The Student Organization Resource Center (SORC) advertising services are available for use by MSA -registered student organizations and University departments. Unaffiliated businesses and individuals may purchase materials and balloons but may not use other SORC services.

Content Requirements:

The SORC services exist for the purpose of helping student organizations and departments promote their activities, programs, and services.  Advertising materials submitted to the SORC should underscore the University’s commitment to discussion and dialog for greater cultural understanding and awareness, even for ideas that may be contradictory to each other.  Your advertisements are a reflection of your organization; others might disagree with your group’s beliefs or may view the content as highly objectionable.

 The SORC will not censor content (except as described below).  Rather, it requires that advertisers accept direct accountability for the content and must agree to meet with and have a dialogue with a complainant concerning the advertisement.  If a dialogue meeting is needed, The SORC will provide a representative and a mediator to join in a meeting with a knowledgeable representative of the advertiser and the complainant. Please see the Manager of The SORC for more details on the nature of the dialogue process. To this end, The SORC will not accept advertising materials that:

• have content that violates state or federal laws or University of Michigan policies.
• promote non-university events or programs.
• promote non-University businesses.  Businesses may be listed only as a sponsor of programs and may not be a primary focus of the advertisement.
• have content that violates University of Michigan identity guidelines. Visit University of Michigan Identity Guidelines: http://www.logos.umich.edu/index.html
• do not clearly state the name and contact information of the sponsoring organization.  For Diag boards and banners, the name must appear in letters at least 2 inches tall.  For bus signs, digital ads, and showcase flyers/posters, the letters must be at least ½” tall.  For table tents, ¼” tall.
• do not meet basic construction standards set by The SORC and the University of Michigan.
• arrive at The SORC after the deadline.  In some instances, however, materials can be placed the day after the deadline.  A late fee applies. Visit this page for a complete list of SORC deadlines.
• click here for an explanation of policies on advertising for political candidates or ballot issues.

 

Use of University of Michigan name and logo

Provided 9/2008 by the Office of the Vice President for Communications.

The Block M logo is one of the most recognizable university symbols in the nation, long associated with the excellence of the University. To protect this and other marks, the University of Michigan carefully restricts their use.

Students may use the Block M and Word mark only under these circumstances:

• MSA-registered “sponsored student organizations” (SSOs) can use the Block M, the name “University of Michigan” or “UM,” or word mark (shown below) if they receive prior written or email permission from their sponsoring unit. Find information on university sponsorship here.
• MSA-registered “voluntary student organizations” (VSOs) can refer to themselves as organizations “at the University of Michigan”, but not "University of Michigan...." before their group name.  These groups cannot use the University marks (block M or word mark, which includes the block M and the embedded words “University of Michigan” as viewed below). It is possible for VSOs to apply for one-time event sponsorship. Find information on one-time event sponsorship here.
• Student organizations not registered with MSA cannot use the University marks or reference the University in the name of their organizations.
• Students and student organizations may not use the University of Michigan Seal under any circumstances.

The above is a representative sampling only. For more information about logo policies and graphics standards, visit www.logos.umich.edu.