Marquette Student Government Acts to Protect Student Speech

Marquette’s Student Government acted tonight to protect student expression by passing, by an almost unanimous vote, both a Recommendation and a Resolution.

The Recommendation was titled “Freedom of Expression in the Public Domain,” and the Resolution “On Behalf of Student Expression.”

GOP3.COM live blogged the Student Senate Meeting.

The actions were a response to a variety of issues, but the recent suspension of a student blogger in the Dental School “sped up” the process, according to Laura Herzing, MUSG Communication Vice President.

The action against the student was mentioned in the Recommendation.

Student government does not represent students in graduate or professional schools, but the issues raised clearly affect undergraduates.

The measures expressed the view that Marquette should have been “more prudent” in some of its actions, and that the University should more clearly define the lines that separate allowed and prohibited speech.

Of course, the University can ignore resolutions coming from student government, just as it can ignore the opinions of faculty.