With the elections occurring this year, we would like to remind FP&M employees about campus and UW System policies regarding political activity on campus.
The UW System provides information about these policies in Guidance on Political Campaign Activities at University of Wisconsin System Institutions. While this entire document applies to political activity on campus, we would like to call your attention to two sections in particular.
Section I.2: General policies for UW employees: Political campaign activities are restricted by Board of Regents policy and state law in three ways.
- You may not engage in political campaign activities during your work time.
- You may not use state resources to engage in political campaign activities at any time.
- Employees may not solicit contributions or services for a political purpose from other university employees while they are engaged in their official duties.
Section I.8: Display and wearing of political identifications. Per state law, it is a violation for university employees to engage in political activities while at work. This includes the wearing of political identifications and the posting of partisan political signs in the workplace.
- Employees are prohibited from “the wearing of a political identification while on duty where it could impair the effectiveness of the state agency operation.”
- Employees may not display partisan political signs advocating a candidate, political party or referendum outcome in a current election. Wisconsin Administrative Code UWS Section 18.08(9) provides that no person may erect, post or attach any signs, posters, pictures or any similar item in or on a university building, except as authorized under institutional policies. Employees in remote work settings should ensure that such political signs are not visible in work-related videoconferencing or other virtual meeting platforms.
For more information, consult the full version of each of these documents: