Many students at UC Davis have sat through classroom advertisements for College Works Painting, taking up limited classroom time. Few know that College Works Painting ignores a university policy that bans advertising in classrooms without paying a fee.
Student advertisers usually approach professors before class for permission to speak, and professors often give the go-ahead. Professors need to realize, however, that College Works Painting is a for-profit company that’s come under fire recently for putting students at financial risk.
Unlike most internships, College Works Painting requires interns to run their own painting business, for which they are financially responsible. If the business fails, students lose money. There is the potential for big profits, but the rewards are high-risk.
Advertisers should not be allowed to use up class time.
According to campus policy, College Works Painting should not even have a chance to approach professors. Companies are supposed to pay a daily fee of $1,800 to reserve space on campus for advertising. Even a five-minute announcement in class counts as “reserving a space.”
In last Thursday’s article in The Aggie, Brian Moaddeli, vice president of College Works Painting for Northern and Southern California, pled ignorance of advertising in classrooms. He said, “The reality of it is we’ve always left it up to our students on campus to do their recruitment.”
Giving this nationwide, for-profit company the benefit of the doubt, here is advice for their student recruiters: Don’t flout university policies. It’s not difficult to get permission. Allow us to point you in the right direction – contact the office of Campus Events and Visitor Services.
Meanwhile, students will have more time to learn during the courses they’re paying for.
