Free speech on Frostburg State University`s Campus: Whether you like it or not

Photo by Alexus Clanton of one of the locations where students and organize and assemble

Free speech on Frostburg State University’s campus: whether you like it or not

By: Gwendolin Schemm, Alexus Clanton, Reggie Simon, Chelsea Parrinello

FROSTBURG, MD - Having the right to freedom of speech is like being able to add color in a world that is black and white. Freedom of speech encompasses a variety of liberties: expression of likes, and the expression of dislikes.

On college campuses across the country, the freedom of speech often clashes with community order and the ability to express yourself freely.

Frostburg State University’s Director of Student Conduct Carl Crowe states that the right to free speech only becomes an issue when speech becomes disruptive to education. He mentions that this coincides with students lack of understand of what free speech actually is.

What is Free Speech?

Free speech was granted to all American citizens in 1789 when James Madison proposed 10 amendments that now make up the U.S. Bill of Rights. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.”

According to the U.S. Courts of Law, freedom of speech includes the right to:

• Not speak
• To wear armbands to school to protest war
• To use certain offensive words as well as phrases to convey political messages
• Contribute money to political campaigns
• Advertise commercial products and professional services
• Engage in symbolic speech

Protecting  Rights on College Campuses

According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a nonprofit organization founded in 1999 dedicated to protecting students’ liberties in educational settings, describes the purpose of a university as, “to educate students and advance the frontiers of human knowledge, and does so by acting as a ‘marketplace of idea’ where ideas compete.” In FIRE’s opinion, American colleges and universities should value and protect the right to freedom of speech as it is vital to intellectual competition.

To learn more about FIRE’s mission, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNxjkNpljKs

FIRE is committed to protecting the fundamental rights of both students and faculty on college campuses across the country.

FIRE rates over 400 of the top colleges and universities in America on their college speech policies. The rating is their opinion on the degree to which free speech is limited or restricted at the a particular institution.

Graph by FIRE

In 2016, FIRE rated 6% of colleges and universities with green speech codes,  48% with yellow speech codes, and 45% with red speech codes

Frostburg State University fits right into the 48% that received a yellow speech code rating. Yellow light school have policies that restrict more than a limited amount of speech or expression and because of the unclear wording communicated in the policy, it could be used to curtail free speech. In addition, yellow speech code ratings look how how much the policy is applied when addressed with a threat to free speech. FIRE gave yellow speech policy ratings to Frostburg State University for their policies about: posting and distribution, harassment, and protest and demonstration. In June of 2017, FIRE gave Frostburg State University’s policy, University Standards of Personal and Group Conduct - Harassment, a green speech code rating. Unfortunately, the University still maintains a yellow speech code rating overall.

Protection of Free Speech on Frostburg State University’s Campus

Similarly to most college campuses, Frostburg State University upholds a student-conduct policy regarding the use of free speech towards obstruction or disruption in educational settings. The Community Standards Policy Statements highlights the University’s policy towards the obstruction of the rights of others: “The University is committed to the maintenance of freedom of speech, press, expression, association, and access to the established educational facilities and processes. At the same time, the University will not tolerate willful efforts of individuals or groups to limit the exercise of those freedoms by others or to disrupt the normal processes by which the University fulfills its educational mission.”

Although the University does not have a written speech code, the Community Standards Policy Statements protect the right to freedom of speech. Editor-in-Chief of the campus’ newspaper, The Bottom Line, Nicole Leighty stated that he campus also offers three designated areas for organizations, both on and off campus, to exercise their right to free speech. The three places are the Clock Tower, the Echo Circle and the traffic divider between the Lewis J. Ort Library and the Chesapeake Dining Hall.

Photo by: Reggie Simon Students
in the Echo Circle Advertising for the humane society

Senior Frostburg State University student, Alyssa Stylc, believes that the University does not need to implement a policy specifically for speech as, “The first amendment is universal and you can’t change a nationwide law for any university. That is an amendment that is set in stone and that nobody has the power to take away.”

Frostburg State University - Are freedom of speech rights limited?

According to the American Federation of Teachers, the foundation of academic freedom is built on the idea that free exchange of ideas on a college campus is essential for education.

Crowe has a seen a general slide to students understanding what free speech is and noted that Frostburg State students often define hate speech as “anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.” However, Crowe highlighted that there is a difference between exercising an individual's right to free speech versus preventing others from exercising theirs.

Crowe recommends that professors and students craft what they say.

Photo by Gwendolin Schemm of the traffic divider
 between the cafeteria and library
 where students are free to assemble

Dr. Kevin Kehrwald, a professor in the English Department at Frostburg State University, stated, “Freedom of speech, in my profession, means being able to teach at my own free will and not feel limited in what I can and cannot say. I have never felt limited in what I can say. The only time I ever feel censored is when I censor myself.” He continues to add that he encourages his students to express themselves freely and without limitation but he can also understand why students do not disclose all of their beliefs in a classroom setting.

Various students defined their freedom of speech to mean that “they can say what they want when they want.”

The setting and those surrounding an individual also constitutes what type of speech is acceptable. Multiple individuals, both students and professors, highlighted that if they are comfortable in the environment and those surrounding them, they are more likely to speak freely. For example, Frostburg State University learning specialist, Latisha Cooper said, “Depending on who my students are I determine what I say, most of my students I have known for a very long time so we laugh and joke all the time so with them I don’t really censor myself. One because my mouth is not foul and two because if I happen to say something not appropriate but as a joke  I will just make it so my specific student can hear me.”

Reporting the truth has been the goal for Frostburg State University’s campus newspaper, The Bottom Line. Former editor-in-chief of the school’s accredited newspaper, Brad Kroner, said,

“Whether stories were controversial wasn’t really a consideration for me. It was our job to shine a light on these issues and how they impacted students.”

Leighty, the current editor-in-chief, backs Kroner up and continues the promise of reporting the truth. Both highlighted that they never considered censoring a story and when faced with criticism as a result of a controversial piece, stood by it as it was the truth.  

Leighty summed it up by saying, “Your First Amendment rights are your First Amendment rights.”

Reporting the Truth- It`s The Bottom Line

Photo of two controversial Headlines posted by The Bottom line

Reporting the Truth – It’s The Bottom Line

By: Gwendolin Schemm, Alexus Clanton, Chelsea Parrinello, Reggie Simon

FROSTBURG, MD – Reporting the truth can subject not only the individual writer but the entire newspaper to criticism or backlash.

That is the reality that both current and former editors-in-chief of Frostburg State University’s campus newspaper, The Bottom Line, have faced when reporting on sensitive topics.

The independent and student-operated newspaper receives funding from the student activities fee that all Frostburg State University students are required to pay according to current editor-in-chief, Nicole Leighty.  

The First Amendment

Across the country, major news outlets have been at the forefront of criticism handed out by the current government administration. The First Amendment has been receiving massive amounts of attention because of it.   

Paralleling the freedom of speech, the freedom of press is granted to all citizens of the United States of America by the First Amendment which states, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”

The right is both individual and institutional as student newspapers can freely express or write what they wish.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, freedom of the press is essential to maintaining democracy and creating a place for individuals to exercise their right to free speech by expressing themselves freely.

Check out “Free speech on Frostburg State University’s campus: whether you like it or not” for more information on the First Amendment and freedom of speech within the University.

The Bottom Line and the First Amendment

The independent, student run newspaper has found great success since its beginning in 1948 as it promises the readers that the staff will “report news and information that relates to the campus community” and “create a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism from the FSU community.”

Leighty and former editor-in-chief, Brad Kroner, agree that censorship never crossed their mind when publishing a story. Kroner goes on and said that the administration never attempted to censor them either and that the staff had the ability to tackle an issue as long as it was done accurately.

Leighty does continue on the say that there is a boundary between “stepping on toes, and stepping on toes too hard.”

Both Kroner and Leighty highlight that they only time information does not get printed is when it is considered “off the record” and closed to the press.

Kroner notes that the only time in his 4 years on the staff of The Bottom Line that he was told not to publish an article was, “During the Middle States re-accreditation process, I was told that an open meeting involving the accreditation of a public university was off record and closed to the press. The results of this meeting -- that Frostburg State was given a warning -- were eventually made public at a later date. I was never given a reasonable answer for why this meeting was off record.”

Writing for the Frostburg State University Student Body

While there is no speech code for the newspaper to follow and the University does not attempt to censor what is published, The Bottom Line remains subjected to criticism when articles deemed controversial are brought to the forefront.

Both Leighty and Kroner agree that students have a right to know what is going on and they find it to be their  jobs to address these issues and how the students will be impacted as a result. This belief  lies central to why they publish what they publish.

Two recent, controversial articles dominate the limelight in respect to criticism.

In May of 2016, Kroner released an article, “City of Frostburg Says 700 Residential Properties Are Out of Compliance with Inspection Schedule”, that was supported by daunting statistics and further evidence. The article was received almost immediately with criticism from landlords, town officials and locals. Kroner notes that not even 20 minutes following publication, a landlord messaged him on Facebook to critique the report. The article opened dialogue about the issue impacting students and a week following publication, updated data was provided- even though inspections were still far behind.

Kroner stands by the publication and said, “When covering the rental housing inspections, we felt students deserved to know the last time their unit was inspected.”

They stood by the story because it was the truth.

In September of 2017, “FSU Student Arrested For Alleged Second-Degree Murder” was published by Leighty.  The article highlights information about the murder of a Frostburg man, Alexander Stevens, that later resulted in the arrest of current student, Megan Shaffer. The piece writes about the charges against Shaffer and the attempts made by The Bottom Line to reach out and obtain an interview. Once the article was published and made its way to Facebook, Leighty was hit with backlash saying that the article was shaming the University.

She stated that she listened and reflected on the criticism, but maintained the article, as it was the truth – and in the end, that is their job - to report the truth.

Frostburg State and it’s Path to Diversity

By: Alexandra Davis, Tavari Merriman, Torie Costa, & Elizabeth Ahn

“Diversity has increased at Frostburg State University (FSU) due to the focus on recruitment in the Baltimore and Prince George county areas,” as explained by Dr. Kara Rogers Thomas, a sociology professor who has been at FSU for 13 years.

1989 Men's Track and Field

December 2017 - Men's Track & Field at West Virginia 

University kicking off their Indoor season

According to data from “Trends in Race and Ethnicity”, from the Student Enrollment Files, Office of Institutional Research, the racial diversity population of undergraduate students at FSU has fluctuated since 1989. This hyper link shows statistics from the Office of Assessment and Institution Research’s Fast Facts about enrollment from 2005 to 2016.

In the fall of 1989, the total enrollment for undergraduate students was 4,784. Of those 4,786 students, one student’s race was unknown, 314 were African American, 9 were American Indian/Alaskan Native, 35 were Asian, 25 were Hispanic, 4,375 were White, and 22 were Non-Resident Alien.

In this current semester, the fall of 2017, the total enrollment for undergraduate students at FSU was documented at 5,396. Of those 5,396 students, 141 students are an unknown race, 1,530 are African American, 7 are American Indian/Alaskan Native, 118 are Asian, 277 are Hispanic, 2,869 are White, 229 are Non-Resident Alien, one student is Hawaiian/Pacific Island, and 213 students are considered as two or more races. With this being said, in 1989, the race categories of “Hawaiian/Pacific Islander” and of “two or more races” did not exist at FSU until recently. It was not until 2011 when students who fit these race categories enrolled at FSU.

The chart below shows the different race enrollment numbers in 1989 in comparison to the race enrollment numbers in 2017.

Lisa Hartman, from the Reference and Government Documents area from FSU’s Lewis J. Ort Library has been at the university for a decade. Due to her position, she has noticed a change in the race and ethnicities at FSU. “Sometimes I just think it is the number of applicants. I have not seen a lot of diversity in just the pool of folks who are applying for the jobs, but this is specific to the library area. So, I think that might be part of it, but I do not know if that explains it for the whole campus,” explained Hartman.

Dr. Kara Thomas, a sociology professor at FSU also explained that the increase in diversity has to do with the university’s economic values. Since FSU has cheaper in-state tuition rates in comparison to other Maryland colleges, it is clearly an appealing choice.

FSU welcomed Thomas in 2004. “In my classes teaching sociology we only had three to four African Americans and now they make up almost half the class”, mentioned Thomas. She goes on to explain that minorities ceased to exist at FSU since the university’s population consisted mainly of local students. Since the town of Frostburg is not very diverse, FSU pushed for heavy focus on growing and changing the diversity at the college. However, when a spike in diversity took place at FSU, it happened rather drastically.

From the fall 1989 to the fall of 2017, the different races/ethnicities at FSU have both increased and decreased. The chart below shows the difference in the Unknown, African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Hispanic, White, Non-Resident Alien, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and two or more races categories and how those enrollments numbers have increased or decreased in the fall of 1989 compared to the fall of 2017.

Thomas mentioned, “When African Americans first started coming to Frostburg they were followed around by cameras because the university wanted to promote diversity. They wanted to show the nation that FSU is growing racially.” She went on to share that once the diversity started to fluctuate at the university, professors had to start becoming more mindful when approaching controversial subjects in order to limit tension in the classroom. “Although, being mindful is something that the staff still needs to reflect on and deal with today,” remarked Thomas.

Hartman explained, “There is something that is attracting people to come to Frostburg. My first thought is because it is a ‘different area;. I tend to imagine that more urban areas tend to have more diversity, and this for certain is not an urban area. Something along those lines – to experience something different.” She believes that the undergraduate student diversity at FSU will continue to increase. With this being said, she hopes the same increase will take place among the staff members. Hartman went onto explain, “Diversity is a positive thing. It can only be better to have different points of views and to learn from each other, and also understand a variety of needs. So, depending on whatever your major is or anything like that, you will be working with different populations. For instance, if you only work with one group of people, then you could have culture shock whenever you end up somewhere else. So just having awareness can be good too.”

Thomas also sees the racial diversity at FSU increasing a little bit in the future. However, she thinks that the diversity is going to plateau once it reaches 51%. “The Hispanic and Latino race population is not as high as Frostburg would hope it would be,” remarked Thomas. She mentioned this regarding to one of the race/ethnicity groups that FSU wanted to increase.

From the fall of 1989 to the present 2017, diversity at the university has clearly grown and changed. With recruitment locations playing a significant role in this increase and fluctuation, the areas that FSU plans to focus on in the following years could potentially affect the university’s overall diversity.

Frostburg State has heavily focused on growing the racial diversity of the student body population. However, this has not been applied to the area of faculty and staff at FSU. Regarding this area, the following sidebar story and website pages from FSU and the Bottom Line explore the racial diversity of the faculty and staff at FSU.