Procedures

Faculty and Staff

A member of the faculty shall be free to invite outside speakers to participate in any class, conference, or institute which is a part of the university educational program.

Any college, department, or other organization of the faculty or administration, any organization composed exclusively of faculty members or university employees, and any other organization whose membership includes university faculty members and which exists solely for the benefit of the university or for scholarly pursuits may use university facilities to hold meetings, subject only to local regulations regarding room scheduling.

Student Organizations

Any registered student organization may use university facilities for open or closed meetings or performances subject only to local campus scheduling regulations.

If an off-campus speaker or performer is to be invited to address an open meeting of a registered student organization, the faculty advisor must give express approval before an invitation is extended and publicity is released. If the group does not have an official advisor, the approval of a tenured faculty member is required. The university administration may properly inform an organization of its views on any proposed meeting to which an off-campus speaker or performer has been invited but will leave the final decision concerning the meeting to the organization and its faculty advisor.

Publicity and communications concerning any meeting shall clearly identify the sponsoring organization and shall carefully avoid any stated or implied university sponsorship. In all open meetings at which an off-campus speaker will speak, a tenured faculty member shall serve as moderator and a reasonable period shall be reserved for questions from the audience.

An invitation to a speaker does not necessarily imply approval or disapproval of the speaker or his views by either the university or the student organization. In case a request for the use of a university facility by a registered student organization cannot be granted, it is the responsibility of the university officer to whom the request was made to notify promptly in writing the organization making the request stating the reasons for the denial.

Speakers may be invited to the campus to discuss political issues. Registered student organizations may solicit membership and dues at meetings. Money may not be raised for projects not directly connected with a university activity, and private business may not be conducted in university facilities.

Non-University Groups

The facilities and resources of the university exist for the sole purpose of supporting and furthering a program of higher learning. The use of facilities of the university should be extended to non-university groups only when that use will enhance, support, further, or enrich the educational program of the university and such use will not interfere with the educational activities of the university.

Requests for the use of university facilities by a non-university group should be directed to individuals designated by the chancellor. The evaluation of the appropriateness and worth to the university program of a particular use of facilities by a non-university group or organization shall be based on the following criteria:

  1. Relevance and contribution to the needs of the educational program of the university.
  2. Timeliness and intrinsic merit of the activity.
  3. Availability of suitable space not needed for the educational activities of the university.

University facilities shall not be used by non-university groups or organizations for their own exclusive purposes, for the solicitation of political party membership, for the support or opposition of a political candidate, for the raising of money for projects not connected with a university activity, or for the conduct of private business.

Outside Salespersons and Solicitors or Solicitation and Fund-raising

The buildings and grounds owned by the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas exist for, and are exclusively devoted to the use for the conduct of an organized and approved university program of higher education. As such, they are committed to being used for the nonprofit, tax-exempt use of the official program of the university. Therefore, private business activities including person-to-person solicitation for profit are not permitted on university premises. However, in certain limited areas, the university contracts with private firms to provide needed on-campus services for the convenience of students, faculty, and staff when the services contribute to the accomplishment of the university’s educational purposes.

Apart from prohibiting profit-making commercial business activities, the university also regulates, within limits, and consistent with the above policy, any use of its buildings and grounds for solicitation, including fund-raising activities.

Inquiries relating to any of these policies should be directed to the Office of the Dean of Students.

Use of Roof and Exterior Walls of Buildings

The university has a concern about improper uses of its roofs and buildings and uses of exterior sides of buildings reached by way of roofs or upper windows, etc. Such portions of buildings are not intended for general traffic. Personal injuries and damages to roofs and buildings may result. Rappelling using university buildings is specifically prohibited, and other than those university employees and students specified in the University wide System Policy (720.1), any other person, including students, employees, or those not associated with the university, found in or on the areas shall be removed from and arrested for trespassing and/or charged with violation of institutional regulations, i.e., subjected to university disciplinary proceedings and/or actions.

Physical Arrangements of Campus Facilities

Alterations or modifications of property owned or leased by the university are not permitted unless specific permission is received from the director of the physical plant, or director of housing, or in accordance with university policies. All work done on buildings, grounds, and other fixed facilities of the university must be authorized by Facilities Management unless other arrangements have explicitly been approved by the director of the physical plant and the vice chancellor for finance and administration.

If decorations or special facilities are to be utilized, they must be inspected and approved for safety in advance by the Facilities Management. If the decorations or special facilities are declared unsafe, corrective measures must be taken by the sponsoring organization before the event can be held.

Any offending group or individual is subject to being charged for any damage involved, to returning the property to its original state, and to possible disciplinary action.