University Programming and Activities Director Michelle Emmett answered questions Monday about the UP&A’s role in regulating posters and fliers.

At the Jan. 31 Student Association senate meeting some senators questioned UP&A’s ability to withhold posting privileges from organizations. UP&A took away Phi Beta Sigma fraternity’s ability to post fliers for one month. “The fraternity posted inappropriate fliers, and they did not get approval from UP&A,” Emmett said.

She said one of UP&A’s administrative duties was “to monitor and enforce the posting policy for the entire university.” Emmett said the UP&A office must approve fliers and posters of SA-recognized organizations and university departments.

The UP&A office keeps a copy of the flier, and a member of the organization must sign a form stating the posting policy was read. UP&A stamps the approved flier and dates it.

Emmett said unapproved or inappropriate fliers that are brought to her attention are reviewed. “Most infractions are minor—the flier might be posted on a wall (instead of a bulletin board) or it might not be stamped. The usual time for losing posting privileges is two weeks.”

The Phi Beta Sigma flier, which had a drawing of a man with his pants unzipped, was inappropriate and had a forged stamp, Emmett said. The UP&A office did not have any records of the flier obtaining approval, she said. “We suspended the fraternity’s posting privileges for one month, which is twice the usual amount, because of the two rules they broke.”

Emmett said she wrote to the fraternity president stating the flier was inappropriate and listed the sanction from UP&A. “The next day I received a letter of apology (from the fraternity), acceptance of the sanction and assurance it would never happen again.”