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Christopher Paul, Retriever Staff Writer, Volume 39, Issue 24, published April 12, 2005
Many students on campus are facing difficulty in posting flyers because of a lack of a clear understanding of the posting laws.
Detective John Taylor of the University Police said, "The problem with the posting of flyers is that organizations sign off saying that they have read the Student Organization Handbook, but never check the actual guidelines for posting."
"We are not the Posting Police," Manny Lewis, Deputy Chief of the University Police continues, "but it is our job to enforce the laws, not to make the laws. That’s the job of Judicial Affairs and Student Affairs."
At the beginning of the fall semester every year, at least two officers from each UMBC student organization attend a meeting held by the University of Maryland Baltimore County Student Government Association to review the procedures and policies stated within the 180-page handbook. Officers are instructed to read the manual at home and sign off on a document stating that they have read the Student Organization Handbook in its entirety. As with all reference books, the SGA expects that officers will consult the handbook before performing such actions as posting flyers for their organizations and events. However, it appears that many organizations are not performing their obligation by reading the rules for posting within the document.
The rules for posting advertisements on campus are stated on pages 139 through 144 of the Student Organization Handbook. However, the book contains a contradiction or two. For instance, on pg. 108, under the heading "Campus Events," the handbook states that, "You can post in the academic buildings, but please do not post inside of the classrooms." Yet on pg. 139 of the handbook it says that "An advertisement may be posted on generally accessible fixtures designed to hold advertisements. These include outdoor bulletin boards and those in the main concourses, classrooms, or lobbies of University buildings."
Students may be required to perform community service as a penalty for violating the posting policies. Detective Taylor explained that, "Organizations do receive a warning for the first infraction and we do have students performing community service for continuing violations." Deputy Chief Lewis confirmed this, saying, "Students should check with Joe Regier, Director of The Commons, and Michele Myers-Brown Associate Director of The Commons, to be clear on what the posting regulations are." Lewis continued, "Organizations such as the Commuter Student Association should devise ways to inform the 44,000 commuter students as to what the rules are." Both Deputy Chief Lewis and Detective Taylor refused to comment when asked how many students were performing community service for violating posting rules.
Donna E. Werling, of the Residential Life Office, located in Erickson Hall, supplied a document that laid out the rules for posting in the residential halls and apartments. "Flyers must have the name of the UMBC Recognized Student Organization that is sponsoring the event clearly visible. The date of the event, or a date at which the postings is considered to have fulfilled its function, must be included," the flyer explained. "Alcohol may not be the focus of the posting. Mailbox postings require approval by a Director of Residential Life."
Werling said that "Organizations only have to provide one flyer to receive a stamp of approval for posting by ResLife. It is then the organization’s responsibility to make copies of the approved flyer for distribution. Organizations may choose to post the flyers themselves or may leave them with us to be posted." 154 flyers are required to cover both the residence halls and the apartments. If an organization wants the flyers placed in student’s mailboxes, they would have to provide another 1,395 flyers for a grand total of 1,549 flyers.
Mike Kreiner, President of the Writers’ Guild said, "Flyer etiquette is simply common courtesy such as not posting over other [organizations’] event postings unless those flyers are events that have already occurred, not to take up the whole billboard, and not taking down other groups’ flyers unless the event has passed." Kreiner continued saying that "Right now, posting is pretty laid back and people take advantage of that fact, but the student groups should really try to be courteous to others in the community. I would hate to see what happens if the university becomes strict about posting."
Rules for posting in The Commons are located on the posting pole, at the end of the food court, across from Chevy Chase Bank within The Commons. For posting rules applying to the rest of the UMBC campus, consult pages 139 through 144 of the Student Organization Handbook located on the web at http://sta.umbc.edu/files/handbook.pdf
Christopher Paul, Retriever Staff Writer, unedited version, April 12, 2005
Two University of Maryland Baltimore County students were stopped and reprimanded by a police officer for posting an announcement flyer over another organization's announcement flyer the week before Spring Break. The two students were posting a flyer asking the UMBC community to hold a moment of silence for the people of the Sudan. At the time, the students were posting over a flyer advertising Bootleggers, a bar in Arbutus. The two students, who chose to remain anonymous, said, according to the police officer, covering the Bootlegger's advertisement was okay because it was promoting the consumption of alcohol. According to the students, the officer said, "There are people currently on probation and doing community service with the police for not following the posting rules." The students asked why nobody knows about these rules and the officer said, "Ignorance of the law doesn't excuse it."
In an interview with The Retriever, Detective John Taylor of the University Police said, "The problem with the posting of flyers is that organizations sign off saying that they have read the Student Organization Handbook, but never check the actual guidelines for posting."
Many Lewis, Deputy Chief of the University Police said, "We are not the Posting Police, but it is our job (the University Police) to enforce the laws, not to make the laws. That's the job of Judicial Affairs and Student Affairs," when The Retriever informed Lewis about the students who were approached by the police officer.
The Student Organization Handbook is a 180-page reference book found on the web at http://sta.umbc.edu/files/handbook.pdf. At the beginning of the fall semester every year, at least two officers from each UMBC student organization attend a meeting held by the SGA, to review the procedures and policies stated within the handbook. Officers are instructed to read the manual at home and sign off on a document stating that they have read the Student Organization Handbook in its entirety. As with all reference books, the SGA expects that officers will consult the handbook before performing such actions as posting flyers for their organizations and events. Apparently, many organizations are not performing their obligation by reading the rules for posting within the document. The rules for posting advertisements on campus are stated on pages 139 through 144 of the Student Organization Handbook.
On pg. 108 of the Student Organization Handbook under the heading "Campus Events," the handbook says, "You can post in the academic buildings, but please do not post inside of the classrooms," but on pg. 139 of the same document, the handbook says, "An advertisement may be posted on generally accessible fixtures designed to hold advertisements. These include outdoor bulletin boards and those in the main concourses, classrooms, or lobbies of University buildings." This was the only anomaly that was noted in the posting rules.
Addressing the matter of students performing community service for violating the rules, Detective Taylor said, "Organizations do receive a warning for the first infraction and we do have students performing community service for continuing violations." Deputy Chief Lewis concurred and said, "Students should check with Joe Regier, Director of The Commons, and Michele Myers-Brown Associate Director of The Commons, to be clear on what the posting regulations are." Lewis continued and said, "Organizations such as the Commuter Student Association should devise ways to inform the 44,000 commuter students as to what the rules are." Both Deputy Chief Lewis and Detective Taylor refused to comment when asked how many students were performing community service for violating posting rules.
Donna E. Werling, in the Residential Life Office, located in Erickson Hall, supplied The Retriever with a document that laid out the rules for posting in the residential halls and apartments. "Flyers must have the name of the UMBC Recognized Student Organization that is sponsoring the event clearly visible. The date of the event, or a date at which the postings is considered to have fulfilled its function, must be included. Alcohol may not be the focus of the posting. Mailbox postings require approval by a Director of Residential Life." Werling said, "Organizations only have to provide one flyer to receive a stamp of approval for posting by ResLife. It is then the organization's responsibility to make copies of the approved flyer for distribution. Organizations may choose to post the flyers themselves or may leave them with us to be posted." 154 flyers are required to cover both the residence halls and the apartments. If an organization wants the flyers placed in student's mailboxes, one would have to provide another 1,395 flyers for a grand total of 1,549 flyers.
Mike Kreiner, President of the Writers' Guild said, "Flyer etiquette is simply common courtesy such as not posting over other (organizations) event postings unless those flyers are events that have already occurred, not to take up the whole billboard, and not taking down other groups' flyers unless the event has passed." Kreiner continued and said, "Right now posting is pretty laid back and people take advantage of that fact, but the student groups should really try to be courteous to others in the community. I would hate to see what happens if the university becomes strict about posting,"
Rules for posting in The Commons are located on the posting pole, at the end of the food court, across from Chevy Chase Bank within The Commons. For posting rules applying to the rest of the UMBC campus, consult pages 139 through 144 of the Student Organization Handbook located on the web at http://sta.umbc.edu/files/handbook.pdf
Christopher Paul, Retriever Staff Writer, unpublished Article 2, April 12, 2005
The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was the largest violator of improper posting of flyers announcing its "Girls Night Out" event, posting more than 60 flyers without approval stamps on windows, brick walls, vending machines, entrance doors, and desks in Academic IV, Social Sciences, Math/Psyche, and the Lecture Hall II buildings the week before Spring Break.
Other organizations such as Alpha Phi Alpha, Gamma Theta Upsilon, Zeta Phi Beta, the Pre-Dental Society, Bootleggers bar in Arbutus, and the Princeton Review made similar violations, but by far, Delta Sigma Theta was the largest violator for the week. Monique Ndenecho, first Vice President and point of contact listed on Delta Sigma Theta's flyers was contacted several times by The Retriever, but refused to comment.
It was observed that other organizations such as Kaplan and Princeton Review were violating posting rules by monopolizing approved bulletin boards in the Math/Psyche building. The largest violator was Kaplan, by posting 13 advertisements in a row across the top of an approved bulletin board.
During the same week, Fletcher's Bar of Baltimore posted several flyers on the outdoor bulletin boards around the campus promoting a benefit show for the Baltimore Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society where alcohol would be served to patrons over 21 years of age. The advertisement was not cleared for posting by The Commons as it did not display The Commons stamp of approval, therefore it is unclear as to whether Fletcher's Bar advertisement was in violation of the posting rules.
Candace Coleman of Candy Girl Productions Inc. and point of contact for Fletcher's Bar said, "I was not aware that there are campus regulations that prohibit (the) posting of advertising off-campus events that serve alcohol, and/or are not academically related, especially since there are (advertisements) posted for these types (of events) on a consistent basis. The University even advertises and sponsors events where alcohol is purchased and consumed by its students. The reality is: ALCOHOL is almost EVERYWHERE! Please keep this in prospective, this IS NOT a drink-fest , it's a BENEFIT SHOW for the Baltimore Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society."
Coleman is quite right about the inconsistencies of alcohol being served at events. In the same week, the Hellenic Association of the University of Maryland Baltimore County placed a handbill on the table across from the information desk in The Commons without The Commons stamp of approval advertising their "Greek Independence Day Celebration" to be held at Jimmy's Famous Seafood. The advertisement said, "$5 Tickets, cash bar, 21 to drink," and that proceeds would benefit the association. Many of the handbills on the table did not have The Commons stamp of approval regardless of whether alcohol was being served or not.
In November 2004, Bartleby, the Student's Creative Arts Journal, posted a flyer displaying a fully dressed dominatrix in the background of its advertisement requesting students to "submit" their creative works of poetry, prose, and art for the 2005 publication. The flyer was approved and stamped by Residential Life and The Commons. Within two days the promotional flyer disappeared from all places it had been posted. Rebecca A. Reyno, President of Bartleby said, "I don't know what happened to them, who took them, or why. I wonder if people even got the pun: We wanted students to "submit" their creative writing and artwork to Bartleby. I thought it was clever and an appropriate piece of advertising for message we were trying to get across. The final decision (in posting these flyers) was for Residential Life, and The Commons to make. Bartleby was following all of the proper regulations because Residential Life and The Commons approved the flyers."
Organizations such as Genesis Toastmasters, College Democrats, College Republicans, and Philosophers Anonymous post flyers at the beginning of the fall semester for the purpose of getting their name out and announcing when weekly meetings will be held for the purpose of recruitment. Other organizations such as the Mathematics/Statistics Council of Majors, the English Council of Majors, the IFSM Council of Majors, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Philosophers Anonymous (Phil Anon), the LUG Society (Linux Users Group), and the Chess Club use alternative means to announce events and promote themselves.
The SAE displays its competition dune buggy on the first floor of the ECS building in order to promote interest in the organization. The Chess Club regularly takes advantage of The Retriever's free 30-word advertisement for club and organization events in order to announce its weekly meetings.
Phil Anon, the LUG Society, Information Systems Council of Majors and the Math/Stats Council of Majors rely on interested students subscribing to their listprocs located at https://listproc.umbc.edu/lpumbc/user/lists.cgi This web page contains over 1,700 various listprocs and lists many of the various organizations. Organizations that target specific interests such as the Mathematics/Statistics Council of Majors, the English Council of Majors, the IFSM Council of Majors post their announcements within their corresponding academic departments or ask their professors for permission to make brief announcements of events before the beginning of class.
Annie Promthana, President of the Information Systems Council of Majors said, "We usually post our flyers in the ITE building and The Commons. Our events don't draw as much attention as some other organizations do. Most of the time, we advertise events through our IS_News or our ISJOB's listproc. We seem to generate more interest within the community for our events this way."
Many organizations have web sites located on The Office of Student Life web page http://asp1.umbc.edu/newmedia/sites/sta/pages/organization/orglist.cfm where they post their organizational events.
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