have signed into effect an interim Campus Freedom of Expression Policy, Policy 01.041. 

As required by law, starting immediately the interim policy reaffirms Ohio University’s commitment to maintaining our campus as a marketplace of ideas for all students and faculty and establishes a formal complaint process for students, student groups, or faculty to submit alleged free speech violations against university employees. 

This interim policy is a temporary step while the University gathers feedback from students, faculty, and staff, following the policy review process as described in Preparation of Policies (Policy 01.001).

The interim policy supplements but does not replace the University’s established Freedom of Expression policies, which were developed in 2018 through shared governance with input from our students, faculty, and staff.  

For more information about Ohio University’s commitment to freedom of expression, visit https://www.ohio.edu/student-affairs/expression.