Sept. 20, 2024
Dear colleagues,
As we head into the final stretch of this election season, I want to take the opportunity to remind everyone within the CSU System of the responsibilities we have as members of a public university community when it comes to free speech, elections, and campaigning.
Colorado is widely considered one of the safest places in the country to cast a vote – the investments this state has made in election security have made Colorado a national model. So now it’s up to all of us who are eligible to vote to exercise that right – a right that people around the world and here in our own country have fought and died for. It’s our single greatest responsibility as citizens, particularly as educated citizens who understand the privilege of self-governance and how dearly others have paid to earn us the opportunity to vote.
As public employees, there are also some fundamental rules we all need to keep in mind when it comes to election season. Detailed information about the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act and CSU System policies related to elections and political events can be found on the System policies page. There are a few specific points I want to highlight for our CSU System community:
- All students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to engage in the democratic practices of our country and to vote, if you are eligible. No one should ever tell you how to vote – that’s up to you and your conscience. But voting and taking part in the process is a responsibility and a privilege we all ought to take seriously. Don’t forget to register to vote.
- As a public university system, we support all people in exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly, and we also encourage people to read and understand what those rights involve. You can find information on that at Your Voice. Your Vote. Your Rights.
- Faculty and staff are free to support candidates and campaigns on their own time but not during working hours or using University resources (computers, letterhead, etc.), as these belong to the taxpayers of Colorado, and any such donation of work time or university resources in support of a candidate or campaign is prohibited by the Fair Campaign Practices Act.
- Our universities are prohibited from donating the use of state property or facilities to a candidate or campaign. However, the university may allow candidates or campaigns to rent its facilities or space on campus, as long as the opportunity is provided on an even-handed basis. Our campuses are a frequent stop for campaigns and our facilities allow equal access to political parties, provided that these groups follow our standard processes for reserving space and they are charged for the usual fees and costs associated with the campaign event.
- Free speech is the heart of higher education, and universities have a unique and important role to play in leading contentious conversations around critical societal issues. That’s the nature of what we do – we argue about ideas, we debate theories, we recognize that truth can be elusive, sometimes hiding and often evolving along with the research and knowledge we exist to conduct. As we engage as citizens, let’s strive to do so with a willingness to listen as much as we talk and to learn from those who may believe differently than we do.
- And let’s also remember that freedom of speech is not freedom from responsibility – free speech is a powerful right that should be used thoughtfully and intentionally, with awareness of the harm that irresponsible speech can cause. Many people, particularly in this age of social media, are finding that freedom of speech isn’t freedom from consequences, so it’s always a good idea to think and listen before you speak.
Why does all of this matter? Among those receiving this email today are combat veterans who gave their blood for our country, and others who are actively fighting and sacrificing for the right to become U.S. citizens. There are scholars from other countries where voting rights are constrained. And there are people whose grandmothers gave up almost everything for a voice at the ballot box. I have to imagine that Abraham Lincoln was speaking to all these people – to all of us – when he spoke these words to honor the dead at Gettysburg:
“It is for us the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work … for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion.”
This country – any country – has unfinished work as we strive to form a more perfect union. For us, that unfinished work begins with listening, considering, making your own voice heard, and then showing up and casting your vote.
Thank you and be well.
– tony
Dr. Tony Frank
Chancellor, Colorado State University System