Campus Visits by Candidates for Political Office

Candidates for public office are welcome at Binghamton University. As visitors to the University or guests of an academic department or student group, candidates may tour the campus, deliver speeches, and brief the student and external press. If candidates are not sponsored by an academic department or student group, arrangements for the visit must be coordinated by the Conference Office. If requested, the Division of Communications and Marketing will inform the campus and the media of the appearance of a candidate sponsored by a campus organization in the same manner that the visit of any other notable speaker is publicized.

While employees are encouraged to participate in the political process, there must be a clear separation between their private political activities and their public role as faculty and staff of the University. There can be no endorsement, or the appearance of any endorsement, of a candidate or use of University resources by faculty or staff for political campaign purposes.

A designated administrator, faculty member, or student, or those responsible for the meeting should publicly specify the University's policies regarding non-partisanship at the outset of the lecture, panel discussion, press conference or other appearance by a candidate.

Candidates and/or their sponsoring organizations must comply with campus policies requiring that any extraordinary expenses (security, room set-up and clean-up, and the like) be reimbursed to the University. Consistent with the University's "Guidelines for Hosting Campus Events Requiring Extraordinary Security Arrangements," the sponsoring organization is responsible for providing the appropriate administrative officers with a complete itinerary of the speaker's visit and of discussing with New York State University Police any necessary security precautions. Solicitation of campaign contributions is prohibited.

According to the Trustees' "Policy on the Use of University Facilities by Non-Commercial Organizations," partisan political organizations may be permitted the use of University facilities subject to the above guidelines and to these specific conditions: "that the proposed meeting give promise of contributing to the educational purposes of the University; [and] that the University sees a reasonable possibility of making the facilities available for other viewpoints to be presented."

Candidates who are seeking the votes of individuals on campus may campaign in all public areas, including all streets, walkways, and parking lots. Candidates may also meet potential supporters in the main lobby of the University Union. Candidates are asked to refrain from disturbing students, faculty and staff in the Library, in classrooms, in offices, and in their private living quarters in residence halls. The Division of Communications and Marketing will not participate in arranging publicity or making media contacts for an event sponsored by a partisan political organization.