Western Carolina University

Policy #39

Sales and Solicitations on Campus

Purpose

This policy has the following purposes: (1) to preserve the university's right to permit or prohibit sales and solicitation activities on properties under its jurisdiction; (2) to protect the campus community from sales and solicitation activities that are intrusive, unrelated to the university's educational purpose, or incompatible with its normal operation; and (3) to enable the university to enforce compliance with the State Statutes governing sale of merchandise by governmental units; university policy governing concessions, vending, and catering operations on the campus; and Internal Revenue Code regulations on unrelated business income earned by tax-exempt organizations. The policy is not intended to constrain normal operations of the university's auxiliary enterprises, contacts between sales representatives and the university's Purchasing Office, or private appointments with individual campus citizens. Private appointments, however, are considered to be those requested in advance and granted; door-to-door solicitation of appointments is prohibited.

Solicitation and selling of services, products, or articles upon property under the jurisdiction of Western Carolina University is prohibited except:

A. By academic and administrative units of the university;

B. By recognized student organizations;

C. By support organizations related to the university;

D. At designated university events such as Mountain Heritage Day when the university determines that such sales directly relate to and are supportive of the event's primary purpose; and

E. By vendors who have contracted with the university to provide services, products, or articles directly related to the university's educational purpose or to students' needs and not otherwise available in the local area.

All sales and solicitation activities must have approval of the university prior to initiation. Approval forms are available in the Office of Student Development, 460 HFR Administration Building, and in the Office of Business Affairs, 301 HFR Administration Building.

Sales and solicitation to be conducted in campus residence halls, the Hinds University Center, and cafeteria lobbies require approval by the Office of Student Development and the appropriate building coordinator. At all other locations, approval is required by the Office of Business Affairs and the building coordinator.

General Guidelines

Approval to solicit on the campus will be considered only for organizations, not individuals.

Door-to-door sales are not permitted in any campus facility.

Students may not use residence hall rooms as places of business.

Similarly, university employees may not use university facilities to conduct private enterprises.

Each person involved in conducting an approved sales or solicitation activity must carry an identification card issued for the activity. These cards will be issued by the Office of Student Development or the Office of Business Affairs at the time approval is granted.

Contracts with vendors to provide goods and services on the campus may be negotiated only by the University Purchasing Office and signed by the Chancellor or his designee.

Concession sales at campus events, machine vending sales, and food-beverage catering operations on the campus are conducted solely by the university's Auxiliary Services Department.

The university reserves the right to withhold, at its discretion, approval for all solicitation and sales activities on property under its jurisdiction. The university also reserves the right to regulate time, place, manner, and duration of approved sales or solicitation activity and any advertising related thereto.

Formerly Executive Memorandum 89-91

Initially approved February 1, 1989

Under revision

Administering offices: Business Affairs and Student Affairs

This page is maintained by Nancy Carden in the Office of Academic Affairs.
Last updated: 7/23/99.
Copyright 1999 by Western Carolina University.