Campus Visitor and Solicitation Policy
Messiah College seeks to provide a safe campus environment by instituting policies, procedures, and guidelines to further define the College’s roles as an
1) educational, residential, cultural, and recreational facility for students
2) a place of employment
3) a community resource and
4) a client and business partner.
Visitors are an important aspect of the College’s daily operations. Visitors come to Messiah College’s campus(es) for a number of reasons -- prospective students and their families visit and tour campus; job applicants visit Human Resources or participate in scheduled interviews; vendors deliver essential products and supplies to appropriate offices; service and maintenance professionals make scheduled repairs; individuals recreate in the public spaces of campus; and community members attend cultural and athletic events in campus facilities.
All visitors are expected to respect campus speed limits; to park in appropriately-marked visitor spaces; to abstain from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco while on campus; and to refrain from uninvited visits to private areas such as residence halls, classrooms, and employee offices. The following guidelines clarify additional expectations and behaviors for specific categories of visitors.
Campus Visit Request Form
Liability Release and Medical Treatment Permission for Minor
Minor (i.e. children under age 18) Guests in College-Owned Student Housing
Baby-Sitting. No baby-sitting is permitted by students in residence halls, apartments, or other College-owned student housing.
Unrelated Minors. A child who is unrelated to a student is allowed to visit a student’s room or stay overnight in College-owned housing if he/she meets all of the following conditions: the child (1) is 15 years of age or older, (2) is invited to do so by the host student, (3) is the same gender as the host student, and (4) has provided a signed parent/guardian liability release and medical permission form to the Residence Director or Office of Residence Life.
Any visitor staying overnight must sleep in a student’s room, and not in a public lounge or individual floor lounge.
A child who is unrelated to a student and is under the age of 15 years may visit College-owned housing if he/she is invited to do so by a host student. The child may not stay overnight, but may visit public lounges during the following visitation hours:
First Year Residences
Sunday, 2 p.m.-7 p.m.
Wednesday & Friday, 7 p.m. – Midnight
Saturday, Noon – Midnight
Traditional Residences
Sunday, Noon – 10 p.m.
Tuesday & Wednesday, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday, 6 p.m. – Midnight
Saturday, Noon - Midnight
Campus Apartments/Special Interest/Off Campus Housing
Invited visitors may visit non-bedroom areas of campus apartments, special interest and off campus houses daily from noon to midnight.
Family/Related Minors. A child who is related to a student may stay overnight in College-owned housing if he/she meets all of the following conditions: the child (1) is 12 years of age or older, (2) is invited to do so by the host student, (3) is the same gender as the host student, (4) is actually under the supervision of the student family member, and (5) has provided a signed parent/guardian liability release and medical permission form to the Residence Director or Office of Residence Life.
Little Sibs Weekend. Children under the age of 12 who are related to students may visit College-owned housing if the child is the same gender as the host student and is under the supervision of a parent or guardian. No child under the age of 12 may stay overnight in college-owned housing.
Exceptions. This policy will not apply to summer conference groups, sports and other camps, or the migrant education summer program and project forward leap (both of which have their own supervisory staff).
Adult Guests in College-Owned Student Housing
Adult guests (i.e. age 18 or older) are welcome in College residences subject to the following guidelines provided they are invited and accompanied by a Messiah College student. Except as noted below, guests are permitted in individual living areas of the opposite gender only during scheduled visitation hours.
Peers. Student-aged guests may stay overnight for up to three nights with the approval of other residents of the room, apartment, or special interest house. Messiah College students may stay overnight in the rooms or apartments of other students of the same gender for up to three successive nights with the permission of the other residents.
Parents/Family. Adult immediate family members who are visiting from off campus may briefly visit the room or apartment of students during non-visitation hours. They may stay overnight in the rooms or apartments of students of the same gender for up to three successive nights with the permission of the other residents.
Other Adult Guests. Any other adult guests may briefly visit the room or apartment of students, but only during visitation hours. At any other time they are to meet informally with students in public spaces or common areas (e.g. public residence hall lounges).
Any guest who fails to adhere to Messiah College rules is subject to removal from the College premises. The College reserves the right to limit guest privileges and asks visitors to limit the frequency and duration of campus appointments. Abuse of these privileges may lead to restriction or withdrawal of the visitor’s right to access campus.
Solicitation (Including Commercial Sales and Charitable, Political, or Religious Solicitation) by Off-Campus Individuals or Organizations
No off-campus individual or organization may distribute literature, advertise, solicit customers, recruit volunteers, employees or members, seek donations, or make sales on campus without the express authorization of the Dean of Students. This policy does not apply to individuals or organizations who are invited to campus by authorized Messiah College administrative personnel as part of an approved College activity or event.
Commercial Sales to Individuals
On-campus solicitation of sales or purchases by any off-campus individual or organization is expressly forbidden unless authorized by the Dean of Students. Authorization may be denied or may be subject to limitations prescribed by the Dean of Students.
Persons purchasing textbooks from faculty must have pre-established appointments with specific faculty members or other campus employees.
The College does not permit the on-campus sale of products or services by an outside vendor unless a signed Outside Vendor Contract has been approved by the Student Programs Office. Approval of on-campus sales will be granted only if there is a benefit to a recognized College function or student group.
Charitable, Political, or Religious Solicitation
Non-members of the College community who are acting on behalf of recognized off-campus charitable, political, religious, or other advocacy groups may be permitted to solicit, demonstrate, or distribute literature on campus under the following guidelines:
1. They must apply to the Office of the Dean of Students at least ten business days prior to their requested date of distribution. Office hours are between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
2. The Dean of Students has three business days in which to act on a request. Decisions will take into account both any special circumstances that may relate to College activities and the burden that permission to distribute political or religious literature may place on the College’s safety and administrative staffs. If permission is granted, the College will contact the applicants and issue identifying badges which must be worn by these individuals while on campus.
3. Political and religious literature may be distributed only at one or more of the following three locations as assigned by the Office of the Dean of Students:
- Larsen Student Union patio or in a designated inside common area
- Eisenhower Campus Center: outdoors in the patio area at the upper entrance of Lottie Nelson Dining Room or inside in the Commons
- Brick courtyard area outside of Kline, Jordan and Frey
4. Permission for the distribution of political or religious literature may be granted only for the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
5. The number of persons who, at any one time, will be permitted to distribute literature for any particular candidate or group is limited to two at any given location, and up to six on the campus as a whole.
6. The number of occasions on which candidates or groups will be permitted to distribute literature will be limited normally to three visits during a calendar year. In special situations, such as an approaching election, more frequent visits may be permitted.
7. The total number of people distributing literature at any one location on campus will be limited. When several groups wish to distribute literature at a particular location, in accordance with general College policy, preference in use of campus facilities will be given to members of the College community. In acting on requests from members of outside political or religious groups and representatives of candidates, individuals who are sponsored by members of the College community will be preferred.
8. No signs, placards, or banners may be displayed.
9. No microphones, bullhorns, or other amplification devices may be used.
10. No sidewalks or building accesses may be blocked, nor may normal College operations be impeded.
11. Physical or verbal harassment of members of the College community, or solicitation or literature distribution outside of the hours or locations for which permission has been granted, will be cause for the immediate revocation of permission for distribution of literature by those involved. Any act of disorderly conduct will result in intervention by safety personnel and local law enforcement officers and removal of the offender from campus.
Members of the Media
Any Messiah College student or employee, except the Assistant Athletic Director of Public/Media Relations, who would like to invite members of the media to visit campus to cover a story or event must first contact the Office of Marketing and Public Relations, who will (after determining if media coverage is appropriate) coordinate contact with the media, and the necessary visit logistics.
- While on campus, all members of the media must be escorted by a member of the Office of Marketing and Public Relations, or their designee. Journalists, photographers, and videographers may attend athletic events without an escort.
- Media members and their vehicles must register (or be registered by Marketing and Public Relations or the Assistant Athletic Director of Public/Media Relations) with Dispatch, must display visitor/ credential identification at all times, and park in the appropriate visitor parking areas.
- Members of the media are not permitted in student residences, classrooms, offices, or other non-public areas without explicit, pre-arranged permission from the Office of Marketing and Public Relations.
- Violations of this policy should be referred to the Office of Marketing and Public Relations at (717) 691-6027.
Students and employees are welcome to speak with journalists, but should not feel obligated to comment or respond to a journalist’s questions under any circumstances. Designated staff persons are equipped and prepared to speak with members of the media on behalf of the institution.
Military Recruiter Access Policy
College Vendors
Persons visiting campus as representatives of vendors or potential vendors to Messiah College, contractors, service and maintenance personnel from off-campus organizations making scheduled visits to a College office, or other persons doing business with the College should check in at the Lenhart Building or Dispatch Services, located in Eisenhower Campus Center. Vendors will need to sign in and will receive the appropriate passes for access to campus.
Parking
All visitors on campus should park in designated visitor parking areas. Locations of visitor spaces: Old Main, Eisenhower Campus Center, behind Kelly Apartments, WW Lot, and on College Avenue in front of Hess Dorm.
All Pennsylvania Vehicle Code regulations apply on campus roadways and may be enforced by local police departments and/or the Department of Safety.
Visitors who are on campus for more than one day are encouraged to get a temporary parking pass from the Dispatch Office, located in Eisenhower Campus Center.
If a visitor receives a citation, he/she can return this citation to the Dispatch Office, located in Eisenhower Campus Center.
