The University of Pennsylvania, as a community of scholars, affirms, supports and cherishes the concepts of freedom of thought, inquiry, speech, and lawful assembly. The freedom to experiment, to present and examine alternative data and theories; the freedom to hear, express, and debate various views; and the freedom to voice criticism of existing practices and values are fundamental rights that must be upheld and practiced by the University in a free society.
For more information about the Guidelines on Open Expression, please see The PennBook Guidelines on Open Expression.
As part of the responsibilities for enforcing the Guidelines on Open Expression, the Vice Provost may send an observer, known as an Open Expression Observer, to meetings or demonstrations which may involve violations of the Guidelines. The Observer is a Penn staff or faculty member who has been selected to uphold the Guidelines. The Observer’s role is to protect the rights of the meeting or demonstration participants to express their opinions in non-disruptive ways, as well as to protect the rights of other members of the University community to conduct normal business.
If you would like to request an Open Expression Observer for your event or program, please submit your request at least one week in advance by completing the form below: