Maybe it’s a stupid meme, an eye-catching joke or even something that someone would describe as unkind or hateful. Whatever the reason, there are sometimes posters and flyers on campus that have no business being put up, often for the same main reason: they weren’t given a (literal) stamp of approval by the Office of Student Life.

So, what do you do when you see such a sign or poster? There are a few steps to take.

First, find out if it actually is something authorized to be put up. Anyone wanting to post something around campus must go through certain procedures. The person or group must take the item to the Office of Student Life located in Morgan Hall Room 240. Once there, a staff member office will look at it and, as long as there are no glaring issues with it, stamp it to be authorized to be put up. The stamp will have a date on it, at which point the poster should come down. The office will also keep a copy of the poster and take down the contact person’s information in case they need to follow up about a question or issue later.

There are many other guidelines for bulletins and posters, including how they must be posted, where they can and cannot be posted, the size limits of posters and how long they can be up that the Student Life Office has posted on their website.

Second, if you see no stamp, or if the date on the stamp has passed, there are a few different things you can do. If you feel so inclined, you can take the poster down your self and take it to the Student Life Office. Maybe you’re not sure if you should just take down someone’s poster. You can also call Student Life (785) 670-2100 or visit its office. If you want, you could even take a picture of the poster and send it to Student Life, [email protected] and tell them where it’s located.

Finally, if you see something on a poster that you feel is a clear violation of the Student Conduct Code, which includes harm to persons, threatening behaviors, bullying, violation of laws and other misconduct, you can contact the Student Life Office or Washburn Police (785) 670-1153.

Some key guidelines for bulletins and posters on Washburn’s campus found on the Washburn University Student Life webpage: 

No more than 20 posters per event or organization can occupy a single building.

The maximum poster size for a bulliten board is 11-by-17 inches.

Posting is not allowed in the following areas due to safety concerns: In stair enclosures or on stair railings; on doors or windows, including translucent glass block windows; On lights or heaters; In or on elevators; On floors; On furniture; Attached to or covering fire extinguishers, hose cabinets, exit markers, or any other safety equipment; In any other location where it might constitute a safety hazard.