Davis finally got it right.

FIRE reports.

UC Davis Reverses Punishment of Student Club That Used University Name

DAVIS, Calif., August 27, 2015—The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has reversed its punishment of a student club, concluding that the Ayn Rand Society at UC Davis (ARS) did not violate the university’s trademark policy by using the university’s name in its club title and Facebook page Web address. The about-face comes after the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) wrote to UC Davis last year, asking university officials to review and retract the punishment because it violated the students’ First Amendment rights.

“FIRE is pleased that UC Davis took this opportunity to examine its policies and develop an approach that safeguards the First Amendment rights of its students,” said Ari Cohn, an attorney and senior program officer for legal and public advocacy at FIRE. “Too many colleges and universities attempt to control their public image by enacting overbroad policies that unacceptably regulate all uses of the institution’s name by students.”

ARS contacted FIRE for help after the university’s Center for Student Involvement (CSI) demanded ARS change the URL of its Facebook page, which contained the letters “UCD.” The Center said the use violated CSI’s trademark policy, which warns that violators could face criminal punishment. After ARS reported that it could not change the URL, CSI instructed the group to delete the Facebook page entirely. When ARS refused to comply, the group lost its “good standing” status, including its listing on UC Davis’ student organization search page, as well as its ability to reserve campus meeting rooms and apply for funding and grants.