ACLU Asks ‘U’ To Remove Dorm Canvassing Retrictions

The American Civil Liberties Union isn’t too happy with the University’s strict rules limiting political canvassing in dormitories. The Michigan Daily reported Friday that Mary Sue Coleman received a collaborative letter from University, county, and state chapters of the ACLU urging her to lift the current ban preventing political candidates and supporters from campaigning door-to-door in ‘U’ housing.  

The letter argued, “Public universities should be places where students are encouraged to engage in the political process and where protection of the free exchange of ideas is at its zenith.” Current Housing policy states, “elected officials, candidates for public or student office and non-partisan activities involving voter registration are permitted to go door-to-door in residence halls, with permission from Housing Administration Office.”

Since the dorms are private residences, I don’t think the ACLU’s argument holds much water. Demanding that outsiders apply for the privilege to campaign doesn’t limit free speech. It just protects students from being constantly hounded by canvassers.

If you live in a traditional home, you have the option to simply not open your door to canvassers. In the dorms, where students often keep their doors open in order to take advantage of the dorms’ social opportunities, avoiding unwanted canvassers is more difficult.

There’s a reason you need an Mcard to access every dorm. The university has a responsibility to keep student housing safe and free from distractions. Requiring canvassers to ask for permission doesn’t interfere with free speech. It just allows the University to know who is walking through their private halls.

–Chris Koslowski