Giving Compass' Take:
- Kristen Shahverdian explains what a free speech zone is on a college campus and examines whether or not these are constitutional.
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of free speech zones as a way of making protests minimally disruptive on college campuses?
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As college campuses grapple with protests, “free speech zones,” where schools limit activities such as pamphleteering or demonstrations to contained areas on campus, may sound like a good thing. And they’ve been back in the news recently, with campuses like the Alamo Colleges District in Texas this fall proposing new rules confining political demonstrations to “free expression zones,” and UCLA’s 2025 protest policy similarly expanding the use of “designated areas for public expression” while tightening restrictions on encampments. These developments show that “free speech zones” are not just relics of the past, but are a re-emerging tool some campuses are embracing when trying to manage protest activity.
But is this constitutional? Before we answer that question, let’s go over some background information.
What Is a Free Speech Zone?
A free speech zone is a specially designated area on a campus or in other public places where expressive activities, such as protesting or distributing leaflets, can occur. Because this zone designates a certain area where a person may express their free expression rights, the creation of such a zone falls under the campus’s time, place, and manner policies.
What are Time, Place, and Manner Restrictions?
Universities and colleges can enforce reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on protests as long as those restrictions do not discriminate against any particular content or viewpoint. They must also be narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest, and must leave open ample alternative channels for communicating the speakers’ messages.
Why Have Free Speech Zones?
Free speech zones emerged on college campuses in the 1980s and 1990s. The reasoning often used to create the zones has been that they maintain order and safety, and prevent significant disruption to the operations of the institution. On campuses, this can mean students’ ability to access their classrooms, hear their instructor, and study without loud disruption.
Read the full article about free speech zones by Kristen Shahverdian at PEN America.