SUNY Geneseo’s Assembly Policy
Photo courtesy of Tomwsulcer/Wikimedia Commons
A group of passionate individuals gather outside with handmade signs to protest gun control measures and gun violence.
On Aug. 12, 2025, SUNY Geneseo re-approved its Assembly Policy, following a yearly review and update made to the policy. Amidst this yearly review, tensions rise on both the national and international levels due to ongoing pressures/conflicts, leading to confusion, fear, and the possibility of gross misinterpretations of the policy and its reasons for implementation.
No current differentiation is made between policies on protests and assemblies, except for a brief statement clarifying that candles for vigils or memorial services may be permitted with prior authorization—which is not a new addition to this policy. What has specifically alarmed students is not the generality of this policy, but its potential—based on the example recently set by fellow New York-based universities—for negative consequences for students participating in an assembly.
In the SUNY Geneseo Assembly Policy, the general rules to abide by during an assembly focus predominantly on ensuring that the gathering is not infringing on the rights of others or disrupting the educational and functional programs of the college. Most rules are self-explanatory, as the behavior they prohibit is already illegal or disruptive; however, some additional regulatory statements included requiring individuals to provide university or government ID upon request and the limiting of non-student activity within the college campus without first obtaining authorization to use the ground through the “application for Use of the Designated Public Forum.”
Other than that, according to the SUNY Geneseo Assembly Policy, all gatherings are subject to the same set of rules, cultivated mostly to “maintain a campus atmosphere conducive to scholarly pursuits, residential living, and respect for the rights of all individuals.” This overarching set of rules is important to keep in mind when reading the policies, understanding that these are not just policies for protests or political gatherings, they are policies for any type of gathering not officially led by the college.
SUNY Geneseo reiterates that the college will not interfere with assembly on campus provided that the SUNY Board of Trustees' Rules for Maintenance of Public Order are upheld. “No student, faculty member or other staff member or authorized visitor shall be subject to any limitation or penalty for expressing [their] views or for assembling with others…” so long as the policy is followed.
For clarity, our Editor-in-Chief, Nathaniel D’Amato, sat down with Lucas Pastwik, President of the Student Association, and reached out to Michael Taberski, Vice President for Student and Campus Life, for comment and elaboration from their perspective to examine this policy holistically.
Lucas Pastwik spoke to us at length about these policies, hoping that through our conversation, the broader campus community will be reassured of campus procedure. With that in mind, Pastwik reiterated throughout our conversation that “Geneseo is not as politically motivated as other universities like Columbia… It's different here…” and that there “should be no worry of retaliation from the administration about that. But obviously, the boundary is whether it is within policy.”
When asked for further comment, we discussed this campus’s involvement in recent protests, such as the Hands-Off Rally, as well as various demonstrations for peace in Gaza. In response, Pastwik discussed the clause which refers to the requirement of a government or SUNY-issued ID, alongside the potential of counter-protesting and how, in these circumstances, he would say, “Have your university ID. Have it there, because if something does happen where you have people from the town come down [to rile]…If something happens, it's protection.”
Michael Taberski reiterated this idea, saying, “...inclusion in the assembly policy simply reinforces that participating in an assembly does not exempt individuals from this expectation. College officials must be able to verify whether someone is a student or employee, as members of the college community have different rights and responsibilities than unaffiliated guests.” Alongside this, Taberski made the distinction that policy based on ID requirement is not new and has “been in place since College IDs were first introduced.”
Pastwik made sure to underscore that “we have such a great university staff and administration here [I feel] that they would not abuse the student handbook.” And to those reading, he urges you to “Follow the student handbook. I think that is the number one rule…it's there to help you.” When discussing activists from outside Geneseo coming in, Pastwik cautions, “If you're coming in here and purposely inciting violence, get off my campus,” emphasizing that Geneseo “encourages outside groups to come to this campus as long as they're doing it within the boundaries of policy.”
Ultimately, much of the updated policy remains unchanged. Geneseo continues to uphold the First Amendment right to assembly. As long as things remain respectful and within legal boundaries, students are encouraged to gather, share their opinions, and stand up for their views in this tumultuous political climate, regardless of their viewpoint.