Autumn is known for the vibrant oranges, yellows and reds of the trees. But during election year, the colors of fall are replaced with the red, white and blue of political paraphernalia.
As candidates wrap themselves in the flag, their supporters are wrapping lawns and cars with campaign ads and assertions.
But when it comes to campus, ETSU officials want to make sure students, faculty and staff understand a few basic rules about politicking at a state facility.
“The primary purpose [of the rules] is to ensure that state property is used appropriately and not used to promote any one political candidate,” said Dr. David Collins, vice president for business and finance at ETSU.
Individuals and organizations hoping to promote their candidate or political ideas should follow a few guidelines handed down by the Tennessee Board of Regents, the legislative body that oversees ETSU.
Campus mail, e-mail, phones, faxes and pagers are for business, not politics. While it’s tempting to want to get the word out to friends, classmates and co-workers, campus communications are off limits for the promotion of candidates, political ideas, or meeting times.
Campaign signs need to be approved and registered before being posted around campus. Everyone’s got something to promote, but if you want to do it on campus without invoking the authorities, you’ll need to get your sign registered and approved at the university center office on the second floor of the Culp Center.
Go ahead; shout it from the dorms. Okay, not literally. But it’s fine to hang a campaign sign in dorm room, as long as there’s no damage or destruction to campus property in the process.
So you wanna hold a political meeting, rally, or speaking engagements on campus? If you or your group wants to get political on campus property, you’ll need to register with the university and follow all its guidelines.
It should be noted that ETSU is of a fair nature and allows “reasonably equal opportunity and access to the property” to demonstrate all sides and views.

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