Department of Residence Life and Housing

The Department of Residence Life and Housing is committed to ensuring that all of our residential students are well informed and appraised of campus and community events. We have set the following guidelines to provide consistent and easily identifiable publicity for campus and community events. These guidelines apply not only to our partners on the Greek Life Programs staff in the Department of Student Life and our partners in the Associated Student Government, but also to all of the student organizations, University staff and students wishing to post signs or otherwise publicize in our residence halls.

The following principles are reflected in all of our guidelines:

• Timeliness: Advertising must occur within a reasonable time frame before events occur to ensure our students have time to schedule the events in their busy calendars.

• Location: Advertising must be identified and located in designated areas so that our residents are quickly able to find information about events without searching.

• Sponsorship: Advertising must clearly identify the sponsoring student, University staff member, department or organization and the events that are being advertised, including the appropriate disclaimers*.

• Safety: Advertising or excessive advertising must not pose an increased risk to fire safety; therefore, the Department of Residence Life and Housing may limit the quantity of postings in halls.

Advertising Guidelines
All of the advertising to be posted in our residence halls can be approved by the Department of Residence Life and Housing at the Ritchie Hall Service Desk between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Individuals or groups submitting posters must submit them at least three business days prior to the desired posting date for approval, along with the appropriate completed form which is available at the Ritchie Hall Service Desk. Once the advertising has been approved, we will stamp it to ensure that our staff does not remove the sign from circulation.

• We will quickly proof your sign for grammar. The individual or group submitting the poster is responsible for making any necessary corrections.

• We will quickly proof your sign for good taste. Final judgments in this regard will be made by the Associate Director of Residence Life and Housing.

• We will measure your sign to ensure that it will fit in the designated posting area. Signs for posting must be 11”x17” or smaller. Those larger in size will require additional approval.

• If you would like the advertising posted in the residence halls, we will distribute your signs to our Residence Life Coordinators who will disseminate your materials in designated common areas near the lobbies and Service Desks of each hall or area. The RLCs or their designee will distribute your signs in the designated areas within the next three business days. The RLCs or their designee will also be responsible for removing the flyers/posters. There are 14 areas designated for posting, one in each of our halls or apartments.

We ask that students, University staff, departments and organizations limit their advertising to one sign or poster per event.

We ask that all advertisements be sponsored by a student, academic department, staff or organization affiliated and recognized by The University of Akron. The Department of Student Life and the Department of Residence Life and Housing are responsible for formally recognizing students, staff and student organizations.

We remind all staff, students, departments and organizations that the Department of Residence Life and Housing cannot and will not be held responsible for materials posted.

Designated Posting Areas

• Robertson Café Table Tents: The tables in Robertson Café used for “table tent” displays are reserved for Residence Life and Housing student organizations only. If you are interested in advertising using table tents in Robertson Café, we encourage you to approach Residence Hall Council, Residence Hall Program Board or the National Residence Hall Honorary for co-sponsoring. We ask that table tents be limited to two (2) calendar days before removal from circulation.

• Residence Hall Common Areas: Each Residence Life Coordinator has set aside space in their residence hall/apartment areas for posting advertisements. These areas are monitored by the Residence Life Coordinator and the Resident Assistants in that hall or area.

• Residence Hall Door Hangers: Door hangers for individual residence hall rooms or apartments are reserved for Residence Life and Housing student organizations. If you are interested in advertising using door hangers, we encourage you to approach Residence Hall Council, Residence Hall Program Board or the National Residence Hall Honorary for co-sponsorship.

• Residence Hall Bulletin Boards: The Resident Assistant(s) on each floor or wing of our apartment complexes and residence halls set aside bulletin board space for advertising. This space is reserved for the following organizations: ASG, BUS, ZPN, Greek Life (IFC/PANHEL/NPHC individual chapters and governing bodies), RHPB, RHC, NRHH and University departments. Please provide 83 copies of your publicity.

• Meetings: Residence Hall Council (RHC) is the legislative body comprised of representatives from every hall on campus. RHC meets every Tuesday in the Ritchie Lounge. If you would like to promote your organization before Council, contact the RHC President at 330-972-7784 or e-mail reslife@uakron.edu. Many groups have found that a personal approach at an RHC meeting is very effective in connecting with the residence hall population.

• Door-to-Door: We do not allow students, staff or organizations to stuff advertisements in the U.S. Postal Service mailboxes in our residence halls.