Digital Signage Policy
To articulate the requirements for the use of digital signage on the Lawrence campus.
All units on the Lawrence campus.
Digital signage managed by University of Kansas serves as a visual communication medium to inform students, faculty, staff, and visitors about the University, specific departments, KU sponsored events, etc.
Information displayed includes (but is not limited to): programs, meetings and activities; up-to-date weather information; campus news; television feeds; important current events; campus facts and emergency messages.
Content displayed on screens is governed by the University policy on acceptable use of electronic information resources and according to privacy guidelines that are developed for the University of Kansas. Every screen is required to be connected to KU’s emergency notification system. In the event of an emergency, important information will automatically be displayed on applicable screens. At the end of the emergency, normal content will resume.
Equipment - Installation
- Schools, departments, units are responsible for the funding of equipment, licenses and installation costs. Department’s digital signage requests must include their academic dean’s or vice provost’s approval for digital signage location and funding.
- Equipment purchases must be coordinated and approved through KU IT in order to maintain consistent technological and installation requirements.
- KU IT will purchase equipment, licenses and coordinate installation of hardware and software.
- KU IT will maintain server and server software.
- Equipment must be installed by Facilities Services in coordination with Facilities Planning and Development (FPD). Additionally, FPD will approve digital signage locations within buildings to comply with fire code, ADA requirements, and historical building and structural standards.
- Equipment that is presently in use can remain in place until updates are required so long as the system is compatible and can incorporate displayed content (see below) and was installed in a manner that complies with all applicable building codes.
Information / Content to be displayed (in order of priority):
- Communicate emergency information– Initiated via KU News, Office of Public Affairs, KU Marketing, and Public Safety
- Campus and/or building utility outages – Initiated via Facility Services
- Campus wide events
- Orientation
- Hawk Week
- Family Weekend
- Commencement
- Finals
- Hazing Prevention Week
- Sexual Assault Awareness Week
- Building / Department Information
- Directory
- Room changes
- Announcements (weekly / daily)
- Student Organization / Department Activities
Screen Design / Layout
- KU Marketing will develop standardized template for all campus monitors. User readability will be maintained between buildings and monitors.
- No corporate logos can be used on any digital signage except for University and/or Kansas Athletics Inc. contracts, i.e. Pepsi. Events, lectures, activities sponsored and/or hosted by donors, corporate sponsors and/or non-profit agencies can be listed by name.
Videos produced to be shown on monitors must be captioned.
Digital Signage equipment which was in use prior to the promulgation of this policy will be permitted to remain in use. The point in time in which these grandfathered systems must be replaced, units will be required to purchase digital signage systems from the approved vendor.
The university may remove digital signage if adherence to the guidelines in this policy are not followed. Units that install displays in an unapproved location will be responsible for all costs associated with immediate removal and re-installation to an approved location. Units (new installations) must use the chosen vendor solution, Visix; units using other systems will be responsible for immediate purchase from the chosen vendor and will be unable to display digital communications until the approved solution is installed. Units must use the approved template for digital signage; units not using the template will be unable to display digital signage until the approved template is used.
Office of Public Affairs
785-864-7100
publicaffairs@ku.edu
05/10/2024: Updated Marketing Communications to KU Marketing; Removed Marketing Communications in contact.
02/18/2022: Updated Design and Constructions Management references to Facilities Planning and Development.
04/21/2021: Updated reference to Coca Cola to Pepsi.
03/12/2019: The title VP for Administration and Finance no longer exists. Future approvals will be made by the Chief Financial Officer and Vice Provost for Finance.
11/12/2014: Prior to approval by the Vice Provost for Administration and Finance, the policy was developed by the Signage Committee and was reviewed by stakeholders in units including Facilities Services, Design and Construction Management, and Student Affairs.
