Mission Statement
Political
Activities on the University of Vermont Campus
Frequently Asked Questions
The following FAQs have been prepared by the
Office of Federal,
State and Community Relations to assist in interpreting the
University’s policy
on Political Activities: Tax Exempt
Organization Restrictions. Members
of the University community who have
questions about the policy should contact the Office of Federal, State,
and
Community Relations (656-2992) or E-mail them to joe.speidel@uvm.edu.
Q.
May political
candidates or political organizations post campaign materials on UVM
bulletin
boards?
Q.
May candidates
distribute campaign materials to employees or students through campus
mail?
Q.
May students,
faculty, or staff use UVM e-mail accounts to send or receive
information about
political candidates?
Q.
When may students,
faculty or staff endorse a political candidate or organization?
Q.
May a University recognized student organization
conduct voter registration activities in connection with campaign
activities?
Q.
What political activities are permitted at
tables rented on campus by University recognized organizations?
Q.
What constitutes
“political fundraising”? Can University
recognized organizations engage in political fundraising?
Q.
Does the
prohibition on political fundraising apply to the sale of political
souviners?
Q.
How can political candidates and political organizations recruit
students to work on political campaigns?
?
?
?
Q. May
political
candidates or political organizations post campaign materials on UVM
bulletin
boards?
A. A
number of bulletin
boards on campus are considered public spaces and are available for the
posting
of notices, including campaign literature, by members of the public. Others, however, are managed by University
academic or administrative units and are used exclusively by those
units. All University bulletin boards are
cleared
regularly to prevent the accumulation of outdated material. The most commonly used public bulletin boards
are on the first three floors of the Davis Center, beside the walkway
between
Morrill Hall and Bailey Howe Library, and behind Cook Commons.
Q. May
candidates
distribute campaign materials to employees or students through campus
mail?
A. Only
University
administrative and academic units and University recognized
organizations may
use the University’s non-USPS campus mail service.
All campus mail must comply with requirements
for size, weight, address placement, etc. established by the Print and
Mail
Center. University units and recognized
organizations may send notices of authorized campus political events
through
campus mail. University recognized student
organizations may send other political material through campus mail if
is
accompanied by a disclaimer that the communication does not represent
an
endorsement by the University (Sample disclaimer: “The
University of Vermont does not endorse
any political candidate or political organization, and the views
expressed in
this communication do not constitute an endorsement by the University.”) Individual
employees or students must use the
United States Postal Service to send political mailings to individuals
on
campus.
Q. May
students,
faculty or staff use UVM e-mail accounts to send or receive information
about
political candidates?
A. The
general rule
is that the University’s E-mail system may not be used to support or
endorse a
political candidate or organization. Although limited personal use of
the
University’s E-mail system is permitted under the Interim Electronic
Mail
Policy, a user must distinguish personal views from those of the
University,
its programs, activities or operations with a disclaimer.
(Sample disclaimer: “The University of
Vermont does not endorse any political candidate or political
organization, and
the views expressed in this communication do not constitute an
endorsement by
the University.”)
Examples of prohibited E-mail
activities:
- A person using a logo, title, signature, or tag line that
identifies a University unit (school, college, department, center,
institute,
or may not use his/her University E-mail to forward or otherwise
distribute political
campaign materials.
- A person may not use a University list-serve or mailing list
to forward E-mail endorsing a political candidate or organization.
Examples of permitted E-mail activities:
- A person using his/her University E-mail for personal use
may send or forward information or personal views about a political
candidate
or organization if (1) there is no University logo, title, signature or
tag
line; (2) there is a disclaimer that the information or views do not
represent
an endorsement by the University (see sample disclaimer above); and (3)
the use
otherwise complies with the University’s Interim Electronic Mail
Policy.
- A University recognized
organization, or a person acting on its behalf, may use University
E-mail to
send a communication announcing that a political event is taking place
(e.g.,
time, place, format, speaker’s name, sponsor’s name, etc.) but may not
use the
communication to endorse a political candidate or organization. A disclaimer that the University does not
endorse any political candidate or organization should appear
prominently in the
E-mail.
- A person may receive incoming political E-mail for personal
use only if he/she complies with the University’s Interim Electronic
Mail
Policy, which states that “personal use of the E-mail system is
ancillary and
permitted only insofar as such use does not (i) unreasonably interfere
with the
individual’s professional or educational responsibilities or
performance; (ii)
significantly and adversely impact system operation; or (iii) violate
University policy or law.” Wherever
possible, a student or faculty or staff member should use a
non-University E-mail
account to receive and send information on political candidates or
organizations.
Q. When
may students,
faculty or staff endorse a political candidate or organization?
A. Generally,
University officials, administrators, employees, or agents, may not
endorse
political candidates or organizations when acting in their official capacity.
Expressions of individual personal
endorsement and support are permitted, but individuals should take
steps to
ensure there is no confusion about the circumstances of their
endorsement. Students
and University recognized student organizations may endorse political
candidates or organizations under certain circumstances.
Examples of prohibited endorsement activities:
- University officials, administrators, employees or agents
may not be identified by title or University affiliation as endorsing a
political candidate or organization.
- University officials, administrators, employees or agents
may not endorse or oppose political candidates or organizations in
official
institutional publications or at official functions.
Examples of permitted endorsement activities:
- University officials, administrators, employees or agents
may endorse or support political candidates or organizations as long as
they do
so only in their personal capacities.
- The student newspaper may publish editorial endorsements of
political candidates or organizations, provided there is a published
disclaimer
that the endorsement does not constitute an endorsement by the
University.
- Student governance organizations that have official
University functions and responsibilities may not endorse political
candidates
or organizations. Student governance
organizations include the Student Government Association, Graduate
Student
Senate, Inter-Residence Association, Inter-Fraternity Council, and
Pan-Hellenic
Council.
- Student organizations that are not governance organizations may
endorse political candidates or organizations if the endorsement is
accompanied
by a disclaimer that the endorsement is that of a student organization
and does
not constitute an endorsement by the University. The
name and affiliation of a member of such a student organization may
appear on a
list of supporters of a political candidate.
Q. May
a University recognized student organization
conduct voter registration activities in connection with campaign
activities?
A. In order to preserve the
University’s
tax exempt status, the policy permits only non-partisan voter
registration
activities at formal political events in University facilities. However, there are times and places on campus
where student organizations that endorse political candidates may
conduct voter
registration in connection with partisan campaign activities. For
example, reserved tables may be used to display campaign literature and
conduct
voter registration. A political candidate or a candidate’s
representative
may register students to vote at these tables or on public portions of
the
University’s campus.
Q.
What political activities
are permitted by University recognized organizations at reserved tables
on
campus?
A. Reservation
of a table
for the purpose of publicizing the election process or a political
candidate,
organization, issue, or event is not normally considered a “political
event” under
the policy. However, no political
fundraising may be conducted at reserved tables.
Examples of permitted campaign activities at
reserved tables:
- Opportunities to sign letters-to-the-editor supporting individual
political candidates or organizations.
- Distribution of candidate literature, signs, bumper
stickers, souvenirs, and other campaign materials.
- Opportunities to contact public officials’ or candidates’ offices
to express views on public issues as long as University computers or
telephones
are not used.
- Appearances of candidates in the vicinity of a table, as
long as the candidate speaks only to individual students, faculty, or
staff and
does not attempt to make a speech to a larger audience.
Use of a microphone, bull-horn, or other
amplification devices by a candidate will indicate an intent to make a
political
speech and therefore constitute a “political event” under the policy
and not
just a tabling activity.
- Voter registration activities.
Q.
What constitutes
“political fundraising”? Can University
recognized organizations engage in political fundraising?
A. Political
fundraising is the solicitation or collection of money or pledges of
money for
a political candidate or political organization. University
units and University recognized
organizations may not engage in political fundraising and may not
contribute
any of their University-derived funding to a political candidate or
political
organization.
Q.
Does the
prohibition on political fundraising apply to the sale of political
souvenirs?
A. Books,
t-shirts, and other campaign souvenirs
or merchandise may be sold in connection with a political event or at a
properly reserved table on campus only if the price charged for the
merchandise
does not exceed its retail value and the proceeds are not contributed
to a
political candidate or campaign.
Q. How can
political candidates and political organizations recruit students to
work on political campaigns?
A. The University
encourages its students to learn about the political process in many
ways, including first-hand experience on political
campaigns. Political candidates and campaigns can recruit
students for campaign activities a number of ways, including contacting
students individually or through politically active student
organizations (e.g., Campus Progressives, College Democrats, College
Republicans, etc.); posting notices on public bulletin boards on
campus; or using University internship or volunteer clearinghouse
resources.
When a University unit distributes a
notice for a position on a political campaign, such as by e-mail or
posting on a unit bulletin board or newsletter, the University must
include a prominent disclaimer similar to the following: "The
University of Vermont does not endorse any political candidate or
political organization, and the distribution of this notice does not
constitute an endorsement of this or any other political candidate or
organization by the University." This posting should also
make clear that the notice has been provided by the recruiting
organization and all replies should go directly to the
organization. Finally, the University unit must afford other
political candidates or organizations the same opportunity for
distribution of their recruiting notices, if requested.
Revised: 10-7-08
Last modified April 10 2009 10:34 AM
