In the thick of the presidential campaign, college campuses have become favored venues for nationally televised debates and candidates’ policy announcements.
College officials say election activities can bolster their institutions’ reputations when their campuses show up in the national media, and can provide students and professors a chance to study the electoral process up close.
But being in the national spotlight also has potential pitfalls, according to an article in this week’s Chronicle. Nonprofit institutions must be careful during political campaigns to avoid running afoul of Internal Revenue Service requirements that colleges remain apolitical if they want to maintain their tax-exempt status.
The American Council on Education has put together a legal primer for colleges on the dos and don’ts of campaign season.
