Harvard Medical School - Master’s Policy on Open Debate, Protest, and Dissent Harvard University is committed to open and civil discussion. Listening to and learning from others is fundamental to the educational process and essential to our mission of improving public policy and educating visionary scholars, innovative educators, and creative leaders. The Harvard University-Wide Statement on Rights and Responsibilities recognizes the right of University members to demonstrate in an orderly fashion and to advocate and publicize their opinions in writing and orally—even if others find their speech distasteful or offensive—provided that the speech does not consist of true threats, obscenity, or incitement to imminent violence. And yet, the exercise of this right must respect: (1) the rights of others to exercise their own freedom of speech and academic freedom and to enjoy freedom from personal force and violence and freedom of movement; and (2) the ability of community members to perform their duties and activities without interference. Toward fostering an environment of open and civil discussion, and to ensure safe events, this Harvard Medical School-Master’s policy frames the expectations for members of the HMS-Master’s community during events, meetings, and other gatherings apart from class sessions, including without limitation peaceful protests or demonstrations,1 when speakers or participants express their views anywhere on or adjacent to the Harvard campus or any location owned, leased or used by Harvard (collectively, “Events”). (In class sessions, the expectations for conduct set forth in the HMS Master’s Student Handbook apply; note that any form of protest that disrupts a Harvard class would violate the University-Wide Statement of Rights and Responsibilities prohibition against interference with the performance of the “normal duties and activities” of the University.) DISSENT The right to dissent is the complement of the right to speak, but these rights need not occupy the same forum at the same time. Speakers at Events are entitled to communicate their message to an audience during the allotted time, and all members of the audience are entitled to hear the message and see the speaker during that time; therefore, dissenters must not substantially interfere with a speaker’s ability to communicate or an audience’s ability to see and hear the speaker. Dissenters are entitled to express their objections in other ways. When an Event is closed, dissent by non-attendees is limited to activity outside the Event that does not impede access to the event or substantially interfere with communication inside; when an Event is open, the acceptable form of dissent depends on whether a dissenter is inside or outside the Event and on whether the dissenter is acting before, after, or during the Event.2 1
“Protest” and “Demonstration” are used interchangeably to mean a gathering of people with the intent to express a particular point of view in a manner that attracts attention, such as marches, speeches, rallies, sit-ins, vigils, pickets, or similar forms of expression. 2
“Closed” events include those requiring an invitation or registration to attend, as well as Events not advertised on a public calendar. For closed Events, the unauthorized sharing, swapping, stealing, or other misuse of registration information, Zoom details, name tags, and the like is a violation of this policy.
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