Acknowledgment and Advertising on University of Arizona Web Pages

Acknowledgment

Campus units may acknowledge support, including business support and sponsorships, on University web pages. The support must be consistent with the mission of the University, and acknowledgment of that support does not imply endorsement and may not extensively promote the supporting party or business. Acknowledgment may include logos and slogans that do not contain qualitative or comparative descriptions of the non-University party's products, services, facilities, or company; a list of such party's locations, telephone numbers, or Internet address; value-neutral descriptions, including displays or visual depictions, of the party's product line or services; and the party's brand or trade names and product or service listings.

There are various reasons why acknowledgment of a party, or of goods and services provided by that party, may be made. A sponsoring relationship may or may not be acknowledged. In some cases, acknowledgment may be required by the party as a condition of providing money, goods, or services, or of the use of proprietary software on which a core function of the page is based (e.g., a link to the Google search engine).

Allowable forms of acknowledgment on a University web page may include, but are not limited to, displaying

• The name of a supporting party or business;
• The party's logo or slogan when the logo or slogan does not contain comparative or qualitative descriptions of a business's products, services, facilities, or companies;
• The party's logo or slogan, when it does not include a call to action or solicitation of business;
• The party's address, telephone number, web address, or link to its website;
• The party's brand or trade names (excluding alcohol and tobacco products; see Sponsorship of Events by Alcoholic Beverage Corporations/Distributors) and product or service listings.

Advertising

Individuals (students, staff, or faculty) may not sell advertising or advertise goods or services.

Any University administrative units, including any University departments, colleges, or divisions, may sell advertising on their web pages only to the extent that current University policy would allow such advertising in print media, and only pursuant to an appropriately approved contractual agreement between the University and the third party. Advertising contracts must be reviewed, approved, and executed through the Department of Procurement and Contracting Services. Storage of images, sound files, and other advertising files on University computer facilities will be at the discretion of the unit that owns the facilities, subject to applicable law and University policies.

The sale of advertising must be consistent with the mission of the unit and the University, and all proceeds must be retained in University accounts.

The sale of advertising may be subject to taxation, notwithstanding the University’s tax-exempt status. Units are individually responsible for all tax payments and liabilities, including penalties and attorneys’ fees, in relation to Unrelated Business Income Tax or other tax assessments arising from the sale of advertising.

The sale of advertising in certain contexts may be subject to regulation under Arizona’s competition with private statutes, and may also be subject to procurement procedures. Advertising may not be undertaken in violation of these or other applicable statutes.

The responsibility for determining and monitoring the legality, appropriateness, and content of advertising will lie with each individual unit head. Units must consult with their fund accountant in the Financial Services Office.

Other Reasons for Displaying Information Related to Businesses

Not every appearance of a business entity’s name or of an image or other item closely identified with the entity is necessarily an acknowledgment of support. Sometimes such displays are used solely as a means of improving communication or comprehension.