Media Policy and FAQs

Media Policy

The University Communications office aims to service media requests with accurate, transparent and timely information. We partner with the media to help tell the story of the university and its leadership, faculty, staff, students and alums. Our leading and award-winning faculty experts are available for media inquiries, and the full database can be found at UMD Right Now.

As a public institution, the university permits media representatives and film in public, outdoor spaces on UMD's campus. We encourage all members of the media who are visiting to notify University Communications in advance by emailing mediainfo@umd.edu. This allows us to help coordinate interviews, if possible, offer parking options and provide helpful information. Exceptions include members of the media covering athletic events. These individuals should coordinate directly with the Maryland Athletics media relations team.

Please read through the following Frequently Asked Questions for assistance with common media requests.

On-Campus Filming and Photography Guidelines

News media who plan to film or photograph on UMD’s campus are asked to notify the university's Office of Marketing and Communications in advance. In addition, any commercial filming or photography inside campus buildings must be approved in advance.

In some cases, a campus escort may be required. University Communications will advise members of the media in advance if the need for an escort arises.

The university's Office of Marketing and Communications will work with news and commercial media to determine available filming locations on campus. To respect the privacy of our community members, filming or photography inside residence halls, the University Health Center and other private spaces is prohibited, with rare exceptions.

All requests to film or photograph at a UMD athletic facility must be coordinated through Maryland Athletics. Please contact Jason Yellin at jyellin@umd.edu or contact the Maryland Athletics media relations team.

News Photography and Filming on Campus – As a public institution, the university permits media representatives to photograph and film in public, outdoor spaces on UMD’s campus. However, media are not permitted to photograph or film inside any building on campus without explicit permission from the university's Office of Marketing and Communications.

Commercial Filming and Photography – All commercial filming and photography must be coordinated and approved through the university's Office of Marketing and Communications. All requests for commercial filming on campus must be accompanied by a completed filming application. Applications must be submitted to the university's Office of Marketing and Communications a minimum of 10 business days prior to the requested film date.

Commercial and documentary filming within indoor and outdoor spaces requires a signed film agreement and is subject to a daily fee, campus escort and insurance documentation.

A filming fee of $1,000 per day is required for all non-news or commercial filming.

A Certificate of Insurance for $1,000,000 (with a 30-day cancellation notice that names the University of Maryland as an additional insured) is required in advance for all filming.

Other service fees may apply:

Security aide escorts
Room rental
Parking permits

All filming requests will receive a timely response via email. Please note that business hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekend and holiday requests will not be addressed until the next business day. The university's Office of Marketing and Communications reserves the right to decline any request. Questions regarding commercial filming and photography should be directed to filming@umd.edu.

FAQs

In most cases, information will be posted as soon as it's available on UMD Right Now and the @UMDRightNow X/Twitter account. If safety is at risk, the University of Maryland Police Department website and social media accounts are the fastest way to receive information.

Media may receive updates when UMD Alerts are issued by the University of Maryland Police Department by accessing @UMPD on X/Twitter, the University of Maryland Police Department on Facebook and UMPD's alerts website.

The university provides data through UMD's Institutional Research Planning and Assessment (IRPA) office. IRPA's data is updated annually. Many data requests can be addressed using the following publicly available resources:

Campus Counts: data and figures for publicly available information about the university, including enrollments, applications, degrees and retention/graduation rates.
Reports.umd.edu: interactive site for information on enrollments, degrees, graduation rates, employees and more.

This information is readily available at no cost to the requester. If after accessing IRPA databases for data requests you need additional information, it may be provided by contacting University Communications or by filing a Public Information Request.

Tuition and fees are set by the University System of Maryland (USM), and information can be accessed on the USM website. Additional information about the USM can be viewed on the USM Institutional Research Information System (IRIS).

To review or obtain copies of University of Maryland records, you must make a written request under the state of Maryland's Public Information Act (PIA). The PIA gives the public the right to review and obtain copies of disclosable public records from Maryland state agencies. The Office of General Counsel handles PIA requests, as all records must be reviewed for PIA exemptions prior to release. Exemptions include, but are not limited to, student education records and medical information protected by federal or state law, attorney-client privileged communications and personnel records. This review is performed by counsel, and such review is required by state law. Find more information on submitting a request here. Media filing a PIA request are still encouraged to partner with the Office of Marketing and University Communications office for assistance with their story.

Unlike Maryland PIA requests, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows the public to request access to records from any federal agency. The university is not a federal agency.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of "student education records" and personally identifiable information therein. A student education record includes any recorded information directly related to a student maintained by the university. With limited exceptions, the university cannot release student education records without student consent.

FERPA allows the university to designate and publicly disclose certain information that is generally considered not harmful or an invasion of privacy. This information is referred to as "directory information." Commonly requested directory information includes name, major, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational institution attended.

FERPA gives students the opportunity to opt out and not permit their directory information to be shared publicly. While the media may request directory information, the university may not be able to provide it without student consent if the student has exercised their right to opt out.