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Guidelines and Considerations for Students and Student Organizations in Planning Expressive Activities

The guidelines below are derived from existing Dartmouth policies; they clarify and illustrate certain policy points. Readers are encouraged to consult the policies noted at the end of these guidelines. 

Approval to use Dartmouth spaces

Use of indoor or outdoor Dartmouth spaces (apart from informal use) for events and activities requires scheduling approval from Dartmouth. This includes expressive activities undertaken in assembly such as arts performances, rallies, protests, demonstrations, and vigils. The Town of Hanover requires permits for any group conducting an outdoor activity that might result in the interruption of traffic flow or generate significant noise (Hanover Ordinance No. 34) and requests seven calendar days to review applications. Dartmouth facilitates applications by students for Town of Hanover permits related to the use of outdoor Dartmouth campus spaces.  

Requests to reserve outdoor Dartmouth spaces and applications for Town of Hanover Outdoor Activity permits must be submitted to Dartmouth at least eight calendar days prior to the requested event date to ensure that processing can be completed in time. Late requests are subject to being denied on that basis. 

The Town of Hanover Policy for Demonstrations, Vigils, and Public Protest, adopted in January 2025, offers exceptions to the eight-day timeframe for applying for a permit for public gatherings for demonstrations, vigils, and protests. This policy requires that all demonstrations, vigils, and protests be registered with the Town Manager's Office at least two business days before the event. To allow for that timeline to be met, event registration forms must be submitted to Dartmouth’s Conferences and Events office for processing at least two business days before the event.

To schedule and use a campus space, Dartmouth employees, students, and organizations are expected to abide by all Dartmouth policies and procedures, including but not limited to those identified below. 

  • Only Dartmouth students, employees, and recognized organizations may reserve an indoor or outdoor Dartmouth space.
  • Requests to reserve an outdoor Dartmouth space must be submitted through Virtual EMS, Dartmouth's Conferences and Events office, or other designated means (e.g., Dartmouth Groups). Follow the Use of Campus Grounds for all outdoor events or activities planned to occur on campus in Hanover.
  • For outdoor events, you may use one of two Town of Hanover forms: the Application for Outdoor Activity permit or Registration Form for Demonstrations, Vigils, and Public Protests. Regardless of which form is used, they must be submitted to the Dartmouth’s Conferences and Events office, not the Town of Hanover. 
  • To schedule a Dartmouth space, students should email the relevant contact at their school, listed below, along with both Conferences and Events (Conferences.and.events@dartmouth.edu) and the Department of Safety and Security (Safety.and.Security@dartmouth.edu) to coordinate appropriate logistical support and safety protocols at least eight calendar days in advance of the event (at least two business days in advance for Demonstrations, Vigils, and Public Protest). Certain logistical requests may require more lead time to coordinate, so organizers are encouraged to contact those offices even earlier when possible. If a request to the relevant contact is submitted on time with all appropriate documentation, the contact will make best efforts to assist the planners.
  • School Contacts
  • Even if it is too late to meet the required timeframe identified above, students or student organizations hoping to use a Dartmouth space should contact Conferences and Events to discuss planning and support needs and see if scheduling approval is still possible. It is important to note that it is not guaranteed an event will be approved by either the Town of Hanover or Dartmouth.
  • Requests for scheduling approval and reservations will be reviewed on a content- and viewpoint-neutral basis.
  • Dartmouth recognizes that world events or local developments may prompt spontaneous gatherings. While spontaneous gatherings arise in the moment and without prior scheduling, they also exist within the broader context of a shared campus, where all activities must comply with local and federal laws and Dartmouth policies and where others also exercise their rights and participate in institutional activities. Organizers of spontaneous gatherings are strongly encouraged to seek an expedited review of plans by the Conferences and Events office. Spontaneous gatherings may be relocated or terminated without cause at Dartmouth’s sole discretion to allow for Organizers to work through the planning process; any decision by Dartmouth to relocate or terminate a spontaneous gathering will be content and viewpoint neutral.  It is a violation of Dartmouth policy to circumvent the requirements of any policy referenced in these Guidelines and Considerations by claiming a planned event is spontaneous.

Planning an appearance by an external speaker

When planning an appearance by an external speaker, recognized student organizations are expected to abide by all Dartmouth policies and procedures, including but not limited to those identified below. Only recognized student organizations can be approved to host external speakers.

Student organizations must follow the policy on Sponsorship of Events by Departments and Organizations.

 Dartmouth sponsors and supports an Open Expression Facilitator Program where faculty and staff serve as neutral observers at designated events, while also providing guidance on the Freedom of Expression and Dissent policy. Dartmouth organizations may request the presence of an Open Expression Facilitator for an event. 

Protest and Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience is the act of nonviolently, deliberately disobeying a law, ordinance, or policy, undertaken with the aim of bringing about a change in a law, ordinance, or policy of a government or institution and with the acceptance that, in undertaking that act, one faces the prospect of sanction.  Civil disobedience, like any conduct that violates a law, ordinance or Dartmouth policy, is not protected under Dartmouth’s policy on freedom of expression and dissent. Those who participate in civil disobedience at Dartmouth should be prepared to face the associated penalties of law or Dartmouth disciplinary procedures and sanctions for violating the relevant regulation.

In order to be protected under Dartmouth’s policy, protest or other forms of dissent must be not only peaceful but also lawful, and, like all expressive activities, they are subject to the same rules on prohibited conduct and the same content- and viewpoint-neutral rules and restrictions.

Counterprotest, Objection, and Heckling

The principle of reciprocity in the right to freedom of expression and dissent requires that the exercise of that right allow for others at Dartmouth to exercise the same right. Protest, counterprotest and objection to others’ expressive activities are permitted so long as they do not interfere with those activities or with the ability of audiences to see, hear, or otherwise engage with them. Conduct that amounts to a “heckler’s veto” — obstructing or suppressing another’s right to freedom of expression by threatening or causing disruption — violates reciprocity and is inconsistent with Dartmouth’s principles. 

Further guidelines and policies applicable to all events and activities at Dartmouth, including expressive activities: 

Events and activities at Dartmouth, including expressive activities, take place within required parameters. Those include time, place, and manner restrictions, which apply to all events and are content and viewpoint neutral. Examples of such restrictions include but are not limited to:

  • Time: Most Dartmouth buildings are open only during business hours (which vary by building), limiting expressive activities to those hours. Dartmouth limits night-time use of outdoor spaces. Dartmouth may restrict the length or time of day of an event if its continuation after a certain time would interfere with core educational or administrative functions. For example, per Hanover Ordinance No. 34 – Outdoor sound amplification must end at 10:00 pm (Sun- Thur) or 11:00 pm (Friday/Saturday). Outdoor amplification is not permitted on weekdays before 5:00 pm. Exceptions may be requested from the Conferences & Events office in conjunction with the facility managers of surrounding buildings. Please refer to the Use of Dartmouth Facilities policy for more information.
  • Place: Dartmouth may designate specific areas on campus for events or activities to occur. A number of factors are considered when deciding an appropriate location for an event – including size, time of event, and technical needs. The Conferences and Events website provides instructions for reserving spaces. Please reach out to the Conferences and Events office for more information and suggestions on appropriate locations.
  •  Manner: Dartmouth may restrict the placement or size of signage, the sound level of events, conditions relating to the physical safety of participants or bystanders, or conditions relating to the physical protection of Dartmouth property. Event participants must not deliberately disrupt, interfere with, or obstruct teaching, research, athletics, or Dartmouth administrative activities. Please work with the Conferences and Events office to ensure venue-specific policies are followed. For undergraduate students, more information can be found in Standard VIII of the Standards of Conduct; graduate and professional students should refer to their respective schools’ handbooks.  

Events or activities on campus, including expressive activities such as assemblies, rallies, protests, demonstrations, vigils, and outside speaker events may require the presence of the Department of Safety and Security and/or local law enforcement officers. Dartmouth expects sponsoring organizations to engage in good faith planning, including budgeting for use of institutional resources such as safety and security services. Correspondingly, a determination of reasonable security staffing can be made in a timely manner by the Director of Safety and Security or their designee. In cases where security costs escalate due to unanticipated changes in security needs, recognized student organizations can request financial assistance.

Dartmouth seeks to create a respectful environment in which members of its community feel encouraged to engage in intellectual and creative pursuits and expects all community members to follow the Principles of Community in their interactions. While the Principles of Community itself is not adjudicable, it should be understood in the context of the Policy on Freedom of Expression and Dissent. 

Students are expected to follow the standards of conduct for their school at all times:

Event organizers must also follow other relevant Dartmouth policies, including, but not limited to:

Violation of Dartmouth policies may subject individuals or recognized organizations to disciplinary processes.