28.2 Guest Speakers on Campus and University-Sponsored Speakers Off Campus
(President 6/12/73; President 5/17/21)
This policy applies to guest speakers invited to the University of Iowa campus or sponsored by the University or one of its units to speak off campus. The policy serves to advise the President or designee in maintaining the orderly processes of the University, academic freedom, and other conditions essential to the learning process:
- If there is viewpoint-neutral reason to believe that special arrangements may be necessary or appropriate to maintain the orderly processes of the University for a scheduled speaker, this event will be organized in partnership with the University Events Committee. The event organizers will communicate with the chair of the University Events Committee. The event organizers may be the department or college sponsoring the speaker; or a University of Iowa administrative officer, faculty member, student, or other interested party.
- Once informed, the chair of the University Events Committee will convene the committee. The event organizers will cooperate with the committee and collaborate with other appropriate administrative officials. The committee and event organizers will then consider whether special arrangements should be implemented to safeguard the orderly processes of the University and the principles set forth above.
- If special arrangements are deemed in order by the University Events Committee, the chair will report to the Vice President for Student Life or designee the conclusions and recommendations of the University Events Committee. The chair also may:
- Communicate with the speaker and explain the situation;
- Request the UI Department of Public Safety to consider appropriate procedures for the speaker's appearance on campus, or request the event organizers to do so;
- Request the event organizers to change the location of the program or to restrict attendance to professional specialists only; and/or
- Maintain a public record and report appropriately to the University community on the actions being taken, the reasons for such actions, and the rights of the speaker and other persons concerned.