All individuals planning to host a protest, demonstration or event that may be contentious should refer to Rights, Rules, Responsibilities 1.2.3 and 3.2 and are encouraged to contact the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students (ODUS).

Student organizations are encouraged to register all protests and demonstrations with ODUS or the Graduate School using MyPrincetonU. Visit the Planning a Protest page for additional information.

Locations generally approved for such activities include:

• the area adjacent to Chancellor Green Center (on the Firestone Library side);
• the area in front of Frist Campus Center on the north side, by the Frist "gateway";
• the areas to the west and south of Alexander Hall, and to the east of Alexander Hall, between Stanhope Hall and Morrison Hall;
• the area in the vicinity of the east entrance to the University Store;
• the area between Whig and Clio halls;
• the cobblestone area between Firestone Library and Washington Road;
• the area in the vicinity of the arch near the entrance to McCosh Hall, Room 50;
• Scudder Plaza at Robertson Hall;
• the area adjacent to Shapiro Walk between the Department of Computer Science and Mudd Manuscript Library;
• the walkway in front of Nassau Hall;
• the area in the vicinity of the north entrance to Jadwin Gymnasium.

See Rights, Rules, Responsibilities 1.2.3.

No. Cannon Green and Prospect House lawn and garden are reserved for officially sanctioned University events, and are not available for any other organized activities.

See Rights, Rules, Responsibilities 1.2.3 for additional information about locations generally approved for these activities.

Yes. The walkways in front of Nassau Hall are expressly recognized as legitimate protest sites, and the University has historically recognized and continues to recognize that protests may legitimately spill over onto the lawn.

See Rights, Rules, Responsibilities 1.2.3. 

No. Camping in vehicles, tents, or other structures is not permitted on campus; as such, individuals and groups may not keep unattended belongings outside or in public spaces overnight. Sleeping overnight in public or outdoor spaces of any kind is also prohibited.

See Guidelines and Policies for additional information.

Free Expression Facilitators. Free Expression Facilitators may attend various campus programs, meetings, and events where University policy on freedom of expression may be challenged. These neutral facilitators are Princeton staff members who have been selected to uphold the University’s commitment to freedom of expression and ensure that University guidelines governing free expression are followed. Free Expression Facilitators uphold the following: (i) ensuring that participants have the opportunity to express themselves in peaceful, non-disruptive ways; (ii) reasonably accommodating counter-protests; (iii) safeguarding the essential functioning of University operations; and, (iv) protecting an individual’s right to hear, see, and engage with a speaker or listen to a lecture. Department of Public Safety Officers may also attend such programs, meetings, and events.

Free Expression Coordinators. In support of this effort, a team of Free Expression Coordinators rotate in serving as the administrative lead for a particular protest, demonstration, or controversial program, and liaise with program sponsors. Free Expression Coordinators seek to provide relevant information to individuals and groups that intend to engage in free expression and assist with site preparation.

If you are hosting a campus program, meeting, or event where University policy on freedom of expression may be challenged, please contact the on-call Free Expression Coordinator. The on-call Free Expression Coordinator will be in touch with you during regular business hours.

Visit the Protecting Free Speech page for additional information.

Campus protests that extend off campus will likely require a public assembly and/or parade permit from the municipality. This applies to public walkways, including outside FitzRandolph Gate. 

Please consult with the Clerk’s Office for the Municipality of Princeton to inquire if a Parade permit request is required.

Posters or notices of any kind may be affixed only to bulletin boards in dormitory entryways, dining areas, academic and administration buildings, and outdoor kiosks, lampposts, and bulletin boards. Individuals are encouraged to remove material from kiosks and bulletin boards for events that have already occurred and may not poster over existing notices.

See Guidelines and Policies for additional information.

No. Posters or notices of any kind, including banners and signs, are not permitted on buildings, chain link fences, wood paneling, benches, sidewalks, roadways, the natural landscape (e.g., trees, shrubs, grass) and any location not in the above list of approved locations.

See Guidelines and Policies for additional information.

Individuals, groups, and student organizations are strongly encouraged to include contact information on all posters. The contact information should include the sponsoring student or group’s name, phone number, and/or an email address. The purpose of providing contact information is to direct individuals with questions, comments, or seeking additional information to the most appropriate and informed source. Further, if a complaint is filed regarding a poster that does not include the name and contact information for the sponsoring organization, the University will remove it.

See Guidelines and Policies for additional information.

No. The use of chalk and tape applied to University grounds and walkways is prohibited.

See Guidelines and Policies for additional information.

Other than the person who posted the poster, only authorized staff may remove posters for events that have not yet occurred. No one may deface, obscure, or destroy existing posters. To report suspected vandalism of posters, or if you have questions regarding the University Poster Policy, please contact the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students or call (609) 258-5750.

See Guidelines and Policies for additional information.

As a general rule, representatives of off-campus organizations, such as political, religious, and charitable groups, are not permitted to solicit on campus. However, individuals acting on behalf of candidates for public office or bona fide charitable, political, religious, or other organizations may seek permission to sell or distribute their literature by contacting the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. Rights, Rules, Responsibilities section 3.2.2 provides further guidelines regarding distribution of non-commercial materials. Rights, Rules, Responsibilities section 3.2.1 provides information regarding distribution of commercial materials.

Nonmembers of the University community who wish to seek permission to distribute and/or sell such literature on the campus should direct questions to and/or seek approval regarding schedule and location of protests and demonstrations from the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.

See Rights, Rules, Responsibilities 3.2.2 for additional information.

Understanding that there may be times when the expression of certain ideas or opinions by some members of our campus community may be in tension with the personal beliefs of other members of our community (or in tension with our institutional values), the University provides a variety of resources to assist individuals in navigating these challenges. Additional information regarding these resources is available on the ODUS Resources page.

The University recognizes that it may be unpleasant and/or stressful to be exposed to or targeted by free expression activity that you find offensive. You have several options.

• Problematic speech can always be countered with more speech. You have the right to make your own statements about your experiences or otherwise respond to those whose speech has offended you (taking care not to violate other policies by engaging in harassment, threats, intimidation, etc.).
•  Please report your concerns about speech you find problematic. We want to know about such speech because it can be a sign of a hostile environment inconsistent with the University’s obligation to protect all students or it can be associated with problematic behavior. Even when the speech and behavior is found to be protected, such reports can also help the University consider whether to engage in its own speech, either with the speaker directly or by identifying opportunities to educate the campus community. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may make a report to the University’s Hotline.
• Speech that you view as genuinely threatening can be reported to Public Safety at 609-258-1000.
• You can take advantage of conflict resolution resources, such as mediation, restorative practices, and/or informal resolution agreements. Confidential resources are also available to support you.

If you feel that you have been subjected to bias, discrimination, and/or harassment or have observed such behavior directed at others, you have several options, including consulting with a Confidential Resource or formally reporting what happened. The University recognizes that deciding among these options can be difficult. Individuals are encouraged to seek assistance from a Confidential Resource before deciding how to proceed. See this resource list for information about how to contact Confidential Resources or other trained campus professionals. 

All members of the University are expected to report acts of bias, discrimination, and harassment so that the University can take appropriate action. To learn more about reporting bias, discrimination and harassment, visit Bias, Discrimination, and/or Harassment | Inclusive Princeton.

Holding class at or near a protest site instead of its assigned classroom is impermissible. University policies, including Rules and Procedures of the Faculty and Rights, Rules, Responsibilities, seek to ensure that the classroom is a place of trust, respect, and inclusiveness, and fosters an environment conducive to learning, discussion, and debate in which no one is humiliated, intimidated, or excluded. Any faculty actions that make the educational atmosphere objectively intimidating, threatening, or hostile to individuals will be reviewed as a serious offense. Because of the power differentials between faculty and students, these actions include holding a scheduled class at or near a protest site regardless of whether the faculty member tells their students that their attendance is optional, or otherwise attempts to obtain their voluntary consent.

The University respects and supports the freedom of staff members to express themselves. Staff members are free to engage on their own time in peaceful protests, as long as they do not interfere with the fulfillment of their responsibilities to the University, threaten or harass others, prevent the conduct of a University function or activity, or violate any other University conduct policies. Staff must also take care to make it clear that they speak only for themselves and not the University.

Please contact the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students by email or phone at (609) 258-5750.