Catholic University of America blocks Reddit campuswide, drawing student complaints
The Catholic University of America, a Washington, D.C., institution founded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has banned access to Reddit campuswide, drawing a challenge from students.
The Student Government Association Senate on Tuesday challenged the university’s unilateral decision to ban access to the social media platform by filing legislation that challenges the decision. According to a press release issued by the SGA, university administrators blocked access to Reddit across campus, citing “certain content on the platform,” without first consulting students for faculty governing bodies.
“This ban was implemented in the dark, during winter break, precisely because the administration knew it wouldn’t withstand the scrutiny of the university community,” Felipe Avila, an SGA senator, said in a press release. “This isn’t just a failure of technology policy; it is a failure of shared governance.”
The resolution put forth notes the many different students who rely on Reddit for studying, including computer science students debugging code, nursing students preparing for licensure and engineering students.
The university reportedly already blocks some 200 adult websites, but the measure calls for a web filtering policy that prioritizes academic freedom.
The university was founded in the 1880s, with the blessing of Rome’s Pope Leo XIII, who was known as the rosary pope for his emphasis on the veneration of Mary and her role in the redemption of humanity, as told by the Catholic tradition.
