Topic Paper
Topic Paper Writing Assignment-Student Free Speech Issue
Point Value: 200 Points
Assignment Guidelines: For this assignment, students will research and write a 8-10 (typed) page paper on a current legal issue in higher education relating to students’ First Amendment free speech rights in public institutions of higher education. The goal of this assignment is to develop legal reasoning skills in analyzing current case law relating to First Amendment student speech issues.
Student Free Speech Topics:
Students may select from ONE of the topics below:
Freedom in Student Press/Publications
Freedom of Association (i.e., Right to Organize)
Student Fees and Speech Rights
Hate Speech
Student Speech in an Academic Context
Note: Students who wish to select a different topic than the ones listed above must seek approval from the instructor.
Topic Paper Guidelines:
The topic papers will involve several components including:
Introduce the type of free speech (e.g. press, formation of student groups, etc.) that you have selected for your research project. Define and briefly discuss the First Amendment and its applicability to public institutions. Be sure to include and define any legal concepts, principles, or terms that are relevant to your topic.
Generally introduce and explain each of the following: a) the criteria for protected and unprotected speech, b) context of speech, and c) reasonable regulation of speech. Students may also briefly discuss the early cases such as Tinker (1969), Healy v. James (1972), etc. which set the legal framework for student speech issues.
Provide a substantive discussion of 3-4 court recent cases (preferably within the past 5-10 years) involving student free speech issue(s) which have occurred in a post-secondary context (i.e. 2 year and 4 year institutions). In discussing each case, students should include: a) facts of the case, b) issue(s), c) rationales, and d) judicial opinions.
Discuss the implications of the cases you have reviewed for post-secondary educational contexts. What is the Court’s posture and legal reasoning on these issues?
Provide a set of “best practices” concerning professional practice and effective institutional management (i.e. How can public colleges and universities protect students’ free speech rights? How can institutions avoid unnecessary litigation?)
Format Guidelines:
Topic papers should include a minimum of 6-8 scholarly, peer-reviewed sources (e.g. Journal of Law and Education) in completing this assignment. A list of scholarly, peer-reviewed resources are listed on the last page of your course syllabus. Students may also use articles from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Format: Each writing assignment should be typed, double–spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins. Please make sure to include an APA format title page on each writing assignment and APA format Reference Page. Students should use an appropriate scholarly tone in all writing assignments. Students are also expected to turn in papers that are reflective of graduate-level writing. ALL writing assignments should be thoughtful, organized in a clear and coherent fashion, and use proper grammar.
Please proof read and check your writing for spelling and grammatical errors. Students needing help with writing are encouraged to contact the University Writing Center on campus or use the Smarthinking online writing tutorial in Blackboard.
APA Format: ALL writing assignments should be formatted using APA Style (6th ed.).
* General Guidelines for Grading ALL Writing Assignments:
In general, as I grade all writing assignments I will ask the following questions:
1.) Does the paper thoroughly address and discuss the writing assignment guidelines?
2.) Are relevant legal terms, concepts, principles, theories or judicial opinions incorporated into to the various issues addressed in the paper?
3.) Is the paper thoughtful, well-organized, grammatically correct, and written in a clear and coherent
fashion?
4.) Does the paper meet the format specifications (e.g. margins, font size, etc.) and APA Style (6th ed.) Guidelines listed above ?
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty is not tolerated. Do not plagiarize (including self-plagiarism) or cheat on the paper assignments! If you plagiarize and/or cheat you will receive a zero on the paper will be submitted to the UWA Academic Integrity Committee to be reviewed. If found guilty, students may be given further penalty such as suspension for a semester.
What is “plagiarism”?
Plagiarism is committed in a number of ways:
1.Reproducing another author's writing as if it were one's own
2.Paraphrasing another author's work without citing the original
3.Borrowing from another author's ideas, even though those ideas are reworded, without giving credit
4.Copying another author's organization without giving credit
Plagiarism is avoided when students give credit (footnotes or other documentation forms) to the source in the following instances:
1. When quoting directly from someone else's writing (a direct quotation must always be enclosed in quotation marks.)
2. When paraphrasing someone else’s writing (to paraphrase means to restate a passage from someone else's writing in one's own words).
3. When following the outline or structure of another author's argument, explanation, or theory, even though the material is summarized in one's own words.