[jpelletier]

Our approach is the same – we continually follow-up. If folks disregard our student managers, we will escalate to their supervisor and eventually me, the resident meanie.

It helps that we have a “designated location” for solicitors that is not a paid space (although those are available to them if they wish) which is in the vestibule/breezeway of our main entrance. They can stand there and engage guests as they enter or leave.

We do try to explain that our students wish to use our spaces uninterrupted for study or socializing, which usually helps send them on their way.

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Jeff Pelletier, MA, MBOE, LSSBB
Ohio Union Director
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
614-292-3290
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-26-2024 13:01
From: Katie Beaulieu
Subject: Soliciting/ Canvassing in Your Building

We’re having a growing issue with guests with clipboards canvassing in our building requesting signatures to support a specific issue or doing voter registration. Our campus allows petitioning inside campus buildings as long as they make a reservation for a promotional table, but we do not permit them roaming the building and approaching students and guests in our lounges here in the Student Center. We’re struggling to manage this as petitioners will often enter the building and start approaching guests, be told by our staff to stop and then stop… only to start up again later in the day or the following day. There is a large number of teams, so it’s difficult to identify one supervisor or contact to explain the policies to.

How do others who don’t allow roaming canvassers handle enforcement? Does any post signs outside their buildings? Any suggestions for best practices on this would be much appreciated.

Katie

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Katie Beaulieu
Director, Student Center & Campus Reservations
Wayne State University
Detroit MI
(313) 577-0077
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[Mark Venhuizen]

Our campus has some pretty defined guidelines that have evolved over the years.? Initially, any petitioner was supposed to place a reservation and go through an approval process and stay in an area outside that they had reserved.? Problem solved, until we realized that most of the people getting signatures were independent contractors so while they all were collecting signatures for a single issue, they were all working independently.? One person would have approval but the others didn’t. Caused some grief in the enforcement area.? So, we still encourage campus users to reserve spaces, but they no longer need pre approval.? They cannot be in academic spaces, res halls or our USU lounges, dining areas, but they can reserve (and pay) for our tabling areas within the USU. Also, they’re free to use any of the outdoor spaces (non athletic) as long as they don’t block entrances to buildings, etc. We also refer them to the public forum map SDSU Outdoor Designated Public Forum Map (sdstate.edu).? ?We’ve trained our full time and student staff so they understand and can articulate the policy, but like Jeff, I sometimes get to be the one to add clarification and context.

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Mark Venhuizen
Director of Student Union Operations and Event Services
South Dakota State University
Brookings SD
(605) 690-3790
mark.venhuizen@sdstate.edu
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——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 07-26-2024 13:08
From: Jeff Pelletier
Subject: Soliciting/ Canvassing in Your Building

Our approach is the same – we continually follow-up. If folks disregard our student managers, we will escalate to their supervisor and eventually me, the resident meanie.

It helps that we have a “designated location” for solicitors that is not a paid space (although those are available to them if they wish) which is in the vestibule/breezeway of our main entrance. They can stand there and engage guests as they enter or leave.

We do try to explain that our students wish to use our spaces uninterrupted for study or socializing, which usually helps send them on their way.

——————————
Jeff Pelletier, MA, MBOE, LSSBB
Ohio Union Director
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
614-292-3290
——————————

Original Message:
Sent: 07-26-2024 13:01
From: Katie Beaulieu
Subject: Soliciting/ Canvassing in Your Building

We’re having a growing issue with guests with clipboards canvassing in our building requesting signatures to support a specific issue or doing voter registration. Our campus allows petitioning inside campus buildings as long as they make a reservation for a promotional table, but we do not permit them roaming the building and approaching students and guests in our lounges here in the Student Center. We’re struggling to manage this as petitioners will often enter the building and start approaching guests, be told by our staff to stop and then stop… only to start up again later in the day or the following day. There is a large number of teams, so it’s difficult to identify one supervisor or contact to explain the policies to.

How do others who don’t allow roaming canvassers handle enforcement? Does any post signs outside their buildings? Any suggestions for best practices on this would be much appreciated.

Katie

——————————
Katie Beaulieu
Director, Student Center & Campus Reservations
Wayne State University
Detroit MI
(313) 577-0077
——————————