Postering
Permissible Uses of Residence Hall Display Spaces
- Residence hall display spaces may only be used by house residents, other MIT students, and recognized MIT student organizations. Non-MIT individuals, organizations, and groups are prohibited from posting on residence hall display spaces.
- Each house team and executive committee should identify and publicize their house’s designated postering spaces. Residence halls can prioritize spaces designated for house business, announcements, and other communications.
- Posters, flyers, and similar items (collectively “posters”) in residence hall display spaces shall be used to communicate only information about residence hall activities, house rules, MIT and recognized student organization events, and other MIT information relevant to the house community such as messages of encouragement for residents (e.g., “Good Luck With Finals!”).
- These spaces may not be used to promote businesses or third-party goods and services or advertise non-MIT events, activities, or programs.
- Students may post on their room/suite/apartment doors in accordance with residential Alteration and Addition and Fire and Life Safety policies. House teams, RCL, and HRS can make one-time exceptions for posters on student doors (e.g., “About Me” signs) for special events such as Campus Preview Weekend or Residence Exploration (REX).
- Posters on students’ doors are subject to these protocols and the MIT Postering Policy.
- All posters in residence halls must clearly and conspicuously identify and include verifiable contact information for the individual or group responsible for the posters and the poster expiration date.
- Posters must only be affixed with materials that do not damage surfaces.
- Posters anywhere on MIT’s campus, including residence halls and FSILGs, may not be used to harass, discriminate, retaliate, invade personal privacy, defame, threaten violence, target groups or individuals, infringe on the intellectual property rights of others, or otherwise violate law or MIT policies.
Other Displays
- Recognized student groups may chalk on sidewalks or pathways outside residence halls in accordance with MIT’s Postering Policy.
- Consistent with MIT’s Postering Policy and residential policies, banners or flags of any size may not be displayed by individuals or groups in indoor common areas or on the exterior of residential buildings except with the house team’s permission and only for a limited time at the beginning of the academic year (e.g., residence hall flags during REX). Flags, banners, and posters may not be hung in or on exterior-facing windows or doors, including in windows to individual rooms or suites that face outdoors. Residents may hang flags on walls inside their rooms or in suites with the agreement of residents who share that space.
- Other temporary displays, such as sandwich boards and similarly sized displays, are permitted in or outside of MIT residence halls for limited periods solely to promote residence hall events or activities and/or to provide instructions or directions to residence hall spaces and locations. These displays cannot block corridors or access to buildings, streets, paths, or sidewalks, and they must comply with all of the above requirements, particularly the inclusion of legible contact information for the individual or group responsible for the display’s content.
Poster Removal
- Individuals or groups may not remove, alter, cover, or deface posters in residence hall display spaces. House team and executive committee members may remove posters for events or activities that have already passed, if multiple identical posters prevent other posters from being put up, or if the posters advertise non-MIT individuals or groups. An individual or group can remove their own posters.
- Members of the house team will communicate the importance of this rule to all residents. If a poster is damaged or prematurely removed, neither the house team nor house executive committee will be held responsible for its replacement. Additionally, the house team will follow up with any resident(s) discovered to be vandalizing or removing posters.
Raising Concerns About Posters
- Concerns that a poster does not comply with these protocols or MIT policies should be brought to the attention of the heads of house and house team, who will notify the senior associate dean for residential and community life.
- Additional concerns about a poster’s content can also be reported to the Institute Discrimination & Harassment Response Office (IDHR) or through the MIT Hotline.
- The senior associate dean for residential and community life will partner with a house team to develop timely and appropriate responses to reports concerning posters. If a report has not already been made, the senior associate dean may also forward the information to IDHR if the posters raise concerns of discrimination or discriminatory harassment or if the same concerns have been raised about posters in other residences.
- To be consistent with the MIT Poster Policy, the senior associate dean will refer questions of content/viewpoint of a poster/display to a rapid response team appointed jointly by the Provost, Chancellor, Vice President for Human Resources, and the Chair of the Faculty. The decision to remove a poster from a bulletin board or display space in a residence hall based on content/viewpoint is expected to be rare. The rapid response team may consult with the house team and the senior associate dean before making its determination whether to remove a poster.
- A house team member can temporarily cover or remove posters reported due to their content while the issue is under review by the rapid response team.
- Posters deemed to be non-compliant with this protocol for reasons other than content/viewpoint are subject to immediate removal by the house team and may result in head of house follow-up or disciplinary action against the individual or group who put up the posters that were not in compliance with this protocol.