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The University of Virginia this week enacted and updated regulations around on-campus protests.
The reasoning? UVA officials said the policies make it easier for the students and staff to exercise their First Amendment rights.
Spokesperson Bethanie Glover told VPM News in an email the free expression and free inquiry changes “are an effort to make our policies clearer and easier to follow.”
“That commitment to protect and promote expressive activity lives alongside a responsibility to ensure that the Grounds are equally open and accessible to all members of the University community, and that we offer our students, faculty, staff, and visitors a safe and welcoming environment in which to live, learn, and work as we maintain normal operations,” Glover wrote.
Only one of the policies announced Monday is new: concealment of identity. People wearing a face mask on UVA property may now be asked by officials to show photo identification or a doctor’s note proving medical necessity for a face covering.
Under Virginia law, anybody 16 or older is prohibited from wearing a face covering to hide their identity.
This new policy, which has its next scheduled review on Aug. 26, 2027, only applies to the university’s academic division, with an exception for medical clinics — including the Student Health and Wellness center.
The policy includes exceptions where people will “ordinarily” not be asked to identify themselves: wearing costumes on holidays; engaging in professions or other activities while wearing protective masks “deemed necessary for the physical safety of the wearer or other persons”; engaging in theatrical productions; or wearing a face covering as part of cultural or religious traditions
University officials also updated four existing policies:
Use of university facilities or property
Under the updated use of university facilities policy, which was first enacted in 2018, the school gave a clearer definition to what the Academical Village is.
The policy was updated to explicitly prohibit camping in outdoor facilities and on outdoor property. The policy defines camping as “taking up temporary quarters utilizing a tent or other sheltering equipment, including but not limited to sleeping bags.”
The policy also states that sleeping outdoors “with or without sheltering equipment” is prohibited between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., and people are no longer allowed to project images onto the exterior of university buildings or property. This policy is scheduled to be reviewed in July 2025.
Tent use on university property
Since the university has banned outdoor camping, the tent policy, first enacted in 2005, also received an update.
Under the updated policy, a tent is defined as “a structure, enclosure, or shelter, with or without side-walls or drops, constructed of fabric or pliable material supported by any manner except by air or the contents that it protects.”
Tents must be cleared by the Department of Security and Safety and the Office of Fire Safety prior to being constructed. Permits that are issued by those agencies will show “an approved window for tent use.”
Tents that are not part of any official University-sponsored events or groups are not allowed to be up for more than 18 hours.
If an event is set to be held with a tent or temporary stage, it must also comply with the permitting requirements set by the Office of the University Building Official.
What happens if students want to camp out ahead of a big sporting event? “Requests are reviewed and approved on a case by case basis,” Glover said in an email.
It is scheduled to be reviewed in 2026.
Exterior posting and chalking
There was also an update to the university’s exterior posting and chalking policy. Effective Aug. 26, 2024, small wire flags, as well as rocks and stones can be placed as a display on the Lower Lawn “by reservation with Student Affairs Event Management.”
Under the updated policy, one display per day is allowed, but cannot be higher than two feet. The policy defines a “day” as being from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Use of amplified sound on outdoor university property
The last paragraph of the amplified sound policy was updated, clarifying that “amplified sound is not permitted for more than three hours per day per outdoor area.” A sound check that is 45 minutes or less may also be approved in addition to the three hours.
The university has strict policies on when amplified outdoor sound can be played: Fridays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. when classes are in session.
Under the new policy, amplified sound will not be allowed in places where any of the following take place: student education, academic activities, research, patient care, scheduled events, university functions, residences or the faculty/staff work environment.
This policy was first put in place in 2018 and is set to be reviewed in 2026.
If you have questions about the new policies, email Meghin Moore at [email protected].
