Posting

Policy

Minnesota State University, Mankato is committed to supporting student engagement in and out of the classroom and to providing a campus environment that is safe, orderly, and aesthetically pleasing. To this end, posting on campus is permitted by members of the University community subject to the approval processes and guidelines below.

Materials associated with specific academic and departmental information/activities may be posted by University personnel on bulletin boards (electronic and non-electronic) in departmental offices/areas and are not subject to approval via this policy.

Procedure

All materials posted or displayed on general use bulletin boards at Minnesota State Mankato in academic buildings and the Centennial Student Union must receive approval from the Centennial Student Union administration office located in CSU 220. All materials posted or displayed in the Residence Halls must be approved by the Department of Residential Life located in CC 111.

• Posters may be dropped off in CSU 220 for the Centennial Student Union or CC 111 for the Department of Residential Life to be approved and stamped between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Materials shall be date stamped to signify approval for posting. Posters can be 8 ½ “ x 11” or 11” x 17”, larger posters will not be accepted.

Poster Requirements:

• University Logo.
• Name of the Registered Student Organization or Department.
• MinnState Logo (small, on the bottom of the poster).
• Insert the AA/EO Statement and Accessibility Statement on the bottom of your poster, as well as inserting contact information within the statements.
• Graphic and print specifications– according to the university’s graphics standards which can be found here: https://www.mnsu.edu/standards/

There are approximately 85 general use bulletin boards within academic buildings, the Centennial Student Union, and Residence Halls. No more than one poster per event may be hung on each board with either staple or push pins (posting in the CSU and Residence Halls are done by those groups---general use boards are done by the sponsoring organization). The Centennial Student Union will accept up to seven posters for one event and Residential Life will accept six posters (one per residence community and the Carkoski Commons). After 30 days, or upon completion of the event, staff will remove posters from bulletin boards. Exceptions may be made for annual or semester-long postings.

All materials to be posted or displayed on general use bulletin boards in academic buildings should be University related and sponsored by a department or Recognized Student Organization (RSO). Materials to be posted in the Centennial Student Union and Residence Halls should adhere to the posting guidelines established for the respective facilities. Please contact the Centennial Student Union Administration Office and/or Department of Residential Life for more information. Additional opportunities to post event information are available in a variety of locations across campus; please check with individual departments to see what opportunities might exist. Non-university related advertisement is not permitted on any of these boards.

Posting Restrictions:

Location---No flyers are permitted on any walls, windows, doors, stairwells, elevators, garbage cans, columns, light posts, signs, statutes, artwork, or ornamental surfaces on campus. Posting is not permitted on glass (except where noted), mirrors, masonry walls, and painted surfaces (including doors). There may be some exceptions in residence halls and during Student Government elections.

Chalking--- To ensure no one unintentionally defaces University property, chalking is not permitted unless approved by University Scheduling and Conference Services (CSU 219). Chalk must be water-soluble and removed immediately after the event, or the issue is no longer current. Charges to Recognized Student Organizations, University departments, and the general public are applied when applicable.

Only authorized personnel may post on a restricted bulletin board – one enclosed by glass or designated as belonging to a specific department or in the CSU, except the Community/Event Board adjacent to CSU 173.

Outdoor Staking/Signs---Publicity staking and/or signs can be used on campus grounds occasionally to promote larger on-campus events or University activities. Before staking, approval must be granted from University Scheduling and Conference Services (CSU 219). Items must be removed immediately following the event/activity. In the event the organizer does not remove the signs, Facilities staff will remove and discard signs, and a fee may be charged back to the organizer. Non-University event or activity signs located on campus grounds will be removed by Facilities immediately.

Content:

The form and content of postings will not be restricted unless it violates a law, falsely defames a specific individual, constitutes a genuine threat or harassment, unjustifiably invades substantial privacy or confidentiality interests, or is otherwise directly incompatible with the functioning of the University. The material must abide by all other University policies, including but not limited to the Student Code of Conduct and MinnState Code of Conduct policies. No flyers are allowed to advertise drink specials, events where the primary purpose is drinking, or other activities that appear to promote irresponsible or illegal alcohol or drug use.

The following situations may also be cause materials to be removed:

• posters hung on walls, windows, doors, stairwells, and restroom stalls
• more than one event on a bulletin board
• unstamped posters
• those which do not meet posting guidelines
• posters placed on bulletin boards for the explicit use of faculty in and outside classrooms

Violation of the Posting Policy may result in loss of posting privileges or disciplinary action against the student group or individual student. A member of the University community who believes that a particular posting on campus violates this policy, a law, falsely defames a specific individual, constitutes a genuine threat or harassment should contact University Security at (507) 389-2111.

Rationale

It is important for student groups and campus departments to have adequate opportunities to publicize their events. It is equally important to maintain an attractive campus free of unnecessary litter.