Institutions of higher education, like the College of Southern Nevada, are amazing settings for civil discourse and serve as a marketplace of ideas within our society.  At CSN we strongly embrace the right to freedom of thought, open inquiry, and free expression, including the right to protest and dissent, as laid out in our CSN Policies and Procedures.  The college-wide policies also make clear that this right is not limitless – it may not be exercised in a manner that obstructs or interferes with the ability of all members of our CSN community to engage in the activities that sustain our mission and purpose as a community college.  

If protests violate CSN’s policies, the individuals involved will be asked to stop or adjust their activities.  Continued engagement in an activity that is disruptive or otherwise violates CSN’s policies will be addressed forthrightly by college officials or police.  Participants should be prepared to be held accountable for their actions, including referral to appropriate college-based disciplinary processes.  Where there is substantial disruption of the normal operations of our campus, police or security staff may remove or remediate the disruption.  Examples of disruptive behavior that will not be tolerated include but are not limited to violence, threats of violence, inciting violence, blocking free access to our campuses, occupying areas of our campuses or buildings, excessive noise that disrupts our normal academic processes, verbalized threats or harassment.

CSN’s purpose is to educate students and prepare them to pursue further education, enter the workforce, or otherwise pursue successful lives enhanced by education.  This purpose leads to our mission of empowering our students and communities to achieve, succeed, and prosper.  While we encourage participation by our students, faculty, and staff in matters of public interest, we must all remember that CSN’s mission and purpose take precedence over any other activities in the use of its facilities and campuses.

Sincerely,
William L. Kibler, Ph.D.
‌College of Southern Nevada
Acting President