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Spring Recess
March 24-30, 2024
Cesar Chavez Day
March 29, 2024
Flex Day (No Classes)
April 18, 2024
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College Policies
Time, Place and Manner of Speech

Students, employees and members of the public shall be free to exercise their rights of free expression, subject to the requirements of this policy and College procedures on Time, Place and Manner of Speech. The Coordinator for Student Activities and Vice President of Student Services or designee are responsible for adherence to the Time, Place and Manner of Speech policy and procedures.

College of San Mateo is considered a nonpublic forum, except for those areas that are generally available for use by students, employees or members of the public, which are limited public forums. Use of the limited public forums shall be regulated by the following procedures regarding time, place and manner of speech.

Individuals or groups wishing to make use of College space for making retail products or services available are subject to the On-Campus Vendor Policy, available through the Center for Student Life & Leadership Development.

The College is a non-public forum, except for designated areas generally available to students, employees or members of the public as follows:
  • The areas generally available to students, employees or members of the public are designated public forums. The College reserves the right to revoke that designation for areas when they are no longer generally open to students, employees or members of the public and apply a nonpublic forum designation.

  • The College reserves the right to designate areas as not a public forum as necessary to prevent the substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the college. Areas of the college that are not a public forum include but are not limited to instructional and administrative buildings and outdoor instruction areas.
The use of areas generally available to students, employees or members of the public is subject to the following:
  • Persons using areas generally available to students, employees or members of the public and/or distributing material in the areas generally available to students, employees or members of the public shall not impede the progress and/or the ingress or egress of passersby, shall not block entrances and exists to campus buildings, nor shall they force passersby to take material.

  • No person using the areas generally available to students, employees or members of the public shall touch, strike or impede the progress of passersby, except for incidental or accidental contact, or contact initiated by a passerby.

  • Persons using areas generally available to students, employees or members of the public shall not use any means of amplification that creates a noise or diversion that disturbs or tends to disturb the orderly conduct of the campus or classes taking place at that time.

  • No persons using the areas generally available to students, employees or members of the public shall solicit donations of money, through direct requests for funds, sales of tickets or otherwise, except where he or she is using the areas generally available to students, employees or members of the public on behalf of and collecting funds for an organization that is registered with the Secretary of State as a nonprofit corporation or is an approved Associated Students Organization or club.
References: Education Code Sections 66301 and 76120, SMCCC District Rules & Regulations Section 7.21