Ccri Sign Policy

CCRI SIGN POLICY

Sign policy rationale The Community College of Rhode Island’s sign policy establishes standards for all interior signs on all campuses. It provides guidance about the placement and location of directional signs, event signs, departmental signs and student signs as well as provisions for their approval and removal. This policy is designed to recognize the needs of the college’s distinct campuses while promoting an uncluttered and more attractive environment.

Scope This policy applies to temporary signs and other displays on the Community College of Rhode Island campuses. For the most part, such signs will be event-related. It does not apply to college signs produced and installed by the college or college subcontractors and intended for display on a continuing basis, such as:  exterior building names  traffic signs  official college identity signs or banners  building directories or maps  room identifiers  classroom emergency procedure placards/signs  no-smoking signs

Also, this policy does not apply to non-public areas of the campus, such as individual administration, faculty or student club offices, or to personal effects, such as clothing.

Statement of policy

A. Public areas. CCRI’s sign policy addresses temporary signs and displays within public areas inside campus buildings.

1. Signs and displays may be posted only on designated bulletin boards. Authorized staff members on each campus first must approve and stamp all signs and displays (see Section C), except where otherwise noted within this policy.

2. The attachment of signs or similar displays to any interior space not specifically permitted for such use is prohibited. This will prevent damage to public property and unnecessary cleanup or replacement costs, and will help to prevent potential health and safety hazards.

Signs or similar displays may not be attached to:

 glass/windows (except when required by law and/or with special permission for critical information, i.e. college closing; also see Section B.)  walls (painted, concrete or otherwise)  doors (except with special permission for critical information, i.e. college closing)  stairways  stairwells  railings

of 5  steps  columns or pillars  stainless steel surfaces  elevators (both inside and out)  permanent campus signs  furniture  trash or recycling receptacles  light fixtures  ceilings  floors

3. The unauthorized painting or defacing of any interior college-maintained surface or structure is prohibited.

4. Signs and similar displays shall not be installed so as to block the visibility of any existing sign or display. Posting over other materials is not allowed.

5. Signs and similar displays inside campus buildings shall not be larger than 20 inches by 30 inches.

6. No sign or similar display shall be installed in such a way as to constitute a health or safety hazard or that is in violation of the fire safety code.

7. One sign per event will be permitted per bulletin board. Multiple postings in one location are both wasteful and inconsiderate of other organizations.

8. The total allowable number of signs posted for any event is limited only by the total number of bulletin boards on a campus, except for the community bulletin board (see Section E).

9. All signs except student signs should adhere to the college’s graphic standards. Graphic standards specify the use of a swoop, the correct college logo and fonts that help to create a unified family look. CCRI’s graphic standards are available on the college Web site at www.ccri.edu/marketing/graphicstandards for the college community to use.

10. Signs, except student signs, that do not adhere to the college’s graphic standards may be subject to immediate removal.

B. Faculty and administration areas. Faculty and administration offices and department areas are exempt from some of the restrictions in Section A.

1. Signs and displays may be posted on glass and doors in these private areas.

2. Individual departments are responsible for bulletin boards in their department areas and ensuring the material posted on them conforms to the provisions of this sign policy.

of 5 C. Approval. Each campus will appoint designees who will approve and stamp organization/individual/department and student sign requests.

Stamp approval designees by campus:

o Flanagan – Jean Lovett, Dean of Students o Knight – Wendy Parr, Advising and Counseling o Liston – Cathy Bio, Administration o Newport – Robyn Greene, Administration

1. Because the Department of Marketing and Communications is the official college source of communications, its postings do not require a stamp.

2. Official department signs that use the college swoop do not require a stamp.

3. All student signs require a stamp, except in the case of candidates for student government elections (see Section G).

D. Timing. Most signs and displays that are posted in public areas will be event-related and, as such, must have a defined start and end date.

1. Each stamp will include a date that indicates when the sign must be removed.

2. It is the sole responsibility of the individual/organization/department posting the signs to remove them by the stated removal date.

3. Failure to remove signs by the removal date will result in a warning. Those who have repeated violations will risk denial of future sign requests.

E. Outside organizations. One bulletin board per campus will be provided exclusively for outside/off- campus organizations and will be designated as a community bulletin board.

1. In accordance with the college Alcohol Policy, no signs or displays posted may promote the sale or consumption of alcohol or drugs.

2. No signs or displays may promote any organizations associated with adult entertainment.

3. Signs posted on the community bulletin boards should be of general interest and benefit to the college community.

4. Any outside organization wishing to post a sign or display in our campuses must receive a stamp of approval. Any signs posted without stamps will be removed.

F. Center for Workforce and Community Education. Because of the unique nature of CWCE and the

of 5 courses and classes that it offers, measures have been considered to meet its needs.

1. CWCE will be supplied its own, rolling bulletin boards for each entrance/exit at each campus.

2. CWCE will be solely responsible for its own posting and removal of signs and displays.

3. CWCE will be responsible for taking out and putting away the rolling boards each day.

4. There will be no limit as to the number of signs on each board per event.

5. CWCE signs do not need to be stamped.

G. Student organizations. Because students have limited means to communicate with the general student body, certain exceptions will be made in regard to the general sign policy. As indicated in C.3, all student signs except student government election campaign signs require a stamp.

1. Students are allowed to post signs on glass, doors and walls in student club areas, as well as one sign per event per bulletin board.

2. During a period of three (3) weeks prior to student government elections, candidates are allowed to post an unlimited number of signs in the following areas:

 one per bulletin board  columns or pillars  stairways  stairwells  stainless steel surfaces  elevators (outside only)

3. Student government candidate signs do not require a stamp.

4. All candidate signs must be removed within 48 hours of the close of the election.

H. Directional signs. With events and programs comes the need to direct individuals to these events.

1. Requests for directional signs should be made to Facilities at the campus where the event is taking place at least one week in advance of the event.

2. Directional signs should be free-standing, on easels or in sign holders. Bulletin boards also may be used.

3. Directional signs should not be taped or attached to walls. The limitations listed in A.2 also apply to directional signs and displays.

I. Prohibitions. Any postings that have inappropriate and/or derogatory information will not be approved and, if posted without approval, will be removed immediately. The approved posting areas will not be used as personal message boards; they are solely for information that is intended to benefit the campus community as a whole. For the sake of maintaining a sense of community and support for

of 5 all members, organizations are expected to refrain from using racial, gender or ethnic slurs, stereotypic depiction or similar references in all advertising material.