Chapman at a crossroads: Students push for progressive change, administration defends education mission
Photo by Emily Paris, Photo Editor
As student protests gain momentum at Chapman University, calls for policy change are clashing with the administration on upholding its educational mission — free speech, institutional transparency, and diversity initiatives.
“I think it's hard to have a protest confined by policy when policy is the very thing you're trying to speak out against,” said Luciana Paventy, a senior creative writing major who attended a walkout demonstration.
On Monday, March 17, students organized a walkout and gathered in protest to advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Chapman. Over 30 clubs were part of the demonstration calling for more transparency about Provost Norma Bouchard and Vice President of DEI Reg Stewart being placed on leave, protecting funding for the Cross-Cultural Center (CCC) and blocking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from campus.
Paventy said while protesters tried to adhere to student policy, there was still a fear of backlash.
“Unfortunately, complying with student policy does not always protect you,” she said. “There's always a risk that something might happen, despite the administration saying that as long as we follow all the rules, we'll be fine.”
When speaking with Myth Moos, a senior double major in psychology and philosophy and representative for Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Moos shared that the group had spoken with the Assistant Dean of Students Tristan Hilpert about the possibility of a new policy protecting students and free speech.
“We spoke with Tristan in a meeting about implementing a way for fast mobilization, for any groups, such as what happened with the protest. We wouldn’t be able to get amplified sound permitted in time, thus a new policy would allow for clubs to fastly react to events such as this because many changes are happening so quickly,” Moos said.
This new policy would allow for clubs to not get penalized when reacting quickly and protesting against certain policies restricting free speech. However, the university has yet to implement such a policy.
Dean of Students Jerry Price said that while the university is dedicated to protecting free speech, it also strives to uphold the integrity of the academic environment.
“We give students a lot of things. We're just saying the only thing that supersedes their free expression rights is our academic mission,” he said. “If it's potentially disruptive to classrooms, then we have to manage it more carefully.”
According to Price, new policy changes prohibit encampments and the use of amplified sound without administrative approval. This decision follows a year of student protests over the Gaza-Israel conflict, after which the university reviewed incidents and determined how to address any arising issues.
“To me, the notion of free speech is I should be allowed to say what I want, but you as a listener should have a right to say whether you’re going to stick around and hear it or not,” Price said.
He emphasized that these policy changes were not in retaliation to the solidarity for the Gaza encampment initiated by SJP, but in response to a disrupted academic environment.
“We came up with a couple of things in particular where we consistently got feedback (that they) were disruptive, so we made adjustments,” he said. “It could have been any organization that did it.”
Price added, “For example, if somebody says we can't use amplified sound, sure, you can come here on Saturday afternoon and do it to your heart's content because there are no classes disrupted.”
Paventy said protests should not have to comply with school policies restricting expression.
“It's all about freedom of speech, so it's kind of ironic that Jerry Price expects that from people who are displaying their right to protest,” Paventy said.
“It is assumed that Chapman University being on the list of 60 universities is due to the complaint that was filed last year, however if you analyze and see the pattern, every university on that list experienced an encampment protesting Palestine,” Moos said.
As Chapman faces scrutiny over Title VI violations, students worry the administration will suppress dissent and the call for change.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.
Paventy said that with the recent investigation into antisemitism at Chapman by the Trump administration, students do not feel supported by the university administration.
“With Trump watching over some of these schools, I definitely felt like I didn't have the support of the administration,” Paventy said.
Price said many people misunderstand the relationship between free speech and harassment and where antidiscrimination laws fit.
“A lot of people are starting to use Title IX and Title IV as alternate judicial processes. That's what it's not,” he said.
The university has a higher obligation to protect students from hostile environments with alternatives and support services. Still, it does not mandate the school to stop particular behavior or punish students.
“More than likely, it's protected speech that we can't stop or punish,” he said. “If I'm saying something about you and coming after you and getting in your face, that's harassment. If I'm just being very vocal and ugly about something you care about, that's not harassment.”
Price analogized the purpose of Title VI to viewing a sidewalk, implying a structured framework for assessing compliance and fairness.
“Think of Title VI as our obligation to make sure that we find those cracks and take care of them, to keep people safe. We don't go out and punish the person whose sidewalk got cracked,” he said, “But if the same people keep building more sidewalks and more cracks, then at some point it might be now you're being reckless and careless. Now, you might be guilty of some kind of violation because your behavior is now reckless.”
When asked about the administration's response to SJP’s protests over the semesters, Moos stated that he thinks the group is more targeted than other clubs on campus.
“A lot of the new policies, whether that was the banning of encampments, the banning of amplified sound, have been enacted right after SJP does something. SJP was chalking in the Piazza and at the next presidents meeting, Jerry Price brought in a new policy where you can’t chalk in a certain area with tables,” Moos said.
Moos stated, “Every single thing has been a direct response to what SJP has done.”
“I think if you compare us to most campuses, we are minorly restrictive on student speech,” Price said.
“SJP has received multiple infractions, however, I have not received an individual one,” Moos said.
Price explained that the administration views student organizations as independent entities; however, since they receive school funding, they are subject to different legal considerations than individual students.
“We have an obligation to make sure they're following Chapman policy and state, local and federal law,” he said.
One key distinction between student organizations and individual students is that students are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which prevents the university from disclosing their information. In contrast, the university must disclose relevant information if a student organization violates the law.
Price also said the administration's priority is students’ pursuit of education.
“We do everything we can to respond in such a way that allows that student to continue towards their degree because that's the mission of what we're doing,” he said. “We don't have the same compulsion that a student organization has to exist.”
Paventy said that regardless of whether the university intends to target SJP, they impose stricter measures on the organization.
“Because SJP is the one that leads these events, they're more of a target for administration,” she said.
“The walk-out was a coalitional effort and continues to expand because that is how you reach students from different corners of the university. Building community is the most important part of sustaining any movement and creating change,” Moos said.