Mesalands approves protest policy

Trying to strike a balance between free speech and order, the Mesalands Community College board of trustees unanimously approved a protests and demonstrations policy for the college during its Nov. 13 meeting.

Officials decided to create such a policy after board members’ recent meeting with a consultant from the Association of Community College Trustees, based out of Washington, D.C., college President John Groesbeck said after the meeting.

He said the new policy wasn’t pre-emptive, and not a response to anything occurring on campus.

“Many colleges are adopting a policy like this to create an orderly process whereby people can protest and speak their mind,” Groesbeck said.

Mesalands primarily used language from a University of Chicago protests and demonstrations policy. A draft of Mesalands’ protests policy also was reviewed by two instructors, two staff members and two students.

During the meeting, Groesbeck emphasized one section of the four-page policy that stated: “The primary function of a College is to discover and disseminate knowledge by means of research and teaching. To fulfill this function, a free interchange of ideas is necessary not only within the College, but also with larger society. At Mesalands Community College, freedom of expression is vital to our shared goal of the pursuit of knowledge. Such freedom comes with a responsibility to welcome and promote this freedom for all, even in disagreement or opposition.”

Groesbeck said the college doesn’t want to “prohibit speech so we won’t offend people” and added: “We are making a statement that instead of censorship, the role of a college is to preserve the truth.”

The policy also states the right to protest or demonstrate “does not include the right to engage in conduct that disrupts the College’s operations or endangers the safety of others.”

The policy provides guidance for an administrator-on-call, locations of protests, safety-related rules regarding placards, banners and signs, protest duration and counterprotests.

Organizations organizing a protest or demonstration are “encouraged” to make advance arrangements with the college’s Student Affairs Office within 48 hours.

Groesbeck recommended the proposal become board policy so all departments within the college can cite it.

Board member Jim Streetman asked whether lawyers should review the policy before the board votes on it. Groesbeck replied the University of Chicago “has good lawyers” and expressed confidence in the policy.

Several universities across the U.S., including the University of Missouri, have been roiled by student-led protests in recent years.

In other board business:

• Amber McClure, the college’s director of enrollment management, gave the annual enrollment management report for 2017-2018.

She noted the college’s graduation rate and persistence, or student retention, rate had increased from the 2016-2017 year and were above benchmark goals.

Mesalands’ persistence rate of 62.5 percent in 2017-2018 also was well above the national average of 36 percent.

“I’m proud of what we’re doing here,” she said.

• After an executive session, the board approved an application for $2 million in state general-obligation bonds to buy new signs and repave parking lots at the college.

• Natalie Gillard, vice president of academic affairs, said Mesalands was seeking accreditation to eventually offer a nursing program. “I think we have a very good chance of getting this approved,” she said.

• Aaron Kennedy, vice president of student affairs, said the student headcount is higher than it was at this time a year ago.

• D’Jean Jawrunner, founder of the college’s annual Iron Pour event, recommended seeing the “Burning Ring of Fire” ironwork exhibit at the Amarillo Museum of Art through Dec. 30. It shows cast-iron sculptures created by Mesalands students the past 20 years. Jawrunner said they hope to shop the exhibit to other museums.