Recognized Student Organization Publicity Guidelines

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Recognized Student Organization Publicity Guidelines, hereby referred to as RSO Publicity Guidelines or Publicity Guidelines, have been developed by the Student Organizations Committee and approved through the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Student Association. These guidelines are an administrative function of University Centers and apply only to Recognized Student Organizations.

Campus publicity is designed to provide the University community with information that will enhance the education environment, information that leads to greater affiliation, cultural awareness, and educational opportunities.

The University accepts no responsibility or liability for posted materials, including content. The University reserves the right to remove publicity on registered boards that does not adhere to publicity guidelines.

University Centers is charged with carrying out the publicity guidelines. Any appeals of the interpretation of or exceptions to the RSO Publicity Guidelines must be directed to the Student Organizations Committee. The Student Organizations Committee will hear appeals to violations of these publicity guidelines and is not responsible for appeals to campus-wide policies that may supersede these guidelines including but not limited to Chalking, University Reservations, etc. If you wish to appeal against a violation, please complete the RSO Publicity Guideline Violation Appeal form on MyOrgs under the Student Organization Committee’s page.

Notification of infractions to any portion of the RSO Publicity Guidelines by a student, organization, or
university unit should be submitted in writing to University Centers, attention Student Organization
Committee Adviser. Please review the section on violations for more information.

Questions about publicity on campus should be directed to the COVE via email at thecove@uwlax.edu, in person at 2200 Student Union, or by phone at 608.785.8866.

Section I: Publicity on Campus

1. General Requirements
   
   1. Policies and regulations for each building may vary. For clarification on building guidelines, see the Building Managers (linked at the bottom of these guidelines) or the COVE, 2200 Student Union.
   2. There are two types of bulletin boards on campus that allow for publicity to the University population.
      
      1. Registered Bulletin Boards
         
         • These boards are provided for university groups sponsoring campus events, activities, and education.
      2. General Use Boards
         
         • 1. These boards are provided for general publicity of interest to the university population.
   3. Residence Hall Publicity
      
      1. Each Residence Hall has one (1) Registered Bulletin Board. Posting policies on these boards are the same as other Registered Bulletin Boards on campus. Please visit the Residence Life Office during business hours for a key.
      2. Publicity from any group or student organization outside of Residence Life will be limited to the Registered Boards only. Residence Life Staff will not post fliers from outside organizations in their community.
2. General Publicity Information
   
   1. Sponsoring organizations are responsible for posting and removing their own publicity following the event.
   2. Publicity must be for activities or events open to the campus community or for information that enhances the educational campus environment.
   3. All publicity must feature the event being advertised. The event must be visually prominent in comparison to non-university or commercial logos, pictures, etc. advertising other products.
   4. All publicity should include the name of the sponsoring organization, contact person, date, and time of the event, department, or business.
   5. Any publicity that may go against the educational mission of the University (i.e., racist, degrading, and/or potentially offensive) is not allowed.
   6. Publicity must not interfere with the normal flow of traffic.
   7. Advertising alcohol or drug related sponsors is not allowed unless special approval is given through University Centers. Publicity that encourages the abuse or excessive consumption of alcohol is prohibited.
3. Required Information for both General Use and Registered Publicity
   
   1. All materials must be computer generated or of comparable quality. No hand drawn artwork, sketches, or pictures will be registered.
   2. The name of the sponsoring university organization, department, contact information, or business must appear in publicity.
   3. All publicity should contain the date, time, contact information, and location of the event, and any other descriptive information.
4. Publicity Locations
   
   1. Fliers can only be posted on bulletin boards designated by the director of each university building. A listing of building managers and locations of registered and general use bulletin boards is included on the last page of these guidelines.
   2. Digital Sign advertisements can be approved for placement on TV monitors in the following
      locations:
      
      1. Whitney Center: Main Dining Room (3), A9 Eatery (1), Convenience Store (1)
      2. Student Union: Multiple locations throughout each floor
      3. Campus-wide building locations:
         
         • 1. Centennial Hall
         • 2. Truman T. Lowe Center for the Arts
         • 3. Graff Main Hall
         • 4. Mitchell Hall
         • 5. Morris Hall
         • 6. Murphy Library
         • 7. Prairie Springs Science Center
         • 8. Wimberly Hall
   3. Publicity is prohibited at outdoor locations including on trees, light poles, garbage cans, fences, exterior walls, and the Hoeschler Clock Tower. Exceptions are outdoor, designated bulletin boards and chalking locations.
   4. Publicity is prohibited on all the following which include but is not limited to windows, ceilings, walls, lights, doors, mirrors, bathroom stalls, and backs of chairs of all university buildings unless authorized by the building director of that building.
   5. Publicity is prohibited from being distributed in classrooms, including being placed on desks and chairs.
   6. Directional or informational publicity for an event within the Student Union is acceptable on interior walls with prior registration from University Centers. Please contact Reservations (reservations@uwlax.edu) for additional signage. Directional or informational publicity for an event in other academic buildings must receive prior, written approval from the Building Manager. All directional or informational publicity must be removed within two hours following the event being advertised.
5. Violations
   
   1. Material found in violation of the publicity guidelines will be removed and the sponsoring
      organization or department will be contacted according to the following procedures:
      
      1. First Violation: A letter will be sent to the organization explaining the violation with a copy of the policies.
      2. Second Violation: A letter to the organization’s chief officer or adviser, or both. (In the case of a department, to the chairperson and possibly the appropriate dean).
      3. Third Violation: This will result in written notification to the organization and adviser, or the department, that posting privileges on campus have been revoked for the remainder of the semester in which the infraction occurs.
      4. Fourth Violation: The organization will receive written notification of the violation and a referral to the Student Organizations Committee, and, where appropriate, to the Student Court. In addition to any action which might be taken against individuals referred, the Student Organizations Committee may consider the revocation of recognition of the organization involved, and take such action as is deemed appropriate.

Section II: Types of Publicity

1. Bulletin Boards/Fliers
   
   1. General information
      
      1. Bulletin boards are primarily for posting fliers/handbills/posters with a maximum size of 22” x 28”.
      2. Publicity larger than 8.5” x 14” must be hung from the bottom of the General Use boards.
      3. Publicity on both types of boards may be posted for any length of time within the same semester. Class posters will need to be removed following the drop date deadline.
      4. **Only one flier per board is allowed**
      5. Fliers can be attached to bulletin boards using thumbtacks or masking tape. No staples or transparent tape may be used.
      6. Posting over/defacing other fliers is prohibited.
      7. All boards are cleared at the end of each semester.
   2. Registered Boards
      
      1. Provided for publicity of university groups sponsoring campus events, activities, and education.
      2. Identified by an orange sign at the upper left corner of the board reading “Registered Publicity Only.”
      3. Fliers must be stamped “Registered” by University Centers or include a graphics logo to indicate approval for registered boards. A copy will be kept on file by University Centers.
         
         • Register fliers through COVE Graphics by filling out the Publicity Registration Request form on MyOrgs.
   3. General Use Boards (must abide by all general publicity guidelines)
      
      1. Provided general publicity of interest to the university population.
      2. Examples of unregistered publicity include buy, sell, rent, and non-university items.
      3. Boards have a yellow identifying sign at the upper left corner reading “General Use Bulletin Board.”
      4. Items are not required to be stamped.
      5. Boards are cleared of undated and outdated material on a regular basis.
2. Digital Sign Advertisements
   
   1. Advertisements displayed on the digital signs for Registered Student Orgs are pulled directly from the MyOrgs calendar.
   2. Advertisements should be in the format of 1920 x 1080 pixels as a JPEG or PNG file and uploaded to the event within MyOrgs.
   3. Advertisements should show all the event information including sponsor(s) name and contact information.
   4. Make sure to check for typos before adding the image to your event.
   5. Advertisements are displayed for only 10 seconds; Make certain those viewing can read it in this time.
   6. Additional digital sign advertisements may be made by contacting the University Marketing & Communications office, with approval based on their discretion.
3. Fliers & Handbills
   
   1. Handbills are materials that are 4.25” x 5.5” or smaller and may be distributed individually with the proper University Reservations approval.
   2. May not be distributed in any confined space or left on any tables or taped to the backs of chairs in any buildings including but not limited to dining halls, lounges, classrooms, or building entrances.
   3. May not be slipped under doors in the residence halls or stuffed in mailboxes.
      
      1. Contact the Office of Residence Life for distribution information.
   4. Placing handbills on cars in UWL parking lots is prohibited.
   5. Sponsoring organizations are responsible for picking up any fliers or handouts that may be dropped by those receiving them.
4. Chalking & Painting
   
   1. Indoor Chalking
      
      1. Not allowed on chalkboards/whiteboards located in the front of classrooms.
      2. Colored chalk is prohibited on chalkboards.
      3. Permission from the building director is required prior to chalking side chalkboards/whiteboards in classrooms.
   2. Outdoor Chalking
      
      1. The use of chalking as a form of publicity is governed by the UWL Chalking Policy. 
      2. All Recognized Student Organizations, along with any student, faculty, staff, or department, must submit a formal request for chalking on University lands. View the request for approval form.
   3. Painting
      
      1. Painting with permanent or temporary paints is not permitted at any time.
      2. Painting of snow using spray bottles and colored water is permitted.
      3.  If your organization would like to reserve window space in the Union, please complete the Window Reservation form on MyOrgs.
5. Solicitation
   
   1. University facilities, including lounges, offices, and classrooms, may not be used for
      solicitation of university faculty, staff, and students by organizations.
6. Political Campaigning and Elections
   
   1. a. Publicity privileges will be granted to persons who are bona fide candidates (fully satisfied all criteria to be listed on the official ballot) for election to public offices (campus, city, county, state, or federal).
   2. Equal campaign opportunities will be afforded to all candidates.
   3. Policies and procedures for campaigning in the residence halls are found on the Universities of Wisconsin Government Relations page.
   4. The candidate and/or the candidate’s organization are responsible for distribution and removal of all publicity distributed on behalf of the candidate.
   5. All publicity must include “authorized and paid for by” or “AAPFB” and the last name of the candidate’s campaign committee that has authorized and paid for the advertisement. Contact phone numbers are permitted.
   6. Individual campaigning information may be advertised on the UWL campus through the use of unregistered boards, TV Digital Signs (Whitney Center and Student Union only), handbills distributed at accepted locations, and chalking.
   7. There shall be no campaigning or campaign literature within 100 feet of any designated polling place.
   8. Digital Sign advertisements (Whitney Center and Student Union only) for political candidates for campus elections must include: the name of the candidate/candidate’s organization; dates, times, and locations of voting on campus, “authorized and paid for by” or “AAPFB” and last name of the candidate’s campaign committee which has authorized and paid for the advertisement.
7. Publications
   1. Free publications may be distributed on campus after approval is granted by each individual department or building manager.

Section III: Disability Access Statement

1. Disability Access Statement(s) on Publicity
   
   1. When planning conferences, events, and activities, designate a representative from your organization to be responsible for handling requests for accommodation. You may call the Disability Resource Center at 608.785.6900 or contact them at drc@uwlax.edu.
   2. The Office of Diversity & Inclusion is strongly encouraging the university community to adhere to the following disability access statements.
      
      1. In registration brochures, invitations, or fliers, use the following access statement:
         “To request disability accommodations (accessible seating, interpreting, closed captioning, FM systems, etc.), contact (name, organization, address, phone number.).
      2. Publications such as organization bulletins, program brochures, schedule, newsletters, and instructional publications must be provided in alternative formats (Braille, large print, tape, electronic) upon request. In these publications, use the following statement:
         “This publication/material is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact (name, organization, address, phone number).”
         Assistance in creating alternative formats can be found by contacting the Disability Resource Center at 608.785.6900, drc@uwlax.edu, or visiting them at 124 Wimberly Hall.

• Approved by Student Organizations Committee: 12/05/2024
• Approved by Student Association: 05/07/2025

All flyers must be removed by the organization within 24 hours of events end date! Only 1 flyer per board

General use (Academic buildings)

Registered use Boards (Academic buildings)

Registered use boards (Residence Halls)