Policies & Procedures

Policy: 8303

Student publications and the student press are a valuable aid in establishing and maintaining an atmosphere of free and responsible discussion, and of intellectual exploration on the campus. They provide the College with news and articles of interest to the student body. They are a means of bringing student concerns to the attention of the faculty and the institutional authorities, and/or formulating student opinion on various issues on the campus and in the world at large.

The editors of student publications enjoy the traditional and inalienable democratic right of freedom of the press. They are independent of censorship and control by the College, its faculty, or its administration. Copy will, however, be reviewed by the appropriate faculty advisor to avoid indecent language or illustrations, undocumented allegations, attacks on personal integrity, and the use of harassment and innuendo. Student publications must adhere to libel, postal, and other laws and regulations governing the American commercial press.

The privilege of freedom of the press is earned and preserved by responsible reporting and editing. The editors are guided by the canons of sincerity, truthfulness, accuracy, impartiality, fair play, and decency. In addition, student publications’ staff members will be guided by the Statement of Principles of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the Code of Ethics of the National Press Photographers Association.

Editors and managers of student publications are protected from arbitrary suspension and removal because of student, faculty, administrative, or public disapproval of editorial policy or content. Each publication will develop a statement of proper causes for removal of editors and managers. The agency responsible for the appointment of editors and managers will be the agency responsible for their removal. The student removed has the right of appeal.

All College published and financed student publications will explicitly state on the editorial page, that the opinions therein expressed are not necessarily those of the faculty, administration, student body, or editorial board of the publication.