UMBC does a number of things to shoot itself in the foot with students, the individuals every university relies on the most - not only for financial support through tuition and alumni donations, but through the ever-popular buzzphrase of "viral marketing," in other words, speaking highly of UMBC to friends and family.
One of the most frustrating things for me has been UMBC's differential enforcement of school "policies." Many policies are only invoked when a problem is perceived, others seem designed to stifle student life. Compounding this predicament is the seeming inability of the university to communicate its intentions to the enforcement arm, as I experienced yesterday in the Hilltop parking lot.
The UMBC Posting Policy is the perfect example of differential enforcement. How many students have been involved with an organization or event and been told to take posters down for violating posting policy? Ever tried to be creative and post things in non-standard areas, like the College Republicans have been doing over the past few weeks?
How about those Work for Students folks, an organization that according to some is less than honest with its attempts to secure student workers? They seem to get a free pass to post their signs anywhere on campus they please, no matter how disruptive to normal activities (partially covering chalkboards, for example, with the paper signs).
What about chalking, another form of "posting"? Anonymous groups get free reign of the campus, posting their messages on buildings and walls everywhere. Yet when SEB wants to promote Quadmania with guerrilla chalk ads, they are chastised.
Something seems very wrong with these pictures. Is it that important that our campus be "sterile," no ad or message disturbing its pristine image? And if so, how come the rules only seem to apply to some? Is workforstudents.com more important than our own student organizations?
For heaven's sake, UMBC. It's situations like this that make students want to curse the place that will eventually be our alma mater. You're your own worst enemy.
UMBC: Its Own Worst Enemy, Part 2
Wednesday, October 1, 2008Posted by at 9:39 PM
Labels: administration, steelwolf
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16 comments:
This is totally correct. The posting policy applies to everyone, not just some people. The problem lies in how enforcement is even possible. When the College Republicans put posters up in so many places as to make our campus look trashy, only to have that example followed by two other organizations adding to the garbage, there's a problem. When WorkForStudents does the SAME THING, the same problem exists - and there shouldn't be a double standard on either side.
The issue is in the fact that WFS isn't any kind of recognized anything on this campus, they have people who have no affiliation with the school come in and litter our campus with their pyramid-scheme work flyers and, short of catching one of them in the act and giving them a ticket, nothing can be done about it. When a recognized student organization does the same thing, since they're a known entity with contact information who willfully violated rules they were informed about, the school comes down on them if only because they can be tracked down.
I'm not saying the posting policy is perfect, nor am I coming down on the College Republicans specifically, but I do think enforcement should be equal across the board no matter who violates the rules. That said, I think "creativity" and "going overboard" are two different things. In this specific instance, CR went overboard.
--J
Jay, why did you think that the CR went overboard? I thought posting in Lecture halls was pretty effective. Isn't it still student space and more so a place where way more students can be targeted than say on the pillar in the commons? What were the other places they advertised? I don't recall seeing any other "unusual" places - but I might be wrong.
I agree with steelwolf that it seems that we're trying to uphold too pristine of an image of UMBC. It's in complete contradiction with the concept of free expression and passion among involved and caring college students.
Would it be totally uncouth to rip down the Work for Students flyer wherever I see them? Or scrawl 'pyramid scheme' all over them? They take up space on the Academic Row boards, on departmental posting boards (for events related to that major), chalkboards, classrooms bla bla bla.
Do they still hand out cards on Academic row?
Re: the actual topic: I've been involved with an organization (in an official capacity) for one and a half years. I didn't actually find out about the posting rules until the beginning of last year. What about putting them somewhere more prominent where officers HAVE to see them? Treasurer training, maybe?
@sk:
The lecture halls, while still against policy because it's classroom space (and classrooms are for learning, not advertising - not my words, just the intent) were really the least of the problems. The problems occur when they tape them to the outside of buildings, especially over entry ways. The people tasked with taking all these down needed to lug a ladder up and down the academic corridor and upper academic corridor for an hour and a half to get high enough to take them down. Some entrances included the Math/Psych building, Engineering, the University Center, and the Fine Arts buildings - and those are just the ones found.
Additionally, they were taped to the metal parts of the light poles. You might not think that's much different than putting it on the bulletin boards that are also on the light posts, but the posting boards keep the paper from disintegrating and subsequently blowing everywhere. The little bits of tape and the lack of backing on the pole itself makes it so the flyers blow down prett easily and litter themselves everywhere.
I've been to College Park, and the amount of trash that dirties their campus is just impressive. I would hate to see our campus look anything like theirs.
--J
@ulrich:
"Would it be totally uncouth to rip down the Work for Students flyer wherever I see them? Or scrawl 'pyramid scheme' all over them?"
Hell no. They don't pay for the privilage to be here like we do, and quite frankly should be treated as the trespassors they are. Rip that shit down.
--J
Jay,
It might be true on paper, but the reality is that according to UMBC's practices the "policy" only applies to our own students. When UMBC's staff is either unwilling or unable to keep organizations like WFS from posting their crap all over campus, yet take "action" against our own organizations like CR or SEB, it sends a strong message. WFS has the right to do whatever they want on our campus. We, the students, who pay for it, who live here, and will keep it going in the future, do not.
I think organizations have every right to put up signs anywhere on their campus that they want, so long as it is not causing any problems. Taping signs to light poles and buildings is not a problem.
College Park might be "trashy," but its students enjoy being there. I'd rather have a bunch of student organizations take ownership of this campus by putting up a sign than have a sterile, pristine campus with students waiting in line to transfer out.
I see a lot of truth in this article. UMBC often speaks of a desire to encourage student life, yet in reality tends to fight student organizations who attempt to get people involved. Does anyone remember the "Free Pizza" flyer campaign last May? The Papa John's in Arbutus put posters for its credit card promotion on sidewalks, tables, academic buildings... pretty much everywhere. Me and a couple friends had a lot of time on our hands one afternoon, so we walked all over campus collecting the flyers and posters into a box, took them down to the Papa John's to confront the credit card company representatives for littering our campus. When we did, we were told that they had approached UMBC officials and gotten approval beforehand and that we should talk to them. Granted, that could have been a lie, but the people who spread those flyers everywhere were not anonymous undetectable like WFS; they were sitting in plain view outside the local Papa John's for several days. The day after we removed the credit card promotion flyers, we saw more stacks of flyers being stapled to outdoor tables, bulletin boards, etc. Either UMBC approved this endeavor, or was indifferent to it. If a student organization had done this, though, there would have been consequences.
Sure, campus needs to look decent, but let's be honest, it can appear a bit lifeless at times. I agree wholeheartedly with SteelWolf that students and student organizations should be allowed to "take ownership" of the campus. Otherwise, all of UMBC's efforts aimed at invigorating student life will find little success. There are many areas here that seem artificial and institutional in ways I don't come across on other college campuses. Maybe it looks slick and satisfies the sponsors/donors/prospective students' parents etc. but it's stifling for student life.
@ulrich
Go ahead and tear down WfS and erase their chalkboard stuff.
They aren't worth the trouble they put students through...
@Anonymous re: 'homo group:' We reserved it for chalking, so that's actually legit. Anything other people add to it, however, is not. Also, we're not just homos, we include bisexuals, pansexuals, transpeople, and allies too. For future reference, you might try calling us 'Freedom Alliance' so people a. know who you're talking about, and b. don't think you're a homophobe.
Remember, Jesus loves you!
@Ulrich:
Thanks for posting such a positive response. :)
@ Steelwolf: Taking people at literal face value is fun :)
uh oh...this thread is getting hijacked. So I will bring it back onto topic.
How do all y'all like my College Republican signs? I think they're awesome.
@Jay:
It definitely does sound like you are calling out the CR's. Personally I have seen their posters and they are creative and placed in ingenious places. Secondly, I don't feel that posting pieces of paper around campus (regardless where they are posted) makes UMBC look trashy. I think it's the ugly girls and sidewalk chalk that make UMBC look trashy and those God forsaken WfS signs.
Thirdly, I think that some groups could take a lesson from the CR's. I attended one of their meetings and their room was filled. Maybe because it is an election year or maybe because they have advertised in places that people actually see and notice.
In closing Jay, I think you and the rest of UMBC have alot more to worry about then just 8 1/2 x 11 signs promoting a campus club.
@steelwolf
If you think student organizations should be allowed to place ads wherever they wish, would you also agree that once an event has taken place, said student organization should be held responsible for remove the posting?
If we could get every student group to agree to remove their postings, I feel the posting policy could be relaxed. Unfortunately, we are only human, and these postings will be forgotten, or people will get lazy, or there will be postings dealing with just general involvement and they will never have a set date to go away.
@Pat:
Sounds like the perfect plan - you can put ads up wherever you like, provided that
a) They are not inappropriate or causing harm to others
b) Ads are removed after the event is over
Let's "punish" organizations for actually harming the campus, or leaving soggy ads all over the place, not for being creative.
I do believe the posting of College Republican 'mirror image' signs in various bathrooms across campus was ingenious!
Top-notch!!!
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