More Time, More Space: Loyola Slightly Relaxes Restrictions on Student Protests

Loyola students will now have more flexibility to organize demonstrations after university officials expanded the hours and locations available for protests, according to revisions to the Community Standards released Aug. 25.

With the August update, students are now permitted to demonstrate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can request to move demonstrations indoors to the Damen Student Center South Entrance when bad weather prevents use of outdoor locations. Previously, the 2024-25 Community Standards, published Aug. 22, 2024, limited protests to the West Quad of Lake Shore Campus between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Students were notified of the revisions through an Aug. 25 email from the Division of Student Development, which highlighted the new options as a part of the university’s ongoing commitment to providing space for free expression.

The revisions still maintain the requirement that student groups submit a Demonstrated and Fixed Exhibit Request Form at least 48 hours in advance. Indoor requests are subject to approval based on the discretion of the Dean of Students or their designee. 

The Dean of Students and their designee maintain the right to cancel or prohibit the posting of materials that coincide with demonstrations if the content is deemed a “violation of University policies and values,” according to the Community Standards. 

The Associate Dean of Students Stacey P. Jaksa emphasised how the changes emerged from the annual review process of the Community Standards, which is conducted by the Office of the Dean of Students with input from the Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conflict Resolution Team. 

“The Community Standards are reviewed on an annual basis by the Office of the Dean of Students,” Jaksa said. “There is also a feedback period that typically spans about three weeks and is open to all students, faculty and staff. Following the conclusion of the feedback period, all comments are reviewed as well as any needed changes and a draft is prepared for university leadership.”

Jaksa said student feedback played a key role in shaping policies in the past, citing the Smoke and Tobacco-Free Policy implemented in 2021 after continued community input.

Loyola had traditionally set limits on when and where demonstrations can take place, but those rules adjust based on legal requirements, updates on university policies, and student input on protest accommodations. 

For Student Government of Loyola Chicago President Erin Tylutki, the expanded hours were especially important.

The expansion broadened last year’s hours, giving students more time to demonstrate the added option of requesting the South Entrance of Damen as an indoor space. 

“This is not the end of the fight to expand free speech, said Tyluki— it’s just a really good jumping off point.”

Tyluki said the new hours make it easier for students balancing jobs, classes and extracurriculars to participate in protests.

Tylutki also connected the changes to Loyola’s Jesuit identity and broader history of activism on campuses across the U.S.

“Our Jesuit mission is to pursue social justice and to be advocates for social justice,” Tylutki said. “That’s what our university preaches. So we’re making sure students can practice that Jesuit tradition.”

Tyluki also noted protests on college campuses have historically been catalysts for social change.

“When you choose to attend a college or university, you’re joining a long line of student activists — civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, protesting the Vitamin War,” Tyluki said. “Almost every social movement has been strengthened by campuses. We are carrying that history forward here at Loyola.”

Student Government Vice President Haaziya Saiyed said the changes feel especially relevant given the wave of demonstrations Loyola has hosted in recent years.

“I’ve joined a few protests over the past couple years,” Saiyed said. “The one that stood out to me the most was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine — it drew a big crowd and had a real energy to it.” 

Saiyed also referenced protests led by the Black Cultural Center. The BCC and SJP didn’t respond to The Phoenix’s request for comment. 

Loyola’s updates come amid a national conversation about how universities regulate free expression and respond to student protests. Colleges across the country have struggled to protect students’ right to free expression , especially since protests over racial justice, the Israel-Palestine conflict and climate change have intensified, The Associated Press reported.

Some universities have tightened restrictions due to safety, while others have loosened rules to avoid constitutional challenges or to demonstrate a commitment to free expression, the AP reported.

University of California Los Angeles reached a $6.13 million settlement with three Jewish students and a Jewish professor who sued the university, stating the school did not stop pro-Palestine protesters in 2024 from blocking access to parts of campus, which was described as a violation of their civil rights, the AP reported. 

Cira Racco, a second-year math secondary education major, said she hadn’t realized Loyola had such specific rules for demonstrations. While she supports keeping students safe, she believes the university should take a flexible approach to regulating protests. 

“I think people should be able to protest where and when they want, as long as it’s peaceful,” Racco said, adding that restrictions can sometimes discourage students from speaking out on issues that matter to them. 

Rylee Winkel, a first-year political science major, believes that the updated policies feel like a fair balance. Since starting on campus this fall Winkel hasn’t seen any demonstrations on campus but would be willing to participate if one occurred. 

She described the new regulations as reasonable, adding, “They give students more freedom, and that freedom makes it easier for our voices to actually be heard.”

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated student groups must submit a ‘Demonstrated and Fixed Exhibit Request Form” at least three business days in advance. The article was changed Nov. 7, 2025 to reflect the correct time requirement of at least 48 hours in advance.