(1) The General Assembly finds that:(1) The First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 2, § 6, of the Arkansas Constitution protect the right of free speech, including the speech of students enrolled in state-supported institutions of higher education and other members of campus communities;(2) Student expression and the exchange of ideas is the primary way in which institutions of higher education fulfill educational missions; and(3) It is a matter of statewide interest to protect the rights of students and other members of campus communities to exercise their freedom of speech rights on campuses of state-supported institutions of higher education, while also recognizing the right of those state-supported institutions of higher education to enact reasonable restrictions that preserve their ability to fulfill their educational missions.
(1) The First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 2, § 6, of the Arkansas Constitution protect the right of free speech, including the speech of students enrolled in state-supported institutions of higher education and other members of campus communities;
(2) Student expression and the exchange of ideas is the primary way in which institutions of higher education fulfill educational missions; and
(3) It is a matter of statewide interest to protect the rights of students and other members of campus communities to exercise their freedom of speech rights on campuses of state-supported institutions of higher education, while also recognizing the right of those state-supported institutions of higher education to enact reasonable restrictions that preserve their ability to fulfill their educational missions.