Of
Thresher editorial

9/10/24 23:34

Rice recently updated its campus demonstration and posting policy — changes include new restrictions on campus protests and increased vigilance around signs, to name a few. Students must be informed of these changes. We worry that they were not.

The administration emailed staff and faculty on August 30 informing them of these changes. It has been 10 days. Students have not yet received any notification. In the Thresher email, the university said the changes were made for clarity. But neglecting to notify students, the ones who organize demonstrations and put up posters in the first place, is anything but clear. At best, it seems like an oversight. At worst, it appears that Rice is trying to trap students in a “gotcha” moment.

We know these changes follow a wave of tension, both at Rice and nationally, as students protested the war in Gaza.

---

---

While we agree with codifying existing campus policies, we believe free speech is more necessary than ever. We are a newspaper – of course we do.

Campus protest politics seem overly geared toward long, multi-day demonstrations — much like the Rice Students for Justice in the Palestine “liberated zone” we saw last spring, or any of the many encampments at universities across the country. However, Rice SJP has consistently met and communicated with the administration prior to their demonstrations, as Thresher has independently verified. Unlike other campuses, Rice’s protests never seemed too fleeting, nor have they resulted the police sweep or arrests.

Why punish the students who are willing to cooperate with you? It seems like an odd choice for a university that routinely extols its “culture of care.”

Do you like what you read?
Sign up for our newsletter

Also troubling is the new poster policy, which now allows any Rice employee to remove posters that don’t follow the rules. We wonder if all employees receive training on Policy 856 and know how to conduct these assessment calls. If not, they should be — or Rice should revert to an old version of the policy, where only staff could remove noncompliant posters.

Posters and signs are a form of student expression. Students should know who is supervising them.

The lack of transparency here sets a bad precedent. We hope the university can remedy this by communicating with the student body more often, being honest about policy changes and consulting with those most affected. The students are willing to communicate. The administration should extend the same courtesy back.

Editor’s note: News editor Sarah Knowlton was rejected from this newsroom because of her corresponding reporting in the news section. Arts & Entertainment Editor Arman Saxena was fired due to his involvement with Rice SJP.

---