Guidebook

Public speaking and solicitation

Reed College is committed to the principles of free inquiry and free expression, and this means that expressions of opinions that some people find abhorrent must at times be tolerated. The Reed community constitution states:

"We declare our commitment to responsible and honorable conduct in academic and community affairs, and we reaffirm one another's rights to freedom of inquiry and expression in coursework, scholarship, and the day-to-day life of the Reed Community. Since such freedom requires an atmosphere of trust and mutual confidence, we further declare that dishonesty, intimidation, harassment, exploitation, and the use of threat or force are incompatible with the preservation of this freedom."

Off-campus speakers

1. An assembly may be convened on the campus by any registered organization to hear a speaker or performer provided that:
   a. The time and place of the assembly is duly announced.
   b. The assembly is open to the college community.
   c. Space must be available and not conflict with other regularly scheduled college functions. Arrangements for space must be made with the conference and events planning office.
   d. If the speaker comes from off campus, the organization must file with the conference and events planning office, at least 48 hours in advance, the name of the speaker, the subject (or title) of the talk, adequate background information, and copies of all announcements and publicity releases; such announcements and publicity releases should make clear under whose auspices (not Reed College as such) the person is appearing. (Exceptions to the requirement of 48 hours may be granted by the student body president in conjunction with the chair of the faculty Community Affairs Committee.)
   e. If arrangements cannot be made under (c), appeal may be made to a committee consisting of the chair of the faculty Community Affairs
   Committee and the student body president, and their decision shall be made after consultation with a representative of the president's office.
2. An assembly can be convened on the campus by any academic organization by arrangement through the faculty adviser.
3. An ad hoc assembly may be convened on the campus by any group of students, provided a petition signed by five per cent of the student body requesting the assembly is presented to the conference and events planning office in advance. If arrangements cannot be made in this way, the student group may appeal to a committee consisting of the chair of the faculty Community Affairs Committee and the student body president. The signatures on the petition will be destroyed immediately after certification. The petitions must contain:
   a. The requested time and place
   b. Name of the speaker(s) or performer(s)
   c. Student manager of the event who will assume responsibility
   d. Use of admission receipts, if any
   e. Whether or not the assembly will be open to the public
4. When an off-campus, non-Reed organization and a Reed organization desire to sponsor jointly an event making use of college facilities, the following conditions shall apply:
   a. The Reed organization must adhere to this policy;
   b. The non-Reed, off-campus group must have the approval of the president.
5. The faculty Community Affairs Committee and the student senate may, upon majority vote of both groups' memberships, issue a written objection to opening an event to the general public if it is likely to endanger the safety of members of the Reed community or is likely to interfere with the efficient operation of the college toward its educational goals.
6. The faculty Community Affairs Committee and the student senate, by majority vote of the members of both groups, may revoke privileges under this speaker policy for failure to adhere to it or to accepted community norms under the honor principle.

Solicitation

In the interest of every student's right to health, safety, and general privacy, Reed College prohibits solicitation or sales on college-owned property except with the specific written permission of the college.

In those instances in which permission is granted, sales are limited to the business hours of Reed College and to designated areas established by the college as listed below. No solicitation or sales will be allowed in the residence halls at any time.

Students wishing to sell merchandise must refer to the following guidelines and contact the Office for Student Engagement. A permit must be on display at the sales location.

Strangers or solicitors, without clearance, should be reported promptly to the community safety office. The college reserves the right to refuse or rescind a sales permit if necessary.

Sales are permitted in the following locations during Reed College business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and during certain special events by previous arrangement: commons porch, student union, quad, and front lawn during certain specified events (such as Renn Fayre).

(Page last modified: November 16, 2021)