The Foundation for Individual Rights in Edcuation (FIRE) has an update on revisions to Georgetown University’s new and seemingly improved  “Speech and Expression Policy.”

FIRE’s concerns about free speech on Georgetown’s campus go back to 2010, when the university refused to recognize the student group H*yas for Choice—hence the asterisk in the name. Georgetown contended that the group’s mission conflicted with the university’s Jesuit mission. ..

Confusion about the university’s policies arose again recently after members of H*yas for Choice were forced to move from the outdoor campus location where they were tabling while a pro-life event took place inside Healy Hall on January 20, 2014. Olson and Tisa stated at the time that the group should have been allowed to remain where they were, and Olson promised to provide written clarification by the end of the academic year. H*yas for Choice members objected to the long timeline, and FIRE joined them—after all, Georgetown promises its students and staff “the right to express points of view on the widest range of public and private concerns and to engage in the robust expression of ideas.” Further, every day that students are left unsure about their rights, their speech will be chilled as they self-censor to avoid punishment.

Georgetown’s student newspaper The Hoya reported last week on the changes:

The new policy designates the lobby of the Leavey Center, Regents Lawn and the Healey Family Student Center as “public squares” for students to exchange ideas, in addition to the previous free-speech zone in Red Square.

The policy also expedites the process for reserving classrooms via the Registrar’s Office by giving students who attend training sessions early in the year eligibility for “fast-track” reservation.

[…]

Additionally, the policy includes clarifications that permit protests anywhere on campus if no other university policies are violated and allow groups with access to benefits to co-sponsor events with any other group of students. The memorandum indicates that GUSA and Student Affairs are also working to expand tabling areas to the spaces in front of Lauinger Library and Healy Hall.

These changes will allow students to more freely engage in expressive activities on campus without fear of reprisal, and to do so with less of a delay than before. That’s a significant improvement, and we commend the institution and the reform’s proponents for the positive step forward.

….We’re very pleased that GUSA and the administration are moving in the right direction by explicitly opening up more of the campus to free expression and by facilitating classroom reservation requests. However, some work remains still to be done. ….