The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education reports free speech is a thing of the past on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Administrators have again banned student demonstrations, over a dispute over control of the student union. This week, the Foundation reports, the administration put up a fence across wide swaths of the campus blocking students, "from even approaching the building where President Shirley Ann Jackson is hosting a black-tie event for alumni and donors [Oct. 13]." “Rensselaer promises its students the freedom to express their views,” said FIRE Senior Program Officer Adam Steinbaugh. “But that promise apparently comes with a big asterisk: It doesn’t apply on some weekends, when it’s inconvenient, or when the university might be criticized in front of donors.” At Inside Higher Education, an RPI spokesperson said via email that, "those with expertise in event management and security determined that a demonstration would pose significant disruption of already-planned events and raises concerns for the safety of attendees; therefore, after careful review, that specific request was denied."