The University will likely see more political activity now that a new policy makes it possible for candidates to speak on campus. The policy was changed in response to complaints that the old one made it impractical for political speakers to come to campus.
The Student Life Committee (SLC), a joint committee of Wesleyan Student Assembly members and administrators, approved the new policy on Dec. 11. Two venues, Exley 150 and the Woodhead Lounge, will be available at no cost to any candidate on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Hosting candidates at the University has been a delicate legal issue. IRS code for tax-exempt, non-profit organizations, such as Wesleyan, forbids advocating for specific political candidates. The University’s lawyers have interpreted this as meaning that equal resources and equal opportunities must be provided to all candidates. In the past, for a single candidate to speak, all other candidates for the same position had to be invited, and each candidate was required to cover all expenses, paying for space at the outside rental rate.
Because Exley 150 and the Woodhead Lounge are equally available to all candidates, permitting a given candidate to use the space does not constitute advocacy. The only means by which student groups are allowed to invite candidates is by providing the candidates with a copy of the policy.
Dave Winkor, the University’s legal council, said he worked with Dean of Campus Programs Rick Culliton and Student Activities and Leadership Develop.m.ent Director Tim Shiner to develop a draft of a new policy with compromises that worked for the students and worked legally.
Everyone involved in creating the new policy seems excited about the options it allows. Mike Pernick ’10, co-chair of the SLC, said the new policy was designed to eliminate the difficulties of the earlier policy.
Shiner echoed this opinion.
“The policy expresses a level of flexibility for different scenarios, which we can work out individually as they arise,” he said.
Pernick anticipates that the new policy will bring more political speakers to campus.
“It will be great for Wesleyan’s image and great for political discourse on campus,” he noted.
Ned Lamont, former Connecticut Democratic candidate for Senate, and actor Kal Penn are speaking in support of presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama on Friday afternoon in Exley 150. They will be the first to benefit from the new policy.
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