Here’s what you need to know about Lakeland’s new poster policy and how it affects campus communication.  

The start of the 2025-26 school year brought a new poster policy on Lakeland’s campus quietly introduced Aug. 25. The University Leadership Team led the policy development aiming to maintain “campus aesthetics, safety, and respect for all community members,” according to the “Lakeland University On-Campus Poster Policy.”  

The university has had a long-standing poster approval process, but this year’s alterations go much further. It introduces a standard, campus-wide process that not only covers physical posters, but also digital signage, QR codes and social media promotions. 

Posters now require approval from different offices depending on who’s posting. Students are required to get a stamp from the Office of the Dean of Students, while faculty and staff require authorization from their respective deans or campus members. Posters are restricted to “designated bulletin boards or approved areas” in academic buildings, residence halls and the student center. Anything posted to windows, walls, doors, cars or trees will be removed.  

In a jointly formulated response from Jonathan Feld, vice president of student affairs & enrollment (cabinet executive), Troy Seehafer, director of residence life and David Gallianetti, director of external relations, these designated posting areas were left unclarified. It was stated, “designated bulletin boards, some walls, some side windows near doors, some walls in classrooms.”  

Personal media posting cannot be restricted by the new policy, but the policy is enforced for the Student Activities and Residence Life pages.  

A Shift From an Old System 

In comparison to Lakeland’s previous policy from the “2023-24 Student Handbook,” the changes are notable, yet the policy document still feels like it is missing information in the details.   

Under the old policy, student organizations had to bring a copy of their poster to the Lauer Center for approval and could post it in designated areas once approved. Residence hall postings required approval from Residence Life staff, and the chaplain’s office handled religious organization and chapel postings.  

Stamping of posters was introduced over seven years ago to help regulate what was posted on campus. The updated policies represent a continued expansion of posting restrictions that have gradually increased over the past several years.  

The new implementation and how it was done quietly, without clear communication to students, concerns students and faculty as to how this will develop and impact freedom of expression and speech in the future.  

“I think in regards to why this policy is concerning is because of the lack of communication about it,” said Jodie Mortag, M.F.A., associate professor of writing. “But also, the fact that this is your home, right? You all live here for how many months out of the year, and you spend your time here. So, like, what is yours? What is yours where you can express who you are and your personality and what belongs to the university?”  

Mortag’s sentiment echoes a broader concern: while the new policy emphasizes structure and professionalism, may this unintentionally blur the line between maintaining standards and freedom of student voice? This concerns many as posters have been one of the most visible outlets for clubs and campus culture.  

Why Now?  

“The change was prompted by the lack of a clear process for posting signage on campus,” Feld said in a joint statement on behalf of the university. “Posters are an important way to let students and employees know what’s happening, but they should meet a certain standard and contain correct information. There were also non-Lakeland groups hanging posters that had nothing to do with life at Lakeland. This policy ensures that what’s being shared aligns with our values and events.” 

The policy states that violations will result in the removal of posters, and repeated offenses could result in loss of posting privileges. The university emphasized that the policy wasn’t intended to punish, but to protect the “integrity of campus communication.”  

Communication Concerns  

One of the greatest concerns surrounding the rollout has been the lack of communication.

The policy was not publicly announced to students at the start of the semester. Instead, the new poster guidelines were rolled out in the “2025-26 Student Handbook.” Faculty and staff were informed after its implementation through internal meetings. Many students remain unaware of the changes and are confused about why their posters have gone missing. “We had to put up posters for class and our success depended on it, but within days they were taken down, and I didn’t know what we did wrong,” said one campus student.  

According to the University Leadership Team, no formal announcement to students was deemed necessary. “Nothing was sent directly to students as the idea of posters being approved did not change,” the team stated. “That was already in the student handbook. The details of where to post, when to remove and other refinements were simply further clarified by this policy.”

Ready To Post?  

Here’s the policy at a glance which can be referenced when you want to create and post your next campus flyer.  

• All posters must be approved and stamped before posting. 

• Students by the Office of the Dean of Students  

• Faculty and staff by respective cabinet members or Dean or Dean’s designee 

• Posters may only be posted on “designated bulletin boards or approved areas in academic buildings, residence halls and student centers.”  

• Posters on (glass) doors, windows, walls, trees or vehicles will be removed. 

• Posters may not exceed 11” x 17” unless approved. 

• One poster per board per event/location unless exception is granted. 

• Posters may remain posted for up to 14 days or until the event date, whatever comes first.  

• Posters must be removed within 48 hours after the event. 

• Sidewalk chalking is allowed only on horizontal, washable surfaces in designated areas. 

• Unapproved or misplaced materials will be removed, and repeated violations may result in loss of posting privileges. 

The complete Lakeland University On-Campus Poster Policy can be found in the Student Handbook on my.lakeland.edu under:
Student → Academic Information → Calendar & Handbooks

Update: As of Dec. 1, 2025, Jean Merkle is Lakeland’s new dean of students. Her office is located in the Lauer Center in Laun.