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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Location: Champaign, Illinois
Website: http://illinois.edu
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 7th Circuit
Speech Code Rating
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been given the speech code rating Yellow. Yellow light colleges and universities are those institutions with at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application. Read more here.
University of Illinois System: Faculty and Student Employees Banned from Participating in Political Activity on Campus
September 29, 2008
In the fall of 2008, all employees of the University of Illinois system, including faculty members and graduate students, were notified by the University Ethics Office that they were prohibited under a state law from engaging in certain "prohibited political activity."» Read More
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Student Investigated for Facebook.com Comments About School Mascot Debate
January 30, 2007
In response to calls to eliminate the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign mascot, "Chief Illiniwek," a group of Illinois students started a Facebook group entitled "If They Get Rid of the Chief I'm Becoming a Racist." Comments posted on the group's "wall" included criticism of one of the mascot's most vocal opponents, including the statement, "apparently the leader of this movement is of Sioux descent … the Sioux are the ones that killed off the Illini indians [sic], so she's just trying to finish what her ancestors started. I say we throw a tomohawk [sic] into her face." A group […]» Read More
Mohammed Cartoon Controversy: FIRE Response to Intimidation and Newspaper Disputes
February 22, 2006
As a result of worldwide controversy regarding caricatures of the prophet Mohammed, first published in a Danish newspaper, free speech was being openly disregarded on American college campuses. In the weeks following the printing of the cartoon, students, professors, and student publications not only reprinted the controversial cartoons but even created their own satirical cartoons depicting Mohammed. Chilling of speech in relation to the cartoon was found at Century College, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and New York University, amongst others.» Read More
Registered Student Organizations Handbook: Event Planning
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: July 6, 2018
Anytime an organization wants to hold an event, activity, or meeting, the event must first be approved by the Illini Union Office of Registered Organizations.
Providing a forum for student expression is vital to the learning environment of the University. As a state institution, the University of Illinois adheres to the protections guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Free speech, free expression, and peaceable assembly are basic to the exchange of ideas and beliefs. Academic progress and freedom flourish when the rights of free expression are assured, particularly at an institution of higher education.
In accordance with the Campus Administrative Manual, Anniversary Plaza (the space formally designated by red bricks between the Illini Union and the Quad) has been designated as a public forum due to its high visibility to the student body, easy access, and its location as being less likely to disrupt or obstruct University activities and functions (when activity occurs there). Anniversary Plaza is approximately 30'x25' in size. A sample of programming events that typically occur in Anniversary Plaza include, but are not limited to, speeches, rallies, protests, demonstrations, vigils, large scale educational displays, and visits by local and national political figures.
Organizations that want to host formal programs including but not limited to demonstrations, rallies, speeches, concerts, vigils, and film screenings on Anniversary Plaza must submit a Space Request Form to and receive prior approval for the proposed event from the Office of Registered Organizations.
In accord with the Campus Administrative Manual, the Auditorium Terrace Public Engagement Area, herein referred to as the Auditorium Terrace, has been designated as a public forum due to its high visibility to the student body, easy access, and its location as being less likely to disrupt or obstruct University activities and functions (when activity occurs there).
Bias Assessment and Response Team
Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Last updated: July 6, 2018
Bias-motivated incidents are actions or expressions that are motivated, at least in part, by prejudice against or hostility toward a person (or group) because of that person's (or group's) actual or perceived age, disability/ability status, ethnicity, gender, gender identity/expression, national origin, race, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, etc.
The Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART) collects and responds to reports of bias-motivated incidents that occur within the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign community.
Office of Diversity, Equity, and Access: Discrimination & Harassment Prevention- Harassment
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: July 6, 2018
Harassment is a form of discrimination. Harassment is unwelcome conduct that is based on a person or group's protected class status. There are two types of unlawful harassment.
Hostile environment occurs when the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a working or learning environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.
Offensive conduct may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance.
Student Code: Posting and Distribution of Handout Materials
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: July 6, 2018
Any individual may post and distribute leaflets, handbills, and other types of materials intended to provide information about sociopolitical or educational issues and events, without prior approval, under the following conditions:
(a) Such materials must not advertise … the promotional materials of candidates for non-campus elections.
Student Code: Rules of Conduct
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: July 6, 2018
Conduct for which students are subject to discipline includes, but is not limited to, the following: … engaging in behavior which is so persistant, pervasive, or severe as to deny a person's ability to participate in the University community.
Campus Administrative Manual: Nondiscrimination Policy
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: July 6, 2018
A form of discrimination and unwelcome conduct based on an individual's status within a Protected Classification. The unwelcome conduct may be verbal, written, electronic or physical in nature. This policy is violated when the unwelcome conduct is based on one or more of the protected classifications (defined below), and is either:
- (1) sufficiently severe or pervasive; and (2) objectively offensive; and (3) unreasonably interferes with, denies, or limits a person's ability to participate or benefit from educational or employment opportunities, assessments, or status at the University; or
- performed by a person having power or authority over another in which submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of educational and/or employment opportunities, participation, assessments, or status at the University.
Hallmarks: Your Community – Harassment
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: July 6, 2018
Residents are prohibited from threatening or harassing others for any reason and on any basis, including on the basis of their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or veteran status. Specifically, residents may not (1) make any threat or engage in any physically threatening behavior which creates a reasonable fear for a person's safety, or (2) engage in behavior which is so persistent, pervasive, or severe as to deny a person's ability to participate in the university community.
Student Code: Sexual Misconduct Policy
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: July 6, 2018
Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual, sex-based, or gender-based conduct, whether verbal, written, electronic and/or physical in nature: that is (1) sufficiently severe or pervasive; and (2) objectively offensive; and (3) unreasonably interferes with, denies, or limits a person's ability to participate or benefit from educational and/or employment opportunities, assessments, or status at the University.
Student Code: Picketing
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: July 6, 2018
(a) The right of peaceful protest is recognized within the University community. Lawful picketing and other forms of peaceful protest are permitted on University premises except that lawful picketing is permitted only out-of-doors. The University retains the right to ensure the safety of individuals, the protection of property, and the continuity of the educational process.
(b) Specifically, pickets shall not:
(1) obstruct vehicular and pedestrian traffic,
(2) physically obstruct persons from entering or leaving the premises being picketed, nor use violence or threats of violence to prevent them from doing so,
(3) intentionally disrupt classes or any University process through noise or other means, or
(4) knowingly damage any University property or premises.
Student Code: Student Rights and Responsibilities- Student Rights
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: July 6, 2018
A student at the University of Illinois at the Urbana-Champaign campus is a member of a University community of which all members have at least the rights and responsibilities common to all citizens, free from institutional censorship; affiliation with the University as a student does not diminish the rights or responsibilities held by a student or any other community member as a citizen of larger communities of the state, the nation, and the world.
Discussion and expression of all views is permitted within the University subject only to requirements for the maintenance of order.
The right of peaceful protest is recognized within the University community.
Biden and Obama Rewrite the Rulebook on College Sexual Assaults
July 3, 2016
By Juliet Elperin at The Washington Post Last month, Vice President Biden penned a searing letter to the victim in a notorious Stanford University rape case. "I am filled with furious anger," he wrote, "both that this happened to you and that our culture is still so broken."… Read more here.» Read More
Students in California Might Face Criminal Investigation for Protesting Film on Israeli Army
June 23, 2016
By Murtaza Hussain at The Intercept LAST MONTH, A GROUP OF STUDENTS at University of California at Irvine gathered to protest a screening of the film "Beneath the Helmet," a documentary about the lives of recruits in the Israeli Defense Forces. Upset about the screening of a film they viewed as propaganda for a foreign military, the students were also protesting the presence of several IDF representatives who here holding a panel discussion at the screening… Read more here.» Read More
'The Chalkening' of Trump: Terror Grows on Campuses
April 18, 2016
By Bob Unruh at World Net Daily On university campuses, where many enthusiastic students vote for the first time, political candidates' slogans typically appear on signs, bumper stickers, T-shirts, placards, dorm-room walls and even in chalk on sidewalks… Read more here.» Read More
2015 Jefferson Muzzle Awards
April 21, 2015
By Hank Reichman at The Academe Blog Since 1992 the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression at the University of Virginia has celebrated the birth and ideals of its namesake by calling attention each year to those who would censor free expression. Announced on or near April 13—the anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson—the Jefferson Muzzles are awarded as a means to draw national attention to abridgments of free speech and press and, at the same time, foster an appreciation for those tenets of the First Amendment. The Muzzles are a good-natured rebuke to all government officials, lest […]» Read More
Top 10 Worst Offenders of Free Speech on College Campuses
March 6, 2015
By Napp Nazworth at The Christian Post The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education released its list of the top 10 worst offenders of free speech on college campuses in 2014. The top 10, in alphabetical order, are: Brandeis University, California State University-Fullerton, Chicago State University, Georgetown University, Kansas Board of Regents, Marquette University, Modesto Junior College, U.S. Department's of Education and Justice, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and University of Iowa. FIRE, founded in 1999, advocates for individual rights at American colleges and universities. It was founded by University of Pennsylvania professor Alan Charles Kors and civil liberties attorney […]» Read More
Chicago State, U of I Make List of Worst Colleges for Free Speech
March 3, 2015
By NBCChicago at NBCChicago.com Two Illinois universities made the top 10 list of the worst schools for free speech for allegedly violating First Amendment rights in 2014. Chicago State University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign made the fourth annual list, which is published by the non-profit watchdog group Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). This year's list included both public and private colleges and universities as well as the Kansas Board of Regents and the U.S. Department of Education. Chicago State University earned a top spot after the administration allegedly attempted to censor the university's blog "CSU Faculty Voice," which criticized the school's administration. […]» Read More
Chicago State, U. of I. Land On 'Worst of" List For Campus Free Speech
March 3, 2015
By Meredith Rodriguez at Chicago Tribune The University of Illinois' rescinded job offer to a professor and a controversy over a faculty blog at Chicago State University helped land the two schools on a 2014 "worst of" list for student and faculty free speech rights A campus censorship watchdog called the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE, published this week's list, which included eight universities across the country and two other entities related to higher education. "Too often on the modern college campus, students and their professors find their voices silenced by administrators who would rather they be […]» Read More
Updated: Group Puts UI In Top 10 'Worst Colleges For Free Speech'
March 2, 2015
By Julie Wurth at The News-Gazette URBANA — The Steven Salaita saga has landed the University of Illinois on a list it probably would rather not make. The UI is included in the fourth annual "10 worst colleges for free speech" list published by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. The foundation criticized the UI for revoking a job offer to Salaita after he posted inflammatory tweets about Israel last summer. The decision sparked a nationwide debate over free speech and "civility" on college campuses and prompted boycotts by prominent academic groups. But campus spokeswoman Robin Kaler argued that […]» Read More
The Salaita Lawsuit
February 3, 2015
By KC Johnson at Minding The Campus As expected, anti-Israel activist and purported American Indian Studies expert Steven Salaita has filed a lawsuit against the University of Illinois. My take on the merits of Salaita's case remains essentially the same: (1) FIRE isabsolutely correct in the chilling effects of Illinois' "civility" standard; and (2) the Salaita case is most comparable to that of Ward Churchill, another qualification-challenged professor hired for reasons unrelated to his academic talent. Just as Colorado knew or should have known that Churchill had no business as a tenured professor, but didn't have any problem keeping him […]» Read More
Civility and Free Speech
October 14, 2014
By Henry Reichman at Inside Higher Ed In his "Civility Manifesto" published here last week Cary Nelson cites my blog post, "Is Incivility the New Communism?," as "particularly hyperbolic" in its critique of efforts by some university administrators to demand that free speech be limited to expression they deem "civil." In his own expression Nelson himself has been known to employ hyperbole — as well as sarcasm — even to the point that some might call uncivil, so it's surprising he does not recognize that my exaggeration was intentional. Of course, we are not living through a new Red Scare […]» Read More
Freedom Creep
October 3, 2014
By Colleen Flaherty at Inside Higher Ed Professors and students are usually the biggest defenders of academic freedom and free speech on their campuses. But a pair of new books argues that students and faculty members themselves are degrading those values. Professors, one book says, are increasingly adopting notions of academic freedom that are too expansive, leaving the academy open to criticism from without. Students, meanwhile — says a second book — are increasingly trying to clip speech with which they feel uncomfortable, threatening free speech over all. In Versions of Academic Freedom: From Professionalism to Revolution (University of Chicago Press), Stanley […]» Read More
Not All Hate Speech is Equal
September 22, 2014
By Cathy Young at Newsday In no other profession except the media is freedom of speech and ideas as important as in the academy. But what are the limits to professors' speech? When is a university justified in sanctioning a faculty member for inflammatory public comments that may cross the line into bigotry? These issues are being raised in the case of Steven Salaita, a professor of American Indian studies who is fighting against the decision of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to revoke the offer of a tenured position that he had accepted. The decision was apparently based […]» Read More
Steven Salaita and the Tyranny of 'Hate Speech'
September 16, 2014
By Elizabeth Nolan Brown at Reason Online Last week, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Trustees voted 8-to-1 to deny a tenured position to Steven Salaita, a professor who had been slated to start teaching there this semester. Salaita's job offer was initially rescinded in response to outcry over statements he tweeted about Gaza and Israel, which some have labeled "hate speech." Two weeks before his scheduled August start date, Salaita received the rejection letter from UIUC Chancellor Phyllis Wise, who had been meeting with concerned donors and alumni about Salaita's appointment. In a blog post, Wise explained that her decision […]» Read More
Salaita and Academic Freedom
September 6, 2014
By KC Johnson at Minding the Campus The Steven Salaita case at the University of Illinois continues to engender controversy. The three most perceptive commentaries came from FIRE and Steven Lubet. In comments with which I entirely agree, FIRE condemned the public statement of Illinois chancellor Phyllis Wise, who justified the revocation of Salaita's offer on the grounds "we cannot and will not tolerate . . . personal and disrespectful words or actions that demean and abuse . . . viewpoints themselves." But why, as FIRE noted, should anyone be prohibited from "disrespectfully" "abusing" ideas"—such as racism or sexism or homophobia? […]» Read More
Did the University of Illinois Rescind Steven Salaita's Appointment to Appease Donors?
September 3, 2014
By Jonathan H. Adler at The Washington Post The University of Illinois had planned to hire Professor Steven Salaita away from Virginia Tech. (See my prior posts on this controversy here, here andhere.) Then concerns were raised about his penchant for angry and inflammatory tweets, particularly about Israel and its supporters. Initially, the university seemed supportive. Then it effectively rescinded the offer to appoint him to the faculty when University Chancellor Phyllis Wise refused to forward Salaita's appointment to the University's Board of Trustees. An official university statement on the affair reiterated the school's purported commitment to academic freedom, while also […]» Read More
Should Tenure Protect "Unhinged Fanatics" like Steven Salaita?
August 12, 2014
By Vincent Carroll at The Denver Post If the University of Colorado succeeds in firing a tenured philosophy professor for allegedly retaliating against a graduate student for reporting a sexual assault by a fellow student, it will be only the fourth time a professor has been fired in the university's history, according to the Daily Camera. In 138 years, mind you. Now that's job security. Notably, none of the four was targeted for what was said inside or outside the classroom. Although the university's interest in Ward Churchill, the most recent CU professor to be given the boot, was obviously piqued by […]» Read More
Proposed UI email policy put on hold
September 13, 2011
URBANA — A policy governing emails and other electronic communication at the University of Illinois has been put on hold after educational groups raised free-speech concerns about it. The campus senate was scheduled to discuss the policy Monday afternoon, but the item was pulled from the agenda. On Friday, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and the American Association of University Professors wrote to the interim Chancellor Robert Easter to express "deep concerns" about the proposed policy, saying it would restrict the First Amendment rights and academic freedom of students and faculty. "We believe this warrants more serious consideration […]» Read More
Higher education can lower your expectations
August 3, 2010
Ever since the Second World War, professional educators have promoted a college or university education for the wrong reason, viz., to make more money than otherwise would be the case. Around 1965 the passion for the egalitarian and pacifistic goals of the left began to corrupt higher learning even more. Today one enrolls at one's own risk. The fundamental error of the claim that college makes you richer is that those who succeed after college are likely to succeed without it. While many students have indeed gone on to prosperous careers, many others have not, dropping out at some point […]» Read More
The Real Scandal at Illinois?
July 19, 2010
If you want to study Buddhist or Methodist or Jewish thought at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, there are relevant courses in religious studies — courses where the instructors have been selected by a department of scholars, through standard academic procedures. But if you want to study Roman Catholicism, your instructors have been through different vetting — they will have been nominated by (and their salaries paid by) the St. John's Catholic Newman Center, a church organization independent of the university, set up to serve Catholic students at the university. This arrangement has existed for decades, and been opposed […]» Read More
FIRE warns multiple universities that political speech bans could be unconstitutional
October 22, 2008
By the Student Press Law Center The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education created a political activity policy for colleges and universities to abide by in response to a string of complaints accusing colleges across the country of silencing student and faculty political expression. FIRE, a nonprofit educational foundation, wants all public colleges and universities to acknowledge that students and student groups can express themselves politically on campus under the First Amendment and that faculty employees enjoy the right to engage in partisan political speech when occurring outside of their "employment-related" activities. FIRE released the statement of policy on political […]» Read More
At U. of I., a question of supporting candidates on campus
October 3, 2008
By Megan Twohey at the Chicago Tribune Students and professors at the University of Illinois decided to rally for Barack Obama on the Urbana-Champaign campus Thursday to make clear their stand on an increasingly controversial question as the November elections approach: Is it legal for employees and students at state colleges to express support for political candidates while on campus? The university's administration has sparked outrage by telling faculty, staff and graduate students that a 5-year-old state law designed to prevent state workers from campaigning for candidates on state time or with state resources meant they could not express support for […]» Read More
U of I faces backlash after decision on campus political activity
October 3, 2008
By Megan Twohey at the Chicago Tribune Students and professors at the University of Illinois rallied for Barack Obama on the Urbana-Champaign campus Thursday – holding signs, passing out fliers and registering people to vote – to probe an increasingly controversial question as the November elections approach: Is it legal for employees and students at state colleges to express support for political candidates while on campus? The university's administration has sparked outrage by informing faculty, staff and graduate students that a five-year-old state law designed to prevent state workers from campaigning for candidates on state time or with state resources meant […]» Read More
U of I rally supports right to campus politicking
October 3, 2008
Claiming their rights to support political candidates are under assault, some University of Illinois faculty and students held a rally for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama on campus to make their stand clear. The rally Thursday was staged after an official school statement informing the community that a state ethics law bars state workers from political activities on university property. "They're trying to control our bodies and our voices any time we're on campus," said graduate student Dan Colson. "These policies are clearly a violation of our First Amendment rights." The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois sent a letter […]» Read More
Do College Republicans hate Allah?
April 9, 2007
The College Republicans at San Francisco State University recently found themselves under investigation for the offenses of flag desecration and blasphemy. While the disciplinary proceedings ended late last month with a decision not to punish the student group, the investigation itself points to a troubling trend. The alleged blasphemy was directed at Islam, and the desecrated flag contained no stars or stripes. At a small anti-terrorism rally in October 2006, several members of the College Republicans stomped on pieces of paper they had painted to look like flags of the radical Islamic organizations Hezbollah and Hamas, copying the designs from […]» Read More
Mascot retired
February 20, 2007
The natives are getting restless in Champaign, Ill., as last week brought the death of Chief Illiniwek, the University of Illinois' 81-year-old Indian mascot, as well as the potential expulsion of a university student for trying to save the aging warrior. Ever since 1926, Chief Illiniwek, who is normally portrayed by a university student, was known for rallying crowds and entertaining halftime audiences with traditional tribal dances. The Chief's existence, though, came under fire after a number of Native American groups argued that mascot was offensive, racist and no longer a suitable representation of the university. This controversy is not […]» Read More
FIRE alerts students to due process threats using campus newspapers
February 23, 2018
FIRE's recent groundbreaking Spotlight on Due Process report found that the overwhelming majority of our nation's top universities fail to provide students even the most basic elements of due process. Now, to make sure students know what they're up against if they're accused of serious misconduct, FIRE is running eye-catching ads in campus newspapers at the worst-offending schools across the country. FIRE bought full or half-page, full-color advertisements in eight campus newspapers running between December and February, detailing how — precisely — policies there fail to provide due process to students accused of both general misconduct and sexual misconduct. Grading […]» Read More
On Free Speech, Double Standards, and Professor Mike Adams
December 2, 2016
Mike Adams, a professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), is no stranger to controversy. In 2014, Adams won a First Amendment lawsuit alleging that UNCW retaliated against him for his public expression of conservative views. Now, Adams once again finds himself at the center of a debate over the boundaries of free speech—but this time the university appears to be squarely on the side of free speech, and will hopefully stay that way. In September, Adams published an article harshly criticizing a UNCW student who received a visit from the Secret Service after she posted on Facebook […]» Read More
Steven Salaita Settles Lawsuits with University of Illinois
November 12, 2015
Now we know how much the University of Illinois' decision to rescind a job offer to professor Steven Salaita over controversial tweets will cost Illinois taxpayers: The Chicago Tribune reports the university's final bill for the ensuing lawsuits will exceed $2 million. That includes a $600,000 payout to Salaita and $275,000 to Salaita's lawyers, approved by the school's trustees today, as well as $1.3 million in its own legal fees. FIRE has followed the case since the news first broke in 2014 when then-Chancellor Phyllis Wise rescinded Salaita's job offer after the scholar tweeted politically controversial remarks about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. […]» Read More
Salaita's 'Why I Was Fired' Article Puts Civility in the Spotlight
October 8, 2015
The Steven Salaita story is back in the news. The professor—who made headlines in 2014 when the University of Illinois rescinded his job offer for controversial remarks he made on Twitter about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—wants to tell you why he actively chooses incivility. Writing for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Salaita, who filed a federal lawsuit against the university earlier this year, recalls the tweets that got him in trouble and accusations of incivility that followed: One tweet read: "At this point, if Netanyahu appeared on TV with a necklace made from the teeth of Palestinian children, would anybody be […]» Read More
2015 'Jefferson Muzzle' Awards Feature FIRE Cases
April 21, 2015
Last night, the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression announced the recipients of the 2015 "Jefferson Muzzle" awards, bestowed upon the worst government censors and punishers of protected speech in the past year. The TJ Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in Charlottesville, Virginia, dedicated to protecting free speech. I worked for the TJ Center before coming to FIRE, and I saw firsthand how tough the competition for the Muzzle awards is each year—there are a depressingly large number of qualified nominees. Just like last year, a few of the 2015 "winners" will sound familiar to Torch […]» Read More
FIRE Announces 10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech in 2014
March 2, 2015
PHILADELPHIA, March 2, 2015—More than half of America's top colleges maintain speech codes that blatantly violate First Amendment standards. But every year the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) takes a closer look at the previous year's incidents of college censorship to determine the nation's 10 worst abusers of student and faculty free speech rights. This year's list of the 10 worst colleges for free speech—published with detailed descriptions at The Huffington Post—includes many public colleges or universities bound by the First Amendment. Some of them, on the other hand, are private colleges that, though not required by the […]» Read More
Salaita Sues U. of Illinois Over Rescinded Job Offer
January 29, 2015
Steven Salaita filed a federal lawsuit today against the University of Illinois trustees who voted to rescind his offer of a professorship at the university, top university officials, and the donors who he claims purposefully influenced their decision. Shortly before classes were due to start last fall, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Chancellor Phyllis Wise told Salaita that she would not have the Board of Trustees consider his appointment, a step many argued was a mere formality in the hiring process. An email statement from Wise made clear that she was motivated by what she characterized as "disrespectful words"—several […]» Read More
U. of Illinois Board of Trustees Will Not Reconsider Hiring Salaita
January 16, 2015
Last month, I wrote about a report by the Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure (CAFT) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), which recommended the university reconsider its decision not to hire professor Steven Salaita following a series of controversial tweets on his personal Twitter account last summer. The report emphasized that the university's desire for faculty to maintain a standard of "civility" cannot trump principles of freedom of speech and academic freedom. CAFT also found that Chancellor Phyllis Wise disregarded principles of shared governance in blocking Salaita's appointment without consulting other administrators and faculty. Despite these findings, […]» Read More
'New York Times' Columnist David Brooks Calls for End to Speech Codes
January 13, 2015
As advocates for free expression struggle to come to terms with last week's tragic and deadly attack against the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo, many are asking questions about what this means for freedom of speech everywhere, including in the United States. Last Thursday, New York Times columnist David Brooks asked those who have taken up the cause of free speech in response to the horrific violence against Charlie Hebdo cartoonists to defend speech at all times, even closer to home. If you missed it, it's well worth a read. In particular, Brooks wonders about Americans' commitment to defending free […]» Read More
U. of Illinois Committee Recommends Reevaluation of Steven Salaita
December 24, 2014
The Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure (CAFT) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has released a report assessing the university's decision not to hire professor Steven Salaita because of a series of tweets he posted to his personal Twitter account just before the university's board of trustees was set to vote on his appointment to the faculty. CAFT is part of the university Senate and is tasked with investigating potential violations of academic freedom and shared governance. Most critically, CAFT reaffirmed in its report that, contrary to statements from Chancellor Phyllis Wise, "civility does not constitute a […]» Read More
Center for Constitutional Rights and Allies Write to Universities About Problems with Mandating 'Civility'
November 19, 2014
Colleges and universities too often attempt to censor or chill expression by calling for "civility," demanding that speakers exercise restraint in a way that is inconsistent with First Amendment principles. Earlier this month, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) joined Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, Palestine Solidarity Legal Support, the National Lawyers Guild, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations in sending a letter (PDF) to over 140 universities, urging them against restricting speech based on the notion of "civility" or on misunderstandings about what constitutes "harassment." CCR wrote in its introduction to the letter about recent controversies involving a […]» Read More
U. of Illinois Board of Trustees Votes Against Salaita Appointment
September 12, 2014
Yesterday afternoon, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted 8–1 against appointing Steven Salaita to a teaching position in the American Indian studies program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Last month, just weeks before Salaita was set to begin teaching at UIUC, Chancellor Phyllis Wise informed him that she would not have the university's Board of Trustees vote on his appointment—a step that many consider a mere formality in the hiring process. Since then, those watching the case have been split on whether Wise's decision not to bring Salaita's appointment to the the Board, which was based on a […]» Read More
U. of Illinois Totally Blows It on Salaita Defense
August 22, 2014
Today, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Phyllis Wise sent out the following email statement to all students regarding the controversy over no-longer-to-be-hired professor Steven Salaita. (It's late on a Friday afternoon; the timing is probably not a coincidence.)
Here's the statement, in full:» Read More
Free Speech Advocates Urge Consistency in Protecting Speech
August 14, 2014
Adam Kissel, formerly of FIRE, took to Minding the Campus on Tuesday to remind readers of why advocates for free speech should be concerned that Professor Steven Salaita had his employment offer rescinded by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) following controversy over his tweets about Israel. Those who refuse to defend Salaita's right to share these tweets, Kissel argues, will have a hard time defending the public speech of any other faculty member who voices opinions that others find offensive.» Read More
Did U. of Illinois Withdraw Job Offer to Prof over Controversial Tweets?
August 7, 2014
Yesterday, Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed reported that Professor Steven G. Salaita, who was leaving Virginia Tech for a job with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's (UIUC's) American Indian studies program, was "informed by [UIUC] Chancellor Phyllis Wise that the appointment would not go to the university's board, and that he did not have a job to come to in Illinois, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation." The reason for the controversy is one that is quickly becoming all too familiar—controversial remarks made on Twitter. What makes this case stranger is that the university was […]» Read More
University of Illinois Chancellor Echoes Respect for First Amendment, Encourages Discussion
January 30, 2014
On Tuesday, I praised the administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for defending free speech on campus in the face of racist and sexist tweets directed at UIUC Chancellor Phyllis Wise. This morning, Chancellor Wise herself chimes in with a column at Inside Higher Ed, where she strongly echoes the university's earlier commitment to upholding its students' speech rights, while calling for the campus community to use the incident as a learning experience in order to create positive change. Wise writes: The negative comments, as offensive as they were, are protected speech. But what is protected expression […]» Read More
University of Illinois Administration Respects First Amendment, Rejects Censorship; Discussion Ensues
January 28, 2014
Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), my alma mater, embarrassed themselves on Sunday night by throwing a Twitter tantrum about the school's decision to hold classes despite the cold weather. By Monday morning, nearly 2,000 tweets had used the hashtag "#FuckPhyllis," a reference to UIUC Chancellor Phyllis Wise, who had the thankless task of informing the campus community that they would not be enjoying an extended weekend. Despite their petulance, these tweets might have gone unnoticed had some tweeters not started making racist and sexist comments about Chancellor Wise. Not surprisingly, this development attracted significant media attention. Such controversies […]» Read More
'Inside Higher Ed' Highlights Concerns about Proposed UIUC Electronic Communications Policy
September 15, 2011
Yesterday, I wrote about the successful outcome of our joint effort with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to prevent passage of an electronic communications policy riddled with First Amendment problems at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). On Monday, Inside Higher Ed ran a story about the proposed policy, noting the involvement of FIRE and the AAUP. The story also highlighted the response of UIUC Chief Privacy and Security Officer Michael Corn to some of our concerns with the policy. While the policy has now been shelved and UIUC has promised to address the issues we raised, I want to […]» Read More
Victory: University of Illinois Shelves Proposed Email Policy Due to Free Speech Problems
September 14, 2011
Proving that positive change can come even at the last minute, FIRE took on a proposed policy with only two days to spare (across a weekend, at that), and is now proud to announce that our efforts have been successful. Late last week, we obtained a copy of a proposed electronic communications policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), set for discussion and a vote on Monday, September 12. After finding several First Amendment flaws in the proposed policy, we teamed up with Cary Nelson, President of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and a UIUC professor, […]» Read More
FIRE, AAUP Warn University of Illinois about Proposed Electronic Communications Policy
September 9, 2011
In a joint letter sent today to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Chancellor Robert Easter, FIRE and American Association of University Professors (AAUP) President Cary Nelson (who is also a professor at UIUC) issued a strong warning about a proposed electronic communications policy that would sharply restrict student and faculty speech on campus. The UIUC Academic Senate is scheduled to vote on the policy this Monday, September 12. If enacted, the proposed policy, circulating under the title "Provisional Electronic Communications Policy Document," would establish a number of unconstitutional restrictions on campus speech, each of which is detailed and criticized […]» Read More
FIRE at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Today
September 28, 2010
Azhar Majeed, FIRE's Associate Director of Legal and Public Advocacy, begins his Midwest speaking tour today with a stop at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). As part of a panel hosted by the Illini Secular Student Alliance, Azhar will discuss UIUC's two red-light speech policies, as well as FIRE's involvement in the 2008 case where the University of Illinois attempted to restrict faculty political speech during the election season. The panel will also feature Dr. Kenneth Howell, a professor of Catholic thought at UIUC and the subject of a recent FIRE case. Edward Clint, leader of the student […]» Read More
NPR's 'All Things Considered' on Two FIRE Cases about Christian Professors
August 16, 2010
National Public Radio's All Things Considered discussed a couple of FIRE cases earlier this month. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, reporting for the show, covered a poll of 1,700 university scientists at "elite universities" which found that many of them say they self-censor when it comes to talking about their religion: Contrary to the stereotype that most scientists are atheists, [Rice professor Elaine Howard Ecklund] says, nearly half of them say they are religious. But when she did follow up interviews, she found they practice a "closeted faith." "They just do not want to bring up that they are religious in an academic discussion. […]» Read More
Update: UIUC Responds to FIRE's Letter, Confirms Victory
July 30, 2010
As Adam noted earlier today, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has reversed its decision not to rehire Professor Kenneth Howell to teach Introduction to Catholicism. UIUC has offered to return him to his class this fall and to pay his salary. The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which is providing Howell with legal representation, reported this outcome yesterday, and UIUC has now confirmed this reversal to FIRE in a letter we have just received in response to our letter of July 16. The letter we received from Deputy University Counsel Steven A. Veazie is substantially the same as his […]» Read More
Victory for Academic Freedom at UIUC
July 30, 2010
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has reversed its unconstitutional decision not to rehire adjunct professor Kenneth Howell following a student complaint about the content of Howell's teaching. Howell had compared different criteria for judging the morality of sexual conduct in an e-mail to his Introduction to Catholicism students, and the complaining student (who was not in Howell's class) had objected to Howell's elaboration of Catholic "Natural Moral Theory" criteria as it applied to homosexual sexual conduct. FIRE intervened on July 16, 2010, in a letter pointing out that it is constitutionally impermissible for a public college to refuse to […]» Read More
Alliance Defense Fund Goes Head to Head with the University of Illinois over Howell Case
July 21, 2010
Late yesterday, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) reported that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has replied to ADF's warning that it had violated the constitutional rights of adjunct professor Kenneth Howell. UIUC decided not to rehire him after he had been teaching for nine years. Its decision, by all indications, came because Howell had e-mailed the students in his class comparing what he described as Catholic and utilitarian criteria for making moral judgments about sexual conduct. FIRE also intervened in the case last week, and I provided further analysis of the situation on Monday. Today we examine the University of Illinois' […]» Read More
UIUC 'Suspends Decision' against Adjunct Professor, Fails to Resolve Rights Violation
July 20, 2010
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has just reported that UIUC has suspended its decision not to rehire adjunct associate professor Kenneth Howell because of an e-mail about Catholicism that he sent his students in a class about Catholicism. However, UIUC's partial response has not resolved the issue of the violation of his constitutional rights. As Heather Gebelin Hacker, ADF Litigation Staff Counsel, writes: Late Thursday, we received a letter from the University stating that they are "suspending" the decision of his department chair pending review by the committee. While this is a nice step, this does not resolve the issue. It is meaningless for […]» Read More
More Developments at UIUC in Case of Punished Catholic Professor
July 19, 2010
Meghan reported last week on FIRE's letter to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert A. Easter in the matter of adjunct professor Kenneth Howell, who was let go as the teacher of his UIUC courses on Catholicism after he sent his students an e-mail comparing what he described as the Catholic and the utilitarian criteria for making moral judgments about sexual behavior. According to The News-Gazette, Associate Dean Ann Mester told other UIUC staff that "the e-mails sent by Dr. Howell violate university standards of inclusivity, which would then entitle us to have him discontinue his teaching arrangement with […]» Read More
FIRE Intervenes after UIUC Professor Dismissed, Highlighting Violation of Academic Freedom
July 16, 2010
Dr. Kenneth Howell, an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), was not rehired by the university after a student complained in an e-mail to the department chair that Dr. Howell was "inflammatory and downright insensitive" in his class on Catholicism. Howell had sent an e-mail to the students in his class comparing what he described as Catholic and utilitarian criteria for moral judgments about sexual conduct. The complaining student, who was not enrolled in Dr. Howell's class, stated that the e-mail was "absurd" and constituted "hate speech." Because he was let go from his university position, Dr. Howell also was […]» Read More
Is Nothing Sacred? Comedy Central Joins Many Universities in Caving to Threats of Violence for Depictions of Mohammed
April 23, 2010
Comedy Central's cartoon hit South Park is famous for its shocking and offensive humor, targeted at subjects ranging from Queen Elizabeth to Scientology. The show's renowned satire takes an unapologetic attitude towards goring sacred cows, and fans have come to regard South Park's principled stance on free speech as sacred in and of itself. This week, however, Comedy Central created headlines around the world by censoring a portion of a South Park episode. The episode continued last week's plotline depicting Mohammed in a bear suit, which is considered blasphemous by some followers of Islam. Comedy Central's usually laissez-faire approach to […]» Read More
FOIA Request Reveals That University of Illinois Administrators Conspired to Censor Student Speech
February 1, 2010
FIRE always has plenty to report about the mischief of college administrators as they stifle free expression on campus. Robert reports over at Pajamas Media on the latest from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where administrators were hard at work to ensure that their own students couldn't advocate for the return of the banned UI mascot, Chief Illiniwek. Students for Chief Illiniwek (SFCI), a recognized student group at UI, advocates for the return of Chief Illiniwek as UI's sports mascot. The mascot was retired during the NCAA's campaign to rid colleges and universities of most Native American mascots. SFCI was […]» Read More
Will Chief Illiniwek dance again?
February 1, 2010
While America's legislators and business leaders desperately search for a way out of political impasses and economic travails, what, you may ask, are those who lead our colleges and universities working on? Reducing the ever-increasing inflation of tuition? Safety from campus crime? Ensuring academic success? One certainly hopes so. But last fall, at the University of Illinois' flagship campus at Urbana-Champaign, high-level administrators and professors were spending time worrying about a different vital issue: how to stop their students from promoting Illinois' banned mascot. Students for Chief Illiniwek (SFCI) is a UI student group that wants to restore the Chief […]» Read More
Repression of Political Speech and Activity Abounds on College Campuses in 2008
December 24, 2008
In an election year when the presidential race between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain dominated much of the country's attention and media headlines, college and university campuses were certainly not immune to election fever. University students and faculty across the nation joined in the multitude of voices advocating for, criticizing, protesting, and otherwise commenting on the candidates and the hot-button issues of the season. With this came some regrettable consequences. This year, we witnessed a number of colleges and universities prohibiting and punishing many forms of constitutionally protected political speech and activity. While the rights of students and faculty […]» Read More
Weekly Media Round-up: Victory at Temple College Highlights FIRE's Week
November 7, 2008
FIRE scored another victory for free speech and academic freedom this week with its successful intervention on behalf of Kerry Laird, an instructor at Temple College (TX) who was ordered to remove a religiously themed cartoon and a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche translating to "God is dead" from his office door. Within half an hour of receiving FIRE's letter, Temple College President Glenda O. Barron swiftly and commendably reversed the order and reaffirmed Laird's constitutional rights at the public college. Scott Jaschik, writing for Inside Higher Ed, ably captures both the gravity of the constitutional issues at stake at Temple […]» Read More
Weekly Media Round-up: FIRE's Policy Statement on Political Activity a Needed Voice of Reason on Campus
October 17, 2008
As Will wrote here on The Torch this Wednesday, FIRE released its 2008 Policy Statement on Political Activity on Campus this week. FIRE's Policy Statement comes on the heels of controversial restrictions on protected political expression at such institutions as the University of Illinois, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Texas at Austin, among others. The Policy Statement has drawn praise from students, teachers, and individuals and organizations of all different interests and persuasions (not to mention some of the more than one thousand members of FIRE's Campus Freedom Network). Greg's most recent column at The Huffington Post discusses […]» Read More
With Election Weeks Away, Political Speech Under Attack on America's Campuses
October 15, 2008
PHILADELPHIA, October 15, 2008—With the presidential race between John McCain and Barack Obama the focus of national attention, political speech on our nation's campuses has come under sharp attack. In recent weeks, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has investigated open and blatant attacks on political expression at colleges and universities across the country, from a previously unreported case at Oklahoma, to better-known cases at Illinois and Texas, to cases at smaller schools across the country. This alarming trend towards silencing political expression has prompted FIRE to release a Policy Statement on Political Activity on Campus today. At […]» Read More
Stanley Fish Misunderstands FIRE on Illinois 'Buttons' Controversy
October 14, 2008
Although Stanley Fish says he agrees with FIRE most of the time, in his New York Times blog on Sunday he disagreed with us on the issue of a memo from the University of Illinois that banned university faculty from engaging in political activity on campus such as attending political rallies—even when they were off the clock. After widespread condemnation of the new policy including serious concerns expressed in a letter from FIRE, President B. Joseph White reversed the most serious violations in the policy, once again permitting faculty and staff to exercise most of their political rights on campus. […]» Read More
National Attention Continues for FIRE's Work at Illinois
October 8, 2008
We blogged last week about the Chicago Tribune's coverage of FIRE's letter in defense of political expression at the three University of Illinois (UI) campuses, where a memo circulated by UI's ethics office banned a wide variety of political expression on campuses—down to the bumper stickers on the cars of UI faculty and staff. Instead of waiting until our usual end-of-the-week media round-up, we wanted to provide a brief update on the continued media exposure to FIRE stemming from UI as the situation has developed. Over the weekend the Associated Press, picking up on the Tribune's lead, covered a rally […]» Read More
University of Illinois Responds to Widespread Complaints Against Ban on Political Activity
October 6, 2008
FIRE, the ACLU, the AAUP, the National Association of Scholars, and the Illinois Association of Scholars all agree that the recent statement by the University of Illinois Ethics Office went too far in banning political expression and participation on University of Illinois campuses. Here is the response from University of Illinois president B. Joseph White in its entirety: To: Members of the University Community From: B. Joseph White Re: A Message Concerning University Employees and the Illinois State Ethics Act I write to you today with a simple message: We, the leadership of the University of Illinois, will preserve, […]» Read More
Weekly Media Round-up: FIRE's Expertise Widely Cited, and Pressure Grows on Brandeis and Third Circuit Schools
October 3, 2008
Today's Chicago Tribune featured an article examining the widening controversy over restrictions on political speech and activity at the University of Illinois, which go so far as to suggest that displaying a candidate's bumper sticker on one's car is out of bounds. FIRE is closely monitoring this case, as well as a similar situation at the University of Oklahoma, where all manner of political speech has been banned from the university network. FIRE has sent letters to both universities, asking for immediate clarification of the policies consistent with each school's legal obligation to uphold the First Amendment on campus. Hopefully […]» Read More
CFN Member Tim Nuccio Joined to Advance Liberty
October 3, 2008
Every week, we post on The Torch to encourage students to join the CFN. We explain the benefits of the CFN incentive program, and the resources provided to CFN members. Instead of hearing from us on why students should join, we thought our readers might want to hear from one of our members. This week I e-mailed one of our newest members, Tim Nuccio of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and asked him why he joined. His response was simple, I joined because FIRE has a pending case against my school, which has instituted an ethics policy that […]» Read More
'Chicago Tribune' Highlights FIRE's Work Defending Political Speech
October 3, 2008
An article in today's edition of the Chicago Tribune further investigates the outrage among many at the University of Illinois over the September 2008 edition of Ethics Matter, a "newsletter from the University of Illinois Ethics Office." The memo, which has caused widespread outrage among faculty, suggests that a whole host of political activity is simply out of bounds for faculty members. As the article reports: The university's administration has sparked outrage by telling faculty, staff and graduate students that a 5-year-old state law designed to prevent state workers from campaigning for candidates on state time or with state resources […]» Read More
University of Illinois Bans Wide Variety of Political Activity by Faculty
September 25, 2008
The blogosphere and other media are lighting up in response to a memo circulated to faculty and staff of the University of Illinois by its University Ethics Office. The policy bans a wide variety of political activity on university property, including such research as "surveying or conducting an opinion poll related to anticipating an election outcome" and such activity as "wearing a pin or t-shirt in support of the Democratic Party or Republican Party." Amazingly, even political bumper stickers run afoul of the policy. Talk about overbroad. While the university has a legitimate interest, as a state actor, in making […]» Read More
FIRE Quarterly: 'From the Board of Directors'
March 2, 2007
Daphne Patai, a member of our Board of Directors, contributed to our recent edition of The FIRE Quarterly with a column reinforcing the importance of FIRE's work after a year in which we saw so many attempts to limit student speech on campus. She wrote: Where restrictions on speech must, by law, be content-neutral, universities these days have the habit of taking it upon themselves to decide which points of view are to be protected by the First Amendment and which are not. Where the law prohibits harassment only if it is "persistent and pervasive" enough to interfere with an […]» Read More
Lessons from the Communications Revolution
February 26, 2007
As Greg and Will pointed out in their Boston Phoenix cover story last week, social networking sites like Facebook.com are giving university administrators an unprecedented look into the way students actually talk to one another. This, in turn, has led to an increase in cases of students being subjected to university discipline for the content of their online speech. This past fall, for example, Johns Hopkins University subjected 18-year-old junior Justin Park to some of the harshest treatment we have ever seen from a university because of a Halloween party invitation that Park posted on Facebook. What began as […]» Read More
More than a mascot
February 19, 2007
Last summer, Vernon Burton gave lectures on history and the use of computing in humanities research at meetings in Britain and France. When he finished each talk, the first question wasn't about his research, but about Chief Illiniwek, the mascot at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and why the university would keep a symbol that is offensive to American Indians. "What people knew about the university was the chief, not the research and teaching here," said Burton, a critic of the mascot and president of the Faculty Senate. On Friday, the university announced that Chief Illiniwek would make a […]» Read More
Illinois Retires Chief Illiniwek
February 16, 2007
The New York Times and the Illinois student newspaper the Daily Illini both report today that the University of Illinois is retiring its Native American mascot, Chief Illiniwek, on February 21, after the last men's home basketball game of the season. The NCAA Executive Committee instituted a policy in 2005 that placed Illinois on a list of non-compliant institutions for maintaining the Native American mascot. Illinois was thus banned from hosting NCAA post-season events at home. Lawrence C. Eppley, the Chair of Illinois' Board of Trustees, explained the decision to retire the Chief in a university press release […]» Read More
David Ross Asks an Uncomfortable Question
February 16, 2007
Upon receipt of a FIRE press release, FIRE friend David Ross e-mails the university administrator in question and asks a simple question: Are FIRE's allegations accurate? Following FIRE's latest press release regarding the "tomahawk threat" at Illinois, Prof. Ross wrote to Chancellor Herman: You, Chancellor Herman, may really think that this silly student actually intended to threaten a tomahawk attack! Certainly that's what you indicated in your email regarding this matter. Do you really think that the student threatened an actual attack? If the student really were threatening to attack someone with a tomahawk then taking action against that student […]» Read More
Misunderstanding 'Threats' at the University of Illinois
February 15, 2007
As we reported in a press release this morning, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is threatening a student with discipline for a comment he posted on Facebook.com. The student was a member of a now-defunct Facebook.com group formed in response to a movement to get rid of Illinois' Native American mascot, "Chief Illiniwek." The group called itself "If They Get Rid of the Chief I'm Becoming a Racist," and the student in question posted the following comment: Apparently the leader of this movement is of Sioux descent. Which means what, you ask? The Sioux indians [sic] are the ones […]» Read More
University of Illinois Threatens Student with Punishment for Online Speech
February 15, 2007
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., February 15, 2007—The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (Illinois) is threatening to discipline a student for posting a hyperbolic comment on Facebook.com that the university interpreted as a threat. The comment concerned the debate over Illinois' mascot, "Chief Illiniwek." The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) is calling on the public university to respect its constitutional obligations and immediately drop its investigation into what was unquestionably protected expression. "Administrative attempts to punish students for online jokes seem to have reached epidemic proportions," FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. "This is an attempt to punish students for speech that […]» Read More
Free Speech Zones at University of Illinois
January 10, 2007
Today, The News-Gazette of Illinois has an interesting piece discussing two recent free speech incidents and questioning several policies that regulate the time, place, and manner of speech at the University of Illinois. As I have stated in a previous post, universities may constitutionally enact reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions. However, administrators too often conveniently forget the word "reasonable" when constructing their policies. From the sounds of this article, administrators of the University of Illinois might want to look up the definition of reasonable before reviewing these policies.» Read More
Acton Gorton's 'Truly Astonishing Experience'
May 10, 2006
As FIRE's internship coordinator, I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the 11 exceptional undergraduates and three outstanding law students who will spend the summer here. Readers may already be familiar with one of our undergraduate interns, Acton Gorton. As the editor-in-chief of The Daily Illini at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Acton wrote a column about the Mohammed cartoons and published six of them. Soon after his column and the cartoons appeared, the paper's board of directors suspended him and then terminated him as editor-in-chief. In response to his termination, Acton wrote the following column, […]» Read More
Possibly the Most Newsworthy Cartoons in History
March 17, 2006
It's official: the editor who chose to republish some of the cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed at the University of Illinois has been fired by the paper's board of directors. According to an article from CNN, "The Illini Media Co. board of directors, which comprises students and faculty, voted unanimously to fire the editor after a review 'found that Gorton violated Daily Illini policies about thoughtful discussion of and preparation for the publication of inflammatory material,' according to a statement." Earlier, the chancellor of the university sent a public letter commenting on the paper's decision. He wrote: I was saddened […]» Read More
Student Press in Jeopardy with 'Hosty'
March 3, 2006
As we reported last week, FIRE is disappointed that the Supreme Court has decided not to hear Hosty v. Carter, thereby upholding the Seventh Circuit's 2005 decision to allow public university administrators to censor student newspapers. The Student Press Law Center (SPLC) issued a press release this week airing student editors' reactions. This decision has gained new importance in light of the recent debate surrounding the publishing of the Danish Mohammed cartoons. The Seventh Circuit encompasses Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois, and in Illinois alone, two controversies have arisen regarding the public display of the cartoons. At the University of Chicago, […]» Read More
Policies are rated on their inclusion of 10 due process safeguards. Each policy may receive 2 points for fully including that safeguard, 1 point for partial inclusion, and 0 points for no meaningful inclusion. Most, but not all, institutions have separate policies for sexual misconduct and all other misconduct. See FIRE's Spotlight on Due Process report for more information.


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Spy Kids Trilogy (US - BD RA)
Gabe catches the first three Spy Kids on Blu-ray just in time to skip the fourth...
Spy Kids
The original Spy Kids came as a surprise following years of violent, DIY movies about killers and monsters. The fact that Robert Rodriguez even had any interest in making a kid's film was charm enough to be soft on the production, which looking back is actually much better than I'd given it credit for over the years. Rodriguez's script, though not entirely unique, is overflowing with fun ideas, and though it ends in a predictable place, the journey isn't entirely predictable. Rodriguez also manages to be funny on level with the intended audience, while still engaging the audience's adult chaperones (I'm sure several parents suspected their kids' favourite television shows were run by madmen bent on world domination). The visuals are occasionally indulgent to the point of nausea, and Rodriguez spends valuable screen time on cool looking stuff that has no bearing on the narrative, but there isn't a penny of the modest budget that doesn't make it on screen. The cast is particularly impressive as well, and everyone but Robert Patrick manages to find a perfect balance of cheese and melodrama (Alan Cumming and Tony Shalhoub stand out in particular). Even if the entire film sucked Rodriguez would've deserved special mention for giving little Alexa Vega a stage on which to truly shine. This films stands as a constant reminder of her lack of an interesting teen/adult career. It's also worth noting that Spy Kids features biracial kiddy protagonists, and this is never discussed, serving as a lesson in multiculturalism without drawing unneeded attention to the subject (the other morals are pretty heavy handed), and that at the time of release, Spy Kids was a dozen times better than the latest two installments of the James Bond series.
This first Blu-ray does not look good at all. It's certainly as bright and colourful as it should be, but details are lumpy, and edges are wrought with haloes, and dull. Wide shots are smears of barely differing elements, and close-ups are soft enough to make me question my glasses subscription. Just in case that wasn't enough for you, there is also an excess of stuttering frame rates, which make it hard to believe this isn't an interlaced transfer. Though compression artefacts are scarce (some of the hue blends are pocked with hue inconsistency), for the most part this looks like a successfully upconverted DVD. For the record, I actually caught the film on Cartoon Network in HD, and it looked sizably better. It also looks better on the special features. The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack sounds fine, it's plenty loud, and doesn't display any noticeably signs of compression. Rodriguez keeps the channels busy with action, and the aggressive musical work of five different composers. Extras include 'Growing Up Spy Kids' (48:10, HD), a rather encompassing look behind the first three films, 'Ten Minute Film School' (8:10, HD), 'Cooking School' (6:00, HD), 'Stunt Piece' (6:50, HD), 'Special Effects' (7:00, SD), and trailers.
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams
The second movie in this 'initial trilogy' is the only one I hadn't seen before this review, and the experience was mixed. Rodriguez makes plenty of good and bad choices in the follow-up chapter. On the one hand he takes the 'the same but more' sequel formula to heart, which leads to some terribly listless sequences, and brings about the question of why, other than money, was this needed? On the other hand he refines the action and comedy, he finds a clever excuse to put the kids at the forefront (alcohol), and aims this particular story at Juni (Daryl Sabara) instead of Carmen, who was the major focus of the first film. This episode works best when not indulging in special effects heavy action, but when showcasing Rodriguez's surprising knack for absurdist comedy. The state dinner sequence, with its awkward dances and simultaneous head movements is probably my favourite moment in the entire series, and it's achieved with such simplicity. Juni and Carmen's bickering is somehow quite enjoyable (it's practically a movie rule that bickering children are more grating than Adam Sandler), as is just about any scene involving Antonio Banderas, who proves he should stop making Shrek sequels and get back in front of cameras. Unfortunately there's an excess of special effects tomfoolery, and this is the point where the director's obsession with achieving loads of digital tricks on a low budget. Yes, it's absolutely impressive that Spy Kids 2 actually cost less than Spy Kids, but it's not worth it at the cost of story (insert George Lucas comparisons here). At this point the excessive effects are still pretty charming though, so it's hard to complain too hard.
Island of Lost Dreams was one of the first major theatrical releases to be filmed using high definition digital cameras, along with Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, 28 Days Later, Jason X, 9 Songs and Full Frontal, all in 2002. This apparently makes all the difference, because overall this is 1080p transfer is quite effective, occasionally toeing the line of perfection. To my eyes there are only minor compression effects among the otherwise sharp edges and vibrant colours (the deep reds of the evil minions show particular blocking). Sadly the special effects don't stand up to the higher definition. Green screen edges are a little off, and digital characters that infiltrate largely real environments appear a little grainy. The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is very aggressive. The opening title alone, which features a screaming rollercoaster that wraps all the way around the audience. From here the music never stops, and the directional elements, from the obvious, to subtler ambience are quite consistent. Volume levels are also consistent and important elements clear. Extras include a director's commentary, another 'Ten Minute Film School' (10:00, SD), 'A New Kind of Stunt Kid' (6:40, SD), eight deleted scenes (7:50, SD), 'School at Big Bend National Park' (5:00, SD), 'Essential Gear: The Gadgets of Spy Kids' (3:20, SD), a six part behind the scenes montage (12:00, SD), 'A Day in the Life of Spy Kids' (21:40, SD), a music video and trailers.
Spy Kids 3: Game Over
This is where Rodriguez's kid's movies officially lost their appeal for me. Spy Kids 3: Game Over is still quite a bit better than the bulk of live action garbage churned out to please undiscerning kiddies, but it wears the themes and styles of the first two films threadbare, and generally overwhelms with its sheer quantity of candy-vomit imagery. I recognize and somewhat appreciate the irony of creating a mind-numbing, short attention span coddling film that is meant to decry the dangers of mind-numbing, short attention span coddling videogames, but there's not much else here to keep me interested. Game Over barely has a plot, and is even more a simple series of wacky set pieces than the other two already set piece heavy/plot-light films in the series. It's reasonably fun to watch the first time, and respect its Tron-thieving simplicity, but secondary viewings ache with a lack of narrative or character development. It's difficult to describe exactly what makes Rodriguez's action sequences so easy to dismiss. In theory my affection for The Wachowski Brothers' Speed Racer should draw similar affection, but for whatever reason these video game adventures hold zero weight. I suppose the fact that Rodriguez was so wrapped up in exploring new technology at super low prices he forgot to care about rounding out his characters or giving them something interesting to say plays a part, as does Grandpa's constant deus ex machina style assistance, and the main villain's need for Juni to win the games in order to achieve his ultimate goal, which both rob the story of any real threat or suspense. Sylvester Stallone and Ricardo Montalban are pretty fantastic, but Alexa Vega doesn't show up for almost two thirds of the film, and the last minute cameos from the original film are little reward after too much time among subpar kid actors.
Game Over was one of, if not the last major film to be released in anaglyph 3D, and it looked like crap. The red and blue glasses gooped up the acrylic colour palette, and fuzzed up the sharp digital HD details. This 1080p transfer is, thusly, a bit of a catch 22 – the colours are gorgeous and vibrant, and the edges are razor sharp, but Rodriguez focuses so much on the 3D advantage it's consistently obvious that we're missing something. Overall this is the best looking disc in the collection, though, featuring smooth transitions, deeper blacks, and a distinct lack of any noticeable compression artifacts. This DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack also shows up the other two discs, and is comparable to most blockbuster budget Blu-ray releases. The mix is especially punchy due to Rodriguez's emphasis on 3D design, which ensures lots of stuff is flying over and around the audience's head at all times. The score this time around was composed entirely by Rodriguez, and apparently mostly performed by him, which is a problem for overall fidelity, as keyboard orchestras never have the warmth of the real thing. Extras include another director's commentary, another 'Ten Minute Film School' (9:50, SD), three premier concert songs featuring Alexa Vega (10:00, SD), 'The Making of Spy Kids 3D: Game Over' (21:10, SD), 'The Effects of the Game' (26:30, SD), 'Making Trax with Alexa Vega' (1:00, SD), 'Surfing Stunts' (1:10, SD), 'Big Dink, Little Dink' (1:40, SD) and trailers.
Review by Gabriel Powers
Pixarfan517 Member Join Date: August 2006 Location: United States Posts: 1,478
Thanks for sharing, I'm still not going to buy the Spy Kids films on Blu-ray and honestly I don't think the fourth one looks nearly as good as the other three.
Marcus1138 Contributor Join Date: June 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 910
I love that Rodriguez does a lot of this himself but I can't say that these movies ever really won me over.
horrorfan25 Member Join Date: November 2007 Location: United States Posts: 1,080
Spy Kids- Awesome
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams- Good
Spy Kids 3: Game Over- Boring
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams- Good
Spy Kids 3: Game Over- Boring
Matt Stilwell Banned Join Date: October 2004 Location: United States Posts: 517
I think it's incredibly stupid that they didn't make Spy Kids 3 in 3D on the blu-ray. Just doesn't make any sense. The dvd is 3D, which wasn't the best 3D ever because of the limitations of dvd. 3D on blu-ray would just look so much better. Maybe they'll put out a special edition with the correct version ?
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,721
I think it's a matter of price. Lionsgate makes cheap Blu-rays.
fumjum Member Join Date: April 2006 Location: United States Posts: 62
Robert Rodriguez was quoted as saying that Spy Kids 3 will be released in 3D around the time Spy Kids 4 is released on Blu Ray 3D. There is a set of the trilogy Blu Rays coming in November which just might be where it is included.
Matt Stilwell Banned Join Date: October 2004 Location: United States Posts: 517
So we're not getting the normal blue/red 3D version of Spy Kids 3 ? It's going to be 3D blu-ray, which is just a terrible fad that is going to die as quick as Beta ?
Some material may not be suitable for children
Disc Details
Release Date: 2nd August 2011
Discs: 6
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: Yes
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: No
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Extras: Director Commentaries, Growing up Spy Kids, 10 Minute Film Schools, 10 Minute Cooking School, Stunt Piece, Special Effects, Gadgets of Spy Kids, A Day in the Life of the Spy Kids, Behind the Scenes Montages, Effects of the Game, Making Trax with Alexa Vega, Musical Performances, Trailers, Digital Copies
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Ricardo Montalban, Alan Cumming, Steve Buscemi, Sylvester Stallone, Tony Shalhoub
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy and Family
Length: 0 minutes
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subset: commoncrawl


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Cyclist Lance Armstrong's recent fall from grace has been portrayed in books and news accounts as a thriller featuring teammate betrayals, motorcycle drug couriers and secret blood transfusions.
But as the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency prepares to release an evidence dossier detailing its reasons for stripping the cycling star of seven Tour de France titles, the most compelling evidence might be found in dry data drawn from tests of Armstrong's blood chemistry, a world-renowned doping expert says.
Michael Ashenden, an Australian scientist who helped create a test for the blood-doping substance EPO, told California Watch that an analysis of blood samples drawn in 2009, contained in an earlier court filing, suggests that Armstrong was recklessly using banned doping methods in an effort to win the Tour de France one more time. He finished third that year.
The tipoff, Ashenden said in an interview and follow-up email, is found in three weeks' worth of telltale readings in Armstrong's so-called "biological passport," a log of blood tests sometimes used as evidence in cheating probes.
The readings show that during the race, Armstrong's body produced fewer young blood cells than would be expected, Ashenden said. That suggests his system was adapting to the presence of an extra volume of blood that had been re-infused – and that suggests cheating, Ashenden said.
"Suppressed red blood cell production is a classic signature associated with blood doping," he wrote. "The body reacts to the presence of excess red cells in circulation by suppressing the bone marrow's production of new cells."
Armstrong has adamantly denied doping, protesting that the investigation that resulted in his lifetime ban from cycling was biased and unfair.
His spokesman said the blood data amounts to "no evidence at all."
"The rules are clear to everyone but USADA: You either pass a drug test, or you fail it," attorney Mark Fabiani wrote in an email. "There is no in between. Lance Armstrong has passed every test ever given to him, including every test administered during the 2009 Tour de France."
The anti-doping agency has said in court filings that during the 2009 race, Armstrong's blood chemistry "was consistent with" a banned performance enhancement method in which cyclists extract blood months before competition, and then re-inject it just before they race to circulate oxygen more efficiently.
For California Watch, Ashenden filled in details, describing his interpretation of blood data from the 2009 Tour de France that was introduced in a July lawsuit Armstrong filed in a failed attempt to block the anti-doping agency from stripping his titles.
Ashenden said that during the race, Armstrong's blood did not become thinner as the three-week event dragged on, belying the normal wear and tear of extreme exercise. Instead, his blood remained packed with oxygen-carrying cells.
"The absence of a natural decline in blood concentration during a three-week race is also consistent with blood doping," Ashenden said.
In February, the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles halted a 20-month investigation into allegations that Armstrong had used drugs to win the Tour de France.
Anti-doping agency chief Travis Tygart pledged to pick up where the Justice Department left off. The nonprofit agency later released allegations that Armstrong led a doping conspiracy involving team riders and staff. The result: a recommended lifetime ban and nullification of seven Tour de France titles.
The anti-doping agency is expected to produce a dossier by this week. Already, accounts such as former Armstrong teammate Tyler Hamilton's recent book, "The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France," have spurred speculation about the contents of the dossier.
Hamilton described a painstakingly secretive doping program that included a motorcycle drug courier and clandestine transfusions.
But in his career's twilight, Armstrong might not have been careful enough. Allowing testers to collect telltale signs of blood transfusions "fails the so-called doping IQ test," Ashenden said.
In a follow-up email, Fabiani, Armstrong's lawyer, contended that Ashenden was "fatally biased" because he had been an expert witness for a Texas sports promoter embroiled in a multi-million dollar dispute with the cyclist.
SCA Promotions had sought to avoid paying Armstrong a $5 million bonus for his 2004 Tour de France win, arguing that the cyclist violated his contract by using banned drugs. Ashenden testified he believed that Armstrong had used EPO. An arbitrator ruled in Armstrong's favor. The company paid Armstrong the money, plus $2.5 million legal fees in 2007, but it may seek repayment in light of USADA's recent findings, the New York Daily News has reported.
View this story on California Watch
This story was produced by California Watch, a part of the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting. Learn more at www.californiawatch.org.


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Get into the Halloween spirit with our $6 tops! Choose from witches, pumpkins, and other spooky prints. These allheart scrubs are made of 100% cotton, perfect for all-day wear. Do some trick-or-treating here and start saving! We also have a new seasonal section with even more festive Halloween scrubs ready for you. I'm a fan of the Care Bear Scare Warm-Up Jacket, especially having been an avid viewer back in the day. Or get a Psycha-Scooby Doo V-Neck Top and become inspired to solve a mystery or two!
If you want to have a little extra Halloween fun, I'd suggest decorating your stethoscope with one of allheart's plush stethoscope covers. It's like a costume for your medical equipment! Available in dinosaur, lion, tiger, and dalmation shapes.
We hope you enjoy our treats! And if you're looking for something edible to go along with your new scrubs, a healthier option this season is dark chocolate. It's actually loaded with antioxidants and reduces blood pressure. It also can improve your mood by increasing blood flow and stimulating endorphins. In small moderation, dark chocolate is a good choice to satisfy that need for candy.
Happy Halloween!


text: Thirteen highly suspenseful short stories, well selected by none other than R. L. Stine, who contributes the first tale, have the power to attract and delight many stouthearted young readers. The man behind the Goosebumps and Fear Street megaseries enlists some of the best in the business, such as Meg Cabot and F. Paul Wilson, Walter Sorrells and James Rollins, who offer plenty of heart-throbbing supernatural horror, crime suspense, shockers and sometimes a mixture of all three. Babysitters may want to skip creepy "Jeepers Peepers" from Ryan Brown and a standout chiller from Jennifer Allison, "The Perfects," both of which offer little hope for their victims. Alane Ferguson pens the chilling "Dragonfly Eyes," which follows the feelings of a murdered girl as she strains to offer ghostly help to another endangered girl. Heather Brewer's "Shadow Children" brings to life those monsters that children know really are there in the dark. The editor pitches the collection to either middle- or high-school audiences with inventive but still easily understood stories. It's a winning set—there isn't a dud in the bunch. Fast-paced, shuddery-scary fun. (Horror/short stories. 12 & up)


text:
JV: What do you live with Tim?
Tim: I live with my husband who I have renamed 'too much is never enough.'
JV: Mmhmm.
Tim: I won't give you the rest of his name because he works at the ABC and he might hear us.
JV: Oh okay! What area of the ABC might he work in Tim?
Tim: Part of the television department.
JV: Part of the television department...okay...Go on, what does this husband do?
Tim: He thinks a small amount of something is good so therefore a large amount of the same thing is always going to be that much better. So the front loading washing machine is always in suds lock because he always puts in a lot of soap.
JV: Mm.
Tim: A small dinner party for four people will always become a dinner party for eight adults and six children.
JV: So he'll just keep on inviting people? You've had in your mind 'this will be a lovely intimate occasion and a chance for us to get to know Eric and Dave,' and suddenly there's 15 people there.
Tim: That's right, and the Camparis that we serve to start off have always got too much Campari in them and not enough blood orange so everyone's drunk before we even start eating.
JV: Right, right.
Tim: And a three course dinner becomes and eight course dinner, you know.
JV: Wow. So excessive in everything?
Tim: Everything!
JV: Mm...and how have you tried to deal with this?
Tim: Well I've given him the name 'too much is never enough.' And...That's pretty much all you can do now.
JV: So your only reaction to this is a bit of a nickname?
Tim: Well, I used to pull him up on things and ask why but I long ago gave up trying to change him.
JV: How long have you been together?
Tim: Thirteen years.
JV: So I imagine, in the first year or two, you'd think it was specific. You put too many suds in the washing machine. You put too much Campari in the cocktails. When did you realise he put too much into everything?
Tim: It's been a gradual realisation over a period of time but it really dawned on me maybe five years ago. I thought 'this is just a universal behaviour.'
JV: Yeah that's what I mean because I would imagine at first you'd go 'don't put so many suds in the washing machine.' You'd be trying to deal with the specific issue. Was that what happened?
Tim: Pretty much. It sort of started with one thing and then it was another thing and then...you know...he mows the lawn every week, and if two tomato bushes are going to produce enough beautiful tomatoes then we'll have 25 tomato bushes in the garden.
JV: So everything!
Tim: EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING JAMES!
JV: Everything is bigger and bigger. Wow!
Tim: It's hilarious! You have to laugh.
JV: Well, are you laughing about it Tim?
Tim: (in a high voice) I am.
JV: A little bit hysterically. Does he think of you as stingy?
Tim: (laughs)
JV: Is the flip side 'that'd be Tim, he doesn't know how to have fun, Mr keep it to himself,'?
Tim: Yeah 'the fun police' is what he calls me. Because I only have two pairs of shoes going at any one point in time and he'll have about 24.
JV: So have you ever tried to talk to him about the fact that this is across all areas? 'You have a character flaw my friend, you do everything to excess.'
Tim: Yes. It's become a joke now amongst all of our friends as well. It's a very endearing quality that he's so enthusiastic about everything that... yeah... everything. I've come to embrace it as a particular character trait which is more endearing than it is annoying.
JV: Yeah. Well Producer Laura has reminded us of the Oscar Wilde quote: 'Moderation is fatal, nothing succeeds like excess.'
Tim: Well he's extremely successful.


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Cannon Beach Farmers Market
Jun 21st 2:00pm - 5:00pm
The Cannon Beach Farmers Market is located just west of Cannon Beach City Hall, in the Midtown parking area at the intersection of Gower and HemlockWebsite
The 2016 Cannon Beach Farmers Market will be open on Tuesdays from June 14 through September 27, opening at 1:00 with music and prepared food. All other vendors open by 2:00--vendors can begin selling early, once they are set up--and the market closes at 5:00. The CBFM offers flowers in addition to a wide variety of fresh produce, pasture-raised meat, organic cheeses, and hand-crafted artisan food products in the lively Midtown area of Cannon Beach. The Cannon Beach Farmers Market is an easy stroll and just minutes away from downtown Cannon Beach's renowned shopping district. The Midtown area is host to fine galleries and restaurants, and is the gateway to one of the loveliest beaches in the world and the majestic Haystack Rock! Please come and enjoy the Cannon Beach Farmers Market!


text:
Mashup: Universal Chat Translator for Skype Comments
Allows people to communicate with other Skype users without the need to know their language, translates in real-time, and speaks your chats as well.
Problem: Univ Chat translator slows down my start up, way slow. If I even move the curser around while waiting, or click anything, it stays permanently on the hourglass and I cannot open anything.
The box, what d'y call it, to run Universal Chat Translator comes up at startup. I am able to change it to open only in the task bar. But, I still have the same startup problem. So I removed the program in Add/Remove. But the darn thing is still there. I just want to get rid of the whole thing and forget it! I am a student of French and Italian. I am finding that translators have their problems capturing the idioms from one language to another, and give poor translation. This is probably one of those. Please!! Help me get rid of it!
Using the Skype window:
Tools -> Do More -> Organize Your Extras
Click on the Menu for the Extra in question, choose uninstall.


text:
Anderson Cooper Attacked by Mob in Egypt!
"The anchor was "punched 10 times in the head," CNN producer Steve Brusk Tweeted. Anderson Cooper was attacked in Egypt Wednesday. CNN producer Steve Brusk Tweeted, "Anderson said he was punched 10 times in the head as pro-Mubarak mob surrounded him and his crew trying to cover demonstration." - The Hollywood Reporter
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