Statement of Purpose

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff of the University of North Carolina,

The mission of the Student Committee on Free Speech will be to investigate different colloquial and legal definitions of free speech by examining and drafting a report concerning free speech issues on campus based on three criteria: state and federal laws, current campus institutional policies, and the opinions of students, faculty and staff.

This will include examining differing definitions of free speech based on student surveys, legal research, and institutional policy as well as differing definitions of what constitutes slander and defamation based on legal research and student input.

Our objective in this research is to uncover possible peaceful solutions to potential controversy involving issues of free speech on campus by conducting student surveys, examining state and federal laws regarding free speech, and researching the proposals of peer institutions to determine if current campus policies should be amended.

It is our goal to hold at least two student/faculty forums to allow sufficient input from the student body, faculty, and staff, in order to give those who are most affected by free speech issues on campus the chance to actively participate in this report.

Sincerely,

Chazz D. Clevinger

Chair

Student Committee on Free Speech

chazz@email.unc.edu