Introduction

The following is a statement of the publication policy of The Polytechnic in accordance with the Rensselaer Union Media Statement. These guidelines should be followed to insure that all submissions are considered for publication.

General Policies

All submissions should be made on IBM PC 3.5 inch disks in Microsoft Word or ASCII format or via e-mail. Details on the format can be obtained at the Poly office. Computers are available in the Poly office.

Submissions should conform to Poly style. This means, among other things, that submissions use correct English grammar and spelling. The Editorial Board of The Polytechnic reserves the right to edit submissions for reasons of space, clarity, or style. More detailed information concerning Poly style is available at the Polytechnic office.

Opinions expressed in The Polytechnic are not to be taken as representing the official views of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Rensselaer Union or of the student body in general.

Deadlines

The following deadlines have been established so that deadlines imposed by the printer may be met. Late submissions cannot be guaranteed space. Deadlines are subject to change without notice.

Deadline of all advertising, including Classifieds and Personals: 5 pm of the Friday preceding publication. Deadline for Campus Notices and related public service material: 5 pm on the Friday preceding publication. Deadline for news and features articles: 5 pm on the Friday preceding publication. Deadline for sports articles: 5 pm on the Friday preceding publication, except for articles covering Saturday games. Deadline for opinion pieces: 5 pm on the Friday preceding publications.

Editorial and Editorial Responsibility

The views of the Polytechnic Editorial Board will be presented in the Poly Editorial Section. Editorial opinions will be bound only by the views of the Poly Editorial Board, and shall only represent the opinion of the Board.

The Editorial Board will accept the responsibility for the content of each issue. The decision to publish, edit, or change submitted material rests with the appropriate members of the Editorial Board. Final decision to publish, edit, or change submitted material rests with the Editor-in-Chief. Specifically, The Poly reserves the right to edit material in order that it will conform with style requirements. The Editorial Board also reserves the right to determine the placement of any story within the newspaper and to write headlines for all stories.

Opinion Pieces

The Polytechnic provides space for the airing of opinions on campus issues in the “Letters to the Editor” part of the opinion section. Letters to the editor must be no longer than 500 words in length. This forum is intended for use by the entire Rensselaer community.

Another medium available for the use of the Rensselaer community is My View. My Views are editorial columns by an individual on a campus-related issue. My Views must be between 500 and 700 words in length.

All opinion pieces must be signed and have the author’s phone number and Rensselaer Identification Number in order to be considered for publication. The Poly may, however, withhold the name(s) of the author(s) upon request.

While The Poly is under no obligation to publish any material received, such material will be published as space permits. The Poly reserves the right to refuse the publication of any material it considers libelous, obscene, poorly written, or in conflict with this Code of Operations. The Poly also reserves the right to delete such portions of opinion pieces which are considered unnecessary or irrelevant to the point in question, or to edit or delete sections for reasons of space, style, or clarity.

The columns “Top Hat” and “Derby” are granted as a forum for the Grand Marshal and the President of the Union to present their views and to help them keep their constituents informed on some of the pertinent activities of student government.

Other columns are granted on a semesterly or yearly basis by the Editorial Board. These columns shall provide differing viewpoints to help balance the newspaper. Like all columns, however, they are subject to the same regulations as opinion pieces.

Campus Notices and Public Service Messages

Notices pertaining to the activities of any Rensselaer community organization may be presented in the “Campus Notices” column. Notices may be e-mailed to notices@poly.rpi.edu, or submitted in hard copy via mail, e-mail, fax, or in person, and should not be more than 35 words long. A computer terminal is available in the Poly office to enter campus notices. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit notices for reasons of space, grammar, or clarity.

Consideration will also be given to the publication of free public service advertising. Requests for this space submitted by student government and Institute sources will be given highest priority. The Poly Centerspread Series is a public service provided by The Polytechnic. Centerspreads are allocated on a first-come basis, depending upon space availability. Further information is available from the Poly office.

Advertising

Advertising is handled by the Advertising Director and his representatives. Those wishing to advertise in The Poly may do so by contacting our Business Office. All politically oriented advertising, including student elections, must be paid in full prior to publication. As of July 1, 1995, Union-funded clubs may advertise their respective events for free in The Poly. The placement of these ads must conform to standards and policies of both The Poly and the Rensselaer Union Executive Board on Union-funded club/organization advertisement allocation. Also, these ads must conform to The Poly’s layout dimensions and style. Further information regarding advertising rates, policies, and services is available from the Poly office.

Classifieds and Personals

The Polytechnic shall continue to provide space for paid classified and personal advertisements. All classifieds and personals must include the name, address, and phone number of the person purchasing the advertisement. Specific guidelines concerning classifieds and personals can be obtained from The Poly.

The Poly reserves the right to refuse the publication of any classifieds or personals it considers libelous, obscene, poorly written, or in conflict with this Code of Operations. The Poly also reserves the right to edit classifieds and personals for reasons of space, style, or clarity.

Errata

Factual errors will be corrected or retracted in subsequent issues, if such errors are reported to the Editor in Chief either by telephone, e-mail, or mail.

Editorial and Business Offices

The Editorial and Business offices of The Polytechnic are located in Room 3418 of the Rensselaer Union. Mailing address is: The Polytechnic, c/o Rensselaer Union, 15th Street & Sage Avenue, Troy, NY 12180-3590. Telephone: (518) 276-6770. Fax: (518) 276-8728. The Poly’s e-mail address is poly@rpi.edu and, for its advertising section, ads@poly.rpi.edu. The Poly’s website, which is updated weekly, is www.poly.rpi.edu.