CC’s Freedom of Expression (FOE) Policy Group finalized the new FOE policy in December 2025 after two years of research and community feedback. The policy went into effect this February.
“The Freedom of Expression policy was last revised in 2018. It is important to review and revise policies on a regular basis. It was time to review the policy,” said Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Life Lacy Karpilo in a written statement to The Catalyst.
Karpilo co-led CC’s Freedom of Expression Policy Group, which researched and wrote the new policy. The group contained 10 other CC faculty members.
In the process of creating the new policy, the FOE Policy Group held open forums and dialogues with CC students, staff and faculty throughout 2025.
“The FOE group prioritized student involvement through student open forums and holding dedicated sessions with the [Student Athletic Advisory Committee] and CCSGA,” Karpilo wrote.
The new policy, which can be found on the CC website, is longer and more detailed than the previous one. Where the former FOE policy focused on actions that were prohibited on campus, the new policy places more focus on harm prevention.
“Expression is regulated only to ensure that all members of the campus community are able to fully and safely engage in the educational opportunities of the College,” the new policy said.
The new policy also features a list of definitions for terms it uses, such as “academic freedom” and “demonstrations.”
“The revisions were informed by community feedback and designed to align the policy with current law and existing CC policies,” wrote Karpilo. “The updated FOE policy was written to provide clearer guidance on CC’s philosophy regarding freedom of expression and how community members may exercise those rights on our campus.”
Additionally, the policy outlines “a further set of shared principles that inform the interpretation and implementation of this policy.” These principles are listed as “Core Values,” “Equity Commitment,” “Balancing Rights,” “Responsible Expression,” “Measured Restrictions,” “Contextual Expression,” “Time, Place and Manner” and “Shared Responsibility.”
The policy ends with a list of resources, including Campus Safety, the Title IX Office and the Butler Center, and encourages readers to reach out to these resources for “assistance to exercise freedom of expression in a way that does not violate this Policy.”