Expressive Activity Policy
Approval Date: 8/1/2026
Last Revision Date: 8/1/2026
Board Policy Alignment:
E-1 Ends
EL-1 Treatment of Students
EL-2 Treatment of Employee
EL-9 Asset Protection
Responsible Official: CFO and Vice President for Administration
Related Link: Expressive Activity Space Use Request Form
Purpose
Frederick Community College (“FCC” or the “College”) is committed to fostering a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive educational environment that promotes the free exchange of ideas while ensuring the safety, well-being, and respect of all campus community members. This policy aims to balance the rights of students, employees, and members of the community to utilize FCC Property for expressive activity with the right of FCC to carry out its educational mission while upholding the principles of the First Amendment and maintaining an atmosphere of civility, respect, and tolerance.
Scope
This policy applies to expressive activities conducted on Frederick Community College–owned or controlled property by internal and external users. It establishes reasonable content- and viewpoint-neutral time, place, and manner conditions for such activities and does not regulate academic instruction or speech occurring in the ordinary course of College operations.
Definitions
See the Policy Glossary for definitions of hyperlinked terms in this policy.
Policy
FCC imposes reasonable content- and viewpoint-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions on expressive activity. No restrictions shall be placed on the subject matter, topics, or viewpoints expressed by internal and external users of FCC Property engaged in expressive activity, provided that such expression does not include speech that is obscene, defamatory, slanderous, or illegal under current legal standards; or speech that advocates the use of force or law violation where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action on College property and is likely to incite or produce such action or the unreasonable disruption of College educational, operational, or administrative programs and activities.
Use of FCC Property for expressive activity does not constitute College endorsement of the views expressed or held by those individuals and/or groups. FCC reserves the right to require a disclaimer on advertisements, bulletins, or announcements related to expressive activity on the College property, stating that: “Frederick Community College is not affiliated with and does not necessarily endorse the opinions, beliefs, statements, writings, or philosophies expressed by the activity or its participants.”
FCC Property is available primarily for educational, operational, and administrative programs and activities offered by and intended for internal users as members of the FCC community. Certain areas of College property may be video-monitored by closed-circuit television (CCTV).
All individuals or groups engaging in expressive activity on FCC Property are responsible for all costs, supervision, insurance, or other financial obligations associated with their engagement in expressive activities on FCC Property. FCC assumes no liability or responsibility for injuries, losses, claims, damages, or penalties resulting from the actions of individuals and/or groups engaging in expressive activity conducted on College property.
FCC Property is closed to all individuals or groups seeking to engage in expressive activity outside of the College’s normal business hours and during periods when the College is closed due to designated holidays, inclement weather, or other emergency conditions.
FCC Property is provided “as-is.” Individuals or groups using College property for expressive activity may not temporarily or permanently alter, deface, move, or modify any element of College property and are responsible for restoring FCC Property to its pre-use condition, including disposal of all trash.
All individuals and groups using FCC Property for expressive activity are subject to all applicable College policies and procedures, including the Use of Facilities Policy, Weapons Policy, and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Opioid, and Other Drug Use and Awareness Policy. All FCC Policies and Procedures are available on the FCC website. This policy supersedes all other College policies on the topic of expressive activity occurring on FCC Property.
Designated Areas for Expressive Activity
FCC designates specific areas of College property as limited public forums for expressive activity to prevent disruption or interference with College programs, operations, and instruction. These areas include specific open or green spaces identified on the official FCC campus map, the campus flagpole area in front of Linganore Hall near the main entrance, the lawn area between the Athletics Center and Linganore Hall, and the campus quad or courtyard area outside of the Student Center adjacent to the patio.
Priority for use of College property is given first to College educational, operational, and administrative programs and activities; second to reservations made in accordance with the FCC's Use of Facilities Policy; and third to spontaneous expressive activities on a first-come, first-served basis. FCC reserves the right to restrict or deny use of College property for expressive activity when a higher-priority use applies.
Reservations are recommended to secure priority for the use of designated expressive activity areas and should be submitted at least one week in advance to minimize disruption to normal campus operations. Reservations are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis and may be denied if the proposed activity violates applicable time, place, or manner restrictions.
Individuals or groups engaging in expressive activity are requested to check in upon arrival at the FCC Public Safety Office located on the first floor of the Student Center.
The following areas of College property are designated as nonpublic forums and are not available for expressive activity: classrooms (including outdoor classrooms), designated student study spaces, laboratories, the Bess and Frank Gladhill Learning Commons, parking lots, and administrative or academic offices.
Reasonable Time, Place, and Manner Conditions
Expressive activity on FCC Property must not substantially disrupt previously scheduled campus events, College operations, or instructional activities.
Activities may not block access to buildings, obstruct vehicular or pedestrian traffic, involve unauthorized access to campus buildings, or create a clear and present threat to public safety as determined by the FCC Public Safety Department.
Expressive activity must not involve unlawful conduct, violence, or threats of violence against persons, damage to property, or the sale or promotion of commercial goods or services.
Activities may not involve audio amplification devices, oversized signage exceeding handheld poster board size (sized at 24” x 36”; i.e., no trucks, trailers, motorized or other moving vehicles), or the creation of audio or video recordings in nonpublic spaces where individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy, without such person’s permission.
Expressive activity must occur during normal campus hours of operation, must not attract a crowd larger than the venue can safely accommodate, and must not occur during College examination periods.
Expressive activities are encouraged to be limited to approximately two (2) hours in duration. Regardless of duration, all expressive activities must conclude by the College’s close of regular business hours.
To ensure equitable access to College property, external users may not engage in expressive activity on FCC Property more than once within seven days.
Disciplinary Action
Individuals engaging in expressive activity on FCC Property must comply with all College policies and procedures and applicable law. In accordance with Maryland law (Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 26-102, as amended), individuals on College property may be required to provide identification or evidence of qualification to an authorized College official upon request.
Violations of this policy by internal users may result in disciplinary action. Violations by external users may result in removal from College property and referral to local law enforcement.