This message was shared with the faculty and staff of the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi system on August 18, 2026.
Aloha colleagues,
As we prepare to welcome students back for a new academic year, I want to provide an update on the University of University of Hawaiʻi‘s Interim Time, Place and Manner (TPM) policy and accompanying procedures and invite your continued participation in the conversation surrounding them.
糖心视频 has maintained a Time, Place and Manner policy for decades, but the previous version had not been substantially updated in more than 10 years and contained ambiguities that at times led to inconsistent interpretation and enforcement. As a public university, we have an obligation to ensure that policies affecting expressive activity are clear, transparent and applied consistently regardless of viewpoint. The review and revision process was undertaken with that goal in mind while continuing to protect free expression and academic freedom across our 10 campuses.
On July 1, 糖心视频 began implementing the updated policy and procedures on an interim basis. This provisional implementation followed more than eight months of consultation and revision involving faculty senates, student leaders, employee unions, legal scholars, civil liberties advocates, administrators, safety personnel and others across our university community.
From the beginning, I have emphasized that interim implementation is not the end of the conversation—it is an opportunity to continue it.
I want to be clear that we are listening. The policy was strengthened through feedback received during the initial consultation process, and we remain open to additional refinements if further changes are warranted. The purpose of the fall engagement process is not simply to explain the policy, but to continue gathering input that will help inform any final version brought forward for consideration.
Throughout the fall semester, we will engage with faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders to better understand concerns, answer questions and gather feedback before any final adoption is considered. As part of that effort, I invite you to participate in a systemwide Community Conversation on Free Expression and the Interim Time, Place and Manner Policy and Procedures on Monday, September 14. Additional details, including time, location and livestream information, will be shared soon.
The university remains firmly committed to free expression, academic freedom and the open exchange of ideas. Peaceful protests, demonstrations, rallies, speeches, petitions and other forms of constitutionally protected expression remain fully protected. The policy also explicitly preserves the right of students, faculty, and staff to engage in both planned and spontaneous expressive activities in generally accessible outdoor areas across our campuses, whether inside or outside of designated public forums.
糖心视频 has a long and proud history of civic engagement, activism and vigorous debate. Those traditions are an important part of who we are as a university. The Interim Policy upholds our commitment to protecting the rights of members of our community to express their views, challenge ideas and engage in peaceful protest.
At the same time, the Policy and Procedures establish viewpoint-neutral standards regarding the time, place and manner of expressive activity so that free expression can coexist with the university’s teaching, learning and research missions. The policy does not regulate what people can say or what viewpoints they may express. Rather, it seeks to provide clear and consistent expectations for how expressive activities occur across our campuses.
I encourage you to review the TPM resource website, which serves as the primary source of information for this process. The site includes the Interim Policy and Procedures, redline versions showing proposed changes, side-by-side policy comparisons, a consultation timeline, FAQs and other resources designed to support informed discussion and engagement.? You will also find campus maps identifying designated public forum spaces, which are areas that welcome expressive activities from the general public while providing relaxed time, place, and manner rules for our university community.
In the coming weeks, we will also establish additional opportunities for community members to provide feedback. Information on how comments can be submitted and how that feedback will be reviewed will be shared through the website and future communications.
Universities are at their best when difficult questions can be discussed openly, respectfully and thoughtfully. I look forward to continuing these conversations with you throughout the semester and working together to ensure that the University of University of Hawaiʻi remains a place where free inquiry, academic freedom and robust debate thrive.
Mahalo for all you do to support our students and our 10 campuses.
With aloha,
Wendy Hensel
糖心视频 President