Your Right to Free Speech at CCCC

The Cape Cod Community College Academic Policy and Procedures Manual, Article III, Section H: Students Rights and Responsibilities states: "Students rights include the opportunity to pursue higher education; freedom to pursue the rights of citizenship, association, inquiry and expression (…)." In addition, Appendix H, of the manual contains a list proscribing the types of conduct that may land a student before the College's Judiciary Committee. Several of the items in this list do address actions involving student speech. There are few if any other policies published; at least on the college's website. Within Cape Cod Community College's policies there is no specific code of speech that would be comparable to those cited in Chapter 4 of "What Matters in America." (Goshgarian) Speech used to inflict harm on an individual, to disrupt the normal flow of campus activity, or speech used to obstruct campus law enforcement officers from performing their duty are specifically mentioned. There is no mention of the use of special speech zones as described in "Muzzling Free Speech" (Silvergate) in the CCCC policies either. Item 8 states that "Violation of published college policies, rules, or regulations" could be reason for disciplinary action.

After reading and considering the perspectives in Chapter 4 of "What Matters in America" (Goshgarian), this would lead to the assumption that the rights of students on the CCCC campus are not at risk for violation. When looking for higher authority on the matter, the General Laws of Massachusetts provide for possible imprisonment of anyone who might even attempt to interfere with your constitutional rights (MGL Ch 265 Sec. 37). Those rights, at least as they relate to free speech, are expressed in the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This amendment, the first of ten amendments known collectively as the Bill of Rights, states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press..." This is strong protection against restrictive speech codes.

Unless the laws and policies change all the way up and down the line, the CCCC student is safe to speak their mind - as long as it doesn't disrupt the flow of traffic through the parking areas.

Goshgarian, Gary. What Matters in America. New York: Pearson Education Inc., 2007.

Silvergate, Harvey A. "Muzzling Free Speech." Goshgarian, Gary. What Matters in America. New York: Pearson Educational Inc., 2007. 123-124.