Mississippi State University received a “green light” rating for campus free speech, an honor awarded to only 36 colleges and universities in 2018, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s annual report on speech codes.
The green light rating by FIRE signifies MSU does not threaten a student’s right to speak freely on campus, a distinction MSU has maintained since 2012.
Every year, FIRE puts together a report highlighting the states of free speech on college campuses, surveying the speech codes of 461 colleges and universities. In the report, FIRE gives 461 schools a rating based on their free speech policies using a stoplight rating system.
A “red light” rating signifies the institution has policies which severely restricts students right’s to speak freely, a “yellow light” rating signifies the institution has policies that could be interpreted to limit speech, while a “green light” designation signifies no threat to the freedom of speech.
FIRE takes into consideration and carefully looks at 12 different categories when determining what rating an institution will receive. FIRE Vice President of Policy Research Samantha Harris said FIRE awarded MSU a green light rating because its written policies do not interfere with one’s right to freedom of speech.
“FIRE’s traffic-light ratings are based on the extent to which a school’s written policies restrict freedom of speech. In 2012, MSU eliminated all of its speech codes and earned a green light rating, which it has maintained ever since,” Harris said.
Additionally, Harris said MSU is frequently rated as a “green light” school because they are different from other schools in the country when it comes to free speech policies.
“Unlike so many other schools, MSU policies do not prohibit speech protected by the First Amendment,” Harris said.
Out of the 461 schools surveyed, 32.3 percent have “red light” speech code policies, 58.6 percent had “yellow light” policies and a mere 7.5 percent of the schools have “green light” policies. Additionally, 63 institutions of those surveyed maintain “free speech zones,” which limit where and what someone can say on a college campus.
However, MSU has only held the “green light” distinction since 2012, and university policies prior to that year severely restricted speech, according to Mark Goodman, a communication professor at MSU.
“Essentially, the university had a speech code that violated many aspects of the first amendment,” Goodman said.
More specifically, Goodman said there were “free speech zones” prior to 2012, located in front of the union in a very small area.
“Anybody who wanted to could stand up on that little podium there and say whatever they wanted,” Goodman said. “(The free speech zone) totally violated the concept of free speech, because free speech exists everywhere, except in very small zones, and (MSU) wrote it backwards.”
Goodman added universities have two main interests in regards to free speech.
“Essentially, colleges have two primary interests in the regulation of free speech,” Goodman said. “They must guarantee the safety of students, and secondly, they want to maintain the integrity of the education system.”
Goodman further explained a group cannot go into a classroom and hold a protest, adding this is not to hinder free speech, but because a professor would be unable to hold classes during a protest.
Carson Allen, a junior psychology major said freedom of speech and the First Amendment is needed in this country and on campuses, and said he could not imagine a society without it.
“I believe that most good ideas and inventions would not exist without at least some degree of free speech,” Allen said. “If people are not allowed to express opposing views then progress would be halted.”
Allen said he is pleased with the way MSU’s President Mark Keenum promotes freedom of expression.
“Mark Keenum has always addressed peaceful protests on campus with support and given them a voice,” Allen said. “It seems like the administration has made their priority to make our diverse student population feel safe to speak their mind while encouraging involvement.”
