The board of trustees passed a policy restricting the campus, buildings, and other facilities to students, faculty, and guests on June 18, 1970. In September, Chancellor Weaver and others developed and publicized a regulation requiring all students, faculty and staff to provide acceptable identification whenever requested to do so by Safety and Security (now UT Police) officers.
Federal District Judge Robert L. Taylor upheld the “closed campus” policy on April 19, 1971. In his opinion, he wrote: “A University campus is primarily for students, faculty, and administrators, and when visitation on the campus by nonstudents interferes with the normal activities of the school, the officials of the school not only have the right to intercede, but it is their duty. The chance of a visitor being called upon for identification may incidentally restrict in some small degree freedom of association, but the University has a vital interest in the operation of the campus for educational purposes and this justifies the regulation from both a constitutional and educational standpoint.” New signs on campus in 1970 said: “Use of these facilities is restricted to University of Tennessee students, employees, and guests. The University reserves the right to require identification at any time.”