/Institutions/Hebrew-Union-College-Jewish-Institute-of-Religion/json/current/Student-Handbook-local.json

/Institutions/Hebrew-Union-College-Jewish-Institute-of-Religion/json/current/Student-Handbook.json

Political Campaigning

As an institution of higher learning, HUC-JIR is committed to academic freedom, supports free expression of political views by members of its community, and promotes open dialogue about important issues in society. The College-Institute encourages its students, faculty, and staff to exercise their rights of citizenship, including participation in the political life of their communities, the state and the nation, and to educate and involve themselves in world affairs.

As a non-profit organization, the College-Institute must nonetheless abide by federal tax law prohibitions with the provisions governing its tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and ensure that activities engaged in by HUC-JIR and members of the College-Institute community, do not call into question the college's non-partisan, educational status. Federal statute stipulates that non-profit, tax-exempt institutions of higher education are prohibited from participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

This policy therefore contains guidelines governing the use of HUC-JIR affiliation and resources for political activities, the use of its facilities, services, and personnel to promote, finance or support individuals, groups or organizations campaigning for public office. Nothing in this Policy is intended to limit the rights of students, faculty, or staff to express personal opinions or to engage in political activity in their individual capacities and as private citizens.

1. The following guidelines and restrictions apply to campus involvement in political campaigns.
   • Every member of the HUC-JIR community has a right to participate or not, as he or she sees fit, in the electoral process. As an individual you are free to endorse, support, or oppose candidates. However, students, faculty and staff of the College should be careful to qualify that the opinions expressed are their own and do not represent the official position of HUC-JIR.
   • No member of the College-Institute community should speak for or act in the name of the College in a political campaign or other partisan electoral activity.
   • Use of the college's name, letterhead, or logo for partisan electoral purposes such as the solicitation of funds or other contributions in support of a political party or candidate or the endorsement of candidates for public office is prohibited.
   • No member of the College-Institute community should make statements that favor or oppose candidates or political parties at any College-Institute event or in any College-Institute official publication (including the website or social media platform), with the exception of an authorized student-run publication. Any student-run publications that feature editorials must state that the views reflected are those of the student editors and not the College-Institute.
   • Social media sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.) that are created and/or maintained by, or for, the College-Institute or affiliated groups, must avoid anything that might be considered as political campaigning. Social media accounts that are strictly personal - in your personal name and maintained by you from your home computer or personal laptop - may be used to express your personal political belief and may be used to engage in political campaigning.
   • Voter education drives conducted in a biased manner that favor or oppose candidates or specific political parties are not permissible.
   • Making telephone calls to the public advocating for a candidate or political party - in the name of the College-Institute - is not permissible.
   • College-Institute-paid political advertisements (newspapers, radio, television, websites, mailings) are not permissible.
2. Every effort should be made to ensure that appearances of candidates for public office or their political representatives at college sponsored events have a substantive purpose and appear in their non- candidate capacity, and that such visits not be conducted solely as campaign rallies or events.
   • Candidates for office, including elected officials seeking reelection, who approach HUC-JIR administration seeking opportunities to appear on campus and address the College-Institute community should accordingly be referred to the appropriate HUCJIR administrator (Dean/Department Head).
   • If a faculty member, administrative and/or academic department, or the college itself chooses to invite an individual candidate to speak, every attempt should be made to provide opposing candidates the same opportunity. Members of the HUC-JIR community may not use college-institute facilities, services, and college-sponsored events for campaign or party fund-raising activities.
   • HUC-JIR facilities, services, and college-sponsored events may not be used by outside organizations or outside individuals whose purpose is to further the cause of a candidate or political party.
   • The College-Institute’s IT resources may not be used to support or oppose a candidate’s campaign. Individuals cannot use official College-Institute hosted websites to express their views on a candidate unless that expression meets the “educational activities” test as defined as permissible under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Employees and students are allowed to link a College-Institute’s website to official candidate websites provided that links to all qualified candidates are equally accessible and the links are provided as a means of voter education and not advocacy.
3. The following restricts the use of HUC-JIR resources for partisan electoral purposes.
   • Use of the campus mail service (other than U.S. mail), college mailing lists, college provided office supplies, computers, email system, telephones, facsimile machines, or copiers, for soliciting votes or campaign fund raising is prohibited.
   • Campaign workers, including students, faculty, and staff, are not permitted to engage in person-to- person solicitation of funds through the campus mail service or College-Institute email system.
   • No display or distribution of political campaign materials, such as posters, notices, handbills, and banners intended to promote one candidate or party over another, or influence people how to vote are permitted.
   • Candidates, political parties, PACs, or any other group working in a partisan political manner may be permitted to use the College-Institute’s facilities, including classrooms, meeting rooms, and other facilities only on the same terms and for the same rental fee as other candidates, non-political campaign groups, student organizations, and individuals. Rental fees and other relevant charges must be paid by the group in accordance with existing schedules. Preferential treatment is not permitted.
   • No campaign fundraising may take place on College-Institute property, except that which occurs in connection with rentals of College-Institute space as set forth above.
   • Campus organizations and departments may use campus mail to publicize political forums and discussions but may not use the mail service to endorse, raise money for or otherwise promote a candidate for public office or a political person, organization or lobby. Organized voter registration activities, voter education programs, and "get out the vote" drives are exempt from the provisions outlined above, provided no attempt is made to influence how people should vote, advance or oppose individual candidates for office or a political party or to promote a position on a public referendum or issue up for vote.