Residence Hall Handbook

In accordance with Wis. Admin. Code sec. UWS 18.11(9) approved by the Board of Regents in 1988, Resident Students may be visited by candidates running for political office and/or student government elections if they have specified that they wish such “visits.” During the first month of each semester, students will be asked to designate their preference in regards to visits by candidates. Only those students so specifying their desire for such visits will be contacted by candidates and/or their representatives. Campaign visits may include the dissemination of literature. When talking with candidates, students are expected to invite such individuals into their rooms or conduct those meetings in the floor lounge (if the total group is 4 or less). In the case of larger groups, a basement meeting area should be used. 

Political Campaigning is defined as visits and literature by candidates running for political office and/or student government election. Visits within the residence hall may be conducted by the candidate running for office and a representative of their campaign, but not by a representative of the campaign alone.

At the start of each semester, residents will receive an email asking them to update their political campaign preference in the Housing Gateway. Residents may choose to opt-in or out of political campaign visits at this time or any time throughout the academic year.

Political campaigns may contact the Housing Office during normal business hours at housing@uwstout.edu or 715-232-1121. Housing will provide a list of residents who have elected to be visited by political campaigns with information including name and email address. Political campaigns may contact residents by email or coordinate with Housing to meet with them in the residence hall. If requested, Housing will work with political campaigns to gain access to a residence hall and schedule a mutually beneficial time for them to meet with residents at the building’s front desk. If a resident or residents would like a more private space for discussion, they may escort the candidate to their room or another accessible private room in the building. Political candidates are expected to wear the provided identification during visits for safety and security purposes. Political campaigns must respect if a resident chooses to opt-out of a visit or email exchange. Political campaigns may only visit with residents during front desk hours of operation and may only be in a residence hall for the period of time it reasonably takes to attempt to contact all residents on the provided list.

Political campaigns may attempt to leave one piece of literature per resident who has elected to be visited. Literature may be provided directly to the residents with whom the candidate meets or at the Housing Office to be placed in the resident’s mailbox. Literature may not be distributed to any resident not on the provided list unless they elect to do so and may not be left in common areas. Political campaigns may not go looking for residents who do not show up during the designated visiting window.