Media Guidelines and Policies

Media Access to the Twin Cities Campus
General Guidelines
Non-Restricted and Restricted Areas
Media Access to Residence Halls
Media Parking on Campus
Release of Student Information
Commercial Filming on Campus

Media Access to the Twin Cities Campus

The University of Minnesota welcomes media to our campus. We encourage members of the media that plan to be on campus to notify the News Service so it can help facilitate the visit. Call (612) 624-5551.

As a public institution, the University is an open and public place that provides the news media reasonable access to campus. However, the University may regulate media access so as not to disrupt teaching or research; to protect the health and safety of students and staff; to protect the privacy of students and others who live on campus; and to comply with state and federal laws on student and personnel data.

The following guidelines pertain to media access to University of Minnesota owned or controlled property. These guidelines pertain to any individual or group conducting interviews, making audio or video recordings, or photographing images for dissemination to the public via commercial or non-commercial news and information outlets, including the Internet.

See "filming on campus" for policies regarding commercial, non-news productions.

General Guidelines

Media vehicles must be parked legally. See Media Parking for more information.
Equipment must not damage University property.
Equipment, vehicles and personnel must not restrict traffic or access to buildings and fire lanes.
Additional restrictions on the use of television cameras, still cameras, flashes and other special lighting and audio equipment may be imposed on a case-by-case basis to minimize disruption or protect safety or security. If security is an issue, these items may be subject to inspection.

Non-Restricted and Restricted Areas

The media is generally permitted to film or otherwise have access to spaces on campus that are open to the public, subject to reasonable time, place and manner restrictions. This includes access during regular operating hours to any building or portion of a building that is open to the public.

All campus outdoor sidewalks, green spaces, parking lots and ramps are open to the media.
Campus events, such as lectures and forums, to which admission is free and open to the public, are open to the media. Restrictions may be placed on cameras, lights, flashes and other equipment to minimize disruption. Advance notice or credentials may be required.
Corridors and common areas within University laboratory and classroom buildings are open to the media.
Common areas within Coffman Union are open to the media; individual offices in the Union are not. If a reporter or photojournalist wishes to enter a private office, he or she must get permission from the person who works in that office.
Faculty, staff or student offices or laboratories are not public. Permission to enter must be granted by the person or persons who work in that office or laboratory.
Classrooms are open to the media if not occupied. If a class is in session, permission for media access must be granted by the person teaching the class.

Media are allowed in the following locations only with express permission from an administrative authority and only with an officially designated University escort:

Residential areas.
Any secured area or laboratory.
Intercollegiate athletics venues, including TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena, Mariucci Arena, Ridder Arena, the Bierman Field Athletic Complex and practice fields, unless the individual is a paid ticket holder.
Recreational sports facilities including the Recreational Sports Center and field house, unless the individual is a paid member or ticket holder.
The private offices or research laboratories of faculty, staff or student employees.
Inside libraries, museums or other areas where quiet study is enforced or where collections may be endangered by media activity or equipment.
Inside any venue charging admission, unless the individual is a paid ticket holder. In these cases, members of the media must abide by the policies applicable to all ticket holders.
Inside private functions that are not open to the public.
Inside any University facility that is not open to the public, including the Steam Plant, other utility operations, waste facilities, maintenance and repair facilities and public safety facilities.
Any marked construction area, crime scene or hazardous or unsafe location.
Access to Fairview University Hospital and Clinics is the primary responsibility of Fairview Health Services. For more information, call (612) 672-4164.

Media Access to Residence Halls

Permission is required for media to access University of Minnesota housing, including campus residence halls and off-campus student and family housing. Media must be escorted by Housing and Residential Life or News Service staff or a resident at all times while in University housing facilities. Unescorted media will be asked to leave.

Escorted media may film in, or report from, the common areas (lounges, dining areas, corridors) of residence halls, with approval of University officials.

Media must have permission from the occupant of individual living quarters to enter, report from or film that space.

Media may film or solicit interviews on the public sidewalks or common areas outside of residence halls and apartments. In some special situations, media access to these areas may be limited to protect privacy, health or safety.

To obtain permission to enter a residence hall, call the News Service at (612) 624-5551 during business hours, Monday-Friday. After hours or on weekends, call the News Service 24-hour line at (612) 293-0831 or contact the residence hall manager.

Media Parking on Campus

Parking rules are routinely enforced on campus because parking is in high demand and traffic is heavy. It is also important that traffic flow, sidewalks, driveways, fire lanes, disability access and the like are not blocked. Media vehicles must be parked legally. The University will not pay for parking tickets on media vehicles.

Please follow these guidelines when parking on campus.

If possible, park in a public parking lot or ramp at your expense. Detailed parking information is available at http://www1.umn.edu/pts/parking/.
When the University News Service schedules a news conference, or expects heavy media traffic on campus, we will notify parking enforcement dispatch and include parking information in a media advisory.
Reporters with heavy equipment who need to park near a particular building for a limited amount of time must call the University News Service.
Media parking at intercollegiate athletics facilities generally requires a media parking tag and is available only on non-game days. No unpaid media parking is provided on game days. For more information on parking at athletics events or facilities, call athletics media relations at (612) 625-4090.

Release of Student Information

Federal law, state law and University of Minnesota Board of Regents policy govern access to student records. Under these laws and policies, some information is considered public and some is considered private. However, it is possible for students to suppress some or all public information by requesting a nondisclosure.

All requests for information from reporters and representatives of news organizations must be directed to the News Service through a Data Practices Request.

If there is not a nondisclosure request on file with the Registrar regarding a particular student's information, refer to the Board of Regents policy on student records.

Commercial Filming on Campus

The University of Minnesota's unique, large, urban campus makes it an ideal setting for filming daily events and activities. To accommodate your filming needs, please contact the News Service.

Entry to campus buildings may be limited; see Access to Campus for policies related to news media on campus.

Questions? Contact the University News Service at unews@umn.edu or (612) 624-5551.