First and foremost, freedom of speech and expression need to be taken seriously on this campus. The ability of UMB community members to speak in public without “let or hindrance” is on the wane. Restrictions on handing out literature are on the rise. Both developments must be resisted, but the current policy for posting flyers on campus wall space is too over the top to remain in place.

Flyering at UMB is a complex process where the flyers must be sponsored by a recognized campus organization or department, and then brought to Student Life for approval. The flyer distributing entity is then allowed just 60 flyers to cover campus. Certain groups ignore these rules, but others are cracked down upon randomly. Some areas of campus allow no posting at all while others have flyers up from months ago.

The administration’s reasons against a policy that would be more in line with the Bill of Rights boil down to this: a neat campus is a happy campus. When pressed, they will also cite fire regulations. These conceits have not satisfied the Undergraduate Student Senate who passed a resolution last Spring calling for a rational posting policy. The resolution called for respect of all relevant safety regulations, opened much more wall space on campus for posting, and removed the 60 flyer limit.

It’s difficult enough for students to reach fellow students about cultural events, educational forums, and political activities on our commuter campus without these restrictions. Students should consider throwing their collective weight behind efforts to oppose the current posting policy and change it for the better.