Terms of your Bus Sign Reservation/Contract
The Student Organization Resource Center (SORC) agrees to render services as stated on the contract; the Advertiser agrees to pay for services as stated on the contract and abide by the following terms.
Payment and Cancellation
- Advertisers are responsible for obtaining information with specific guidelines and deadlines for each type of service. This information is available in print at SORC or here on this website.
- Advertisers may not post bus signs themselves under any circumstances.
- Contracts not paid within 48 hours (2 business days) of origination are subject to cancellation.
- After payment is rendered, cancellations must be arranged with the Manager.
- Cancellations must be in writing (email is best), addressed to [email protected]. Include in your request:
- Group name
- Contract number
- Exact dates that you'd like to cancel (you may cancel all or part of your bus sign reservation).
- SOAS/departmental shortcode
Unused materials are generally eligible for a full refund, but require Managerial approval.
SORC student employees cannot grant refunds unless the purchase was made earlier the same day. Refunds will be issued as a credit toward future SORC services or shortcode credit via journal entry according to the following scale:
| If you cancel your reservation 0 to 7 days before the start date | 0% refund |
| If you cancel your reservation 8-14 days before the start date | 25% refund |
| If you cancel your reservation 15-21 days before the start date | 50% refund |
| If you cancel your reservation 22 days or more before the start date | 75% refund |
Submitting Your Bus Signs for Placement
- You are responsible for submitting materials on time. All materials must be submitted prior to their respective Deadlines for placement. NOTE: Deadlines vary greatly during holidays and breaks.
- SORC does not print bus signs for you; you must print and submit 30 copies.
- You are responsible for submitting materials that are the right size. Thoroughly read the Construction Requirements if you have never made Bus Signs before. Please revisit the email confirmation that we sent you to make sure you have the right size before you get them printed.
- You are responsible for submitting materials that meet minimum standards for content. Thoroughly read Content Requirements.
Construction and Content Requirements
Construction
- If you have never used the Bus Sign service before, allow extra time.
- Bus signs must meet construction requirements before submission.
Content
- SORC does not censor content. However, there are minimum expectations of all advertising materials to clearly identify your organization as the Advertiser.
- The advertiser is responsible for submitting materials that comply with SORC and University of Michigan content requirements. For more information, visit SORC Content page and vpcomm.umich.edu/brand. Some, but not all, of those criteria are listed here:Some, but not all, of those criteria are listed here:
- Voluntary Student Organizations (VSO) may not use university marks, including the Block M, split Block M, or “University of Michigan,” “U of M,” or “U-M” preceding the name.
- University departments and Sponsored Student Organization (SSO) must meet University of Michigan specifications for use of Michigan trademarks, and may not alter the Block M or any other university trademark.
- If your organization is an SSO, it is your responsibility to provide written or online verification of departmental sponsorship before bus signs bearing University trademarks are submitted to SORC for placement.
- If someone from your organization submits bus signs that do not meet content or other requirements, your group is not eligible for a refund or dismissal of late fees to produce new signs that meet the requirements.
- The organization’s full name and contact information must appear on all bus signs in letters at least ½” tall in order to be large enough to be read from a normal viewing distance.
Vandalism/SORC failure
- There is a finite amount of space on the buses. If SORC overbooks the space, SORC staff will attempt to accommodate your reservation. If SORC is not able to "squeeze in" your signs, you have the choice of 3 remedies:
- posting at a later date
- credit toward future SORC services
- refund to department or SOAS shortcode, equivalent to the pro-rated value of time lost
- These same three options exist if SORC fails to place materials as scheduled.
- SORC is not responsible for bus signs that are lost, damaged, vandalized, or removed without authorization.
- Advertiser is not eligible for a refund or credit for lost advertising exposure.
- If you notice that an advertisement is in need of repair, kindly notify SORC.
- If weather, staffing, or equipment conditions prohibit the posting of bus signs, SORC reserves the right to post the signs at a later date (as soon as possible, generally within 24 hours).
- If bus signs were never submitted in the first place, drivers do not e-mail the contact person to find out why the bus signs were not submitted.
After Bus Signs Come Down
- Don't expect to get all of your bus signs back. There are several reasons for this:
- The signs don't all come down at once. Because of the way buses are rotated, taken out of commission for repairs, etc., it usually takes a month or more for SORC drivers to take down all of the bus signs in a set.
- Additionally, some signs fall down, especially when they are on the buses for an extended period of time.
- If you visit SORC every week (the day after our drivers do a route) for 4-6, you increase your chances of getting most of them back.
- We do not discard taken-down bus signs until the end of the month after your signs come down. For example, if your scheduled end date is in October, we would not discard them until December 1.
- If an organization has two bus sign reservations not in succession, it is necessary to submit two sets of bus signs.