Chalking Policy
The content of the chalking must adhere to the law and other university policies, including but not limited to, the following: Discrimination and Harassment Policy, Student Code of Conduct, Policy on Commercial Sales and Solicitation.
Chalking is permitted by registered campus student organizations or departments with prior approval from the respective Student Affairs Advisor, unless otherwise specified by the office of Community Development. Chalking is not approved for but not limited to, individuals and community businesses.
Registered campus student organizations and departments must email the respective Student Group Advisor the following information a minimum of seven days prior to the actual event, unless otherwise specified by the office of Community Development:
- Name of registered campus student organization or department
- Name(s) of the student(s), faculty, or staff doing the chalking
- Name(s), university email address(es), and phone number(s) of the president/top executive officer and Student Group Advisor if registered campus student organization or contact person if department
- Title, date, time, and approved location of event being advertised
- Proposed area where sidewalk will be chalked
- Proposed advertisement (may attach image file to email) which must include the name or signature of the sponsoring organization or department for identification purposes and to ensure that all chalking is in compliance with University policy
Chalking is permitted only on horizontal sidewalk surfaces in open areas (as indicated by the green highlights on the map below) that are not covered by an overhang, as the chalk must be able to be directly washed away by rain. Chalking cannot appear on vertical surfaces including but not limited to building walls, handrails, steps, step landings, planters, trash receptacles, cigarette receptacles, benches, signs, statues, poles or columns, light poles, and trees. Chalking of interior areas is strictly prohibited.
Future chalking privileges of the registered campus student organization in violation will be revoked.
- Only solid, water-soluble chalk may be used for sidewalk chalking. No crayons, markers, or paint are permitted. Liquid sidewalk chalk is not permitted as it may stain the sidewalk/concrete and can only be fully removed through pressure washing the chalked surface.
- In the event restricted areas have chalk applied, it is the responsibility of the campus organization to clean the area by removing the chalk drawings. The organization assumes responsibility to pay any reimbursement for restoration costs. The Facilities department must approve the cleaning methods and materials prior to work beginning.
- Persons or parties established in violation of the regulation where defacement of public property results, will be found in violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
- Overwriting, erasing, defacing, or altering the chalking of another person or organization is prohibited.
- All chalking must pertain to a particular event as requested in the proposal email and not reference other activities. Each individual chalking must bear the name or signature of the sponsoring organization or student. The name and/or signature must be legible.
- All chalking must be removed by the registered campus student organization or department within 10 days of the initial chalking or within 48 hours of the end of the event that the chalking was advertising; whichever timeframe occurs first. In the event that the chalking is washed away by rain before the advertised event occurs, the registered campus student organization may re-chalk the approved area with the same chalking as before. Please note that the timeframe for the removal of the chalking is still bound by the initial chalking prior to the rain. Failure to remove the designated chalkings within the appropriate time frame may result in loss of highlights indicate acceptable chalking areas.
