Policy Regulating the Placement of Advertisement (November 2011)

Abstract

The University has a mission to “develop world-class human resources and capabilities to meet national development needs and global challenges through quality teaching, learning, research and knowledge dissemination.” In order to further this mission, the campuses of the University must be maintained as serene environments that promote teaching and learning. It follows therefore that the University Campuses cannot be allowed to become free-for-all areas for all manner of commercial advertising. Commercial activity cannot however be prohibited from the University’s premises. The Legon campus in particular which provides residence for both staff and students, must also simultaneously function as a conventional settlement with the provision of banking, retail, and other facilities. There is therefore the need to manage the presence of commercial entities within the campus to ensure that their activities (particularly as relates to marketing and advertising) do not detract from the academic environment that the University seeks to engender. Events and activities organised by both staff and students create a requirement for the dissemination of information to the University community in the form of posters, banners, etc. This includes activities organised by student clubs and associations, Halls of Residence, and academic departments. In addition to this, the University currently has a policy of promoting entrepreneurship within the student body, and the marketing/advertising needs of students involved in small commercial ventures cannot therefore be ignored. Finally, it must also be recognised that the alumni, faculty, staff, and students of the University of Ghana are attractive to vendors of all sorts as a market for their products. As a result, there will be strong pressure from vendors to market and advertise their products to members of the University community. Whilst this has the potential to create a nuisance, it is also a potential source of significant additional income to the University that cannot be ignored. Policy Regulating the Placement of Advertisement at the University of Ghana 1 This policy therefore seeks to rationalise and manage these competing requirements by defining rules, regulations and procedure to govern the placement of all manner of signage and advertising on the premises of the University of Ghana. This policy will also cover advertising within official publications of the University, advertising on Radio Univers, and on the University website and intranet pages.