Our goal is to ensure that faculty, students, staff and visitors on Cornell University’s campus are able to carry out their activities with a reasonable expectation of privacy and normalcy. Cornell University is private property. Advance permission is required to conduct interviews, capture images or video, or record audio on university property. Permissions may be revoked at any time if those actions are deemed disruptive to faculty, students, staff or visitors. Filming inside buildings is not permitted without advanced consent and is not allowed in residential living areas at any time. Cornell University reserves the right to refuse permission to photograph or video record on university-owned property for any reason.
Cornell University welcomes news media to its campus as part of its mission to share research and expertise with the world. News-media filming, photography, live streaming, or any other method of creating content for news media on university property is managed by the office of Media Relations with the goal of supporting or enhancing the mission of the university. Members of the media must request permission before arriving at the university using the online request form. Depending on the complexity of the project, Media Relations may require video crews to provide a certificate of insurance before they come to campus.
Journalists who have not obtained permission from Media Relations to work on campus may be asked to leave university property. Members of the media may not interview, capture images or record audio of faculty, students, staff or visitors without specific permission of the individuals involved. To protect the safety, privacy and proprietary work of faculty, students or staff, a representative from Media Relations may escort members of the media at all times while on university property.
All commercial, non-news, and non-Cornell-student audio recording, photography or filming must be requested at least 30 days in advance and be approved by University Relations. University policies regulate the use of its property for sales and other commercial activities in order to maintain a safe, attractive environment for instruction, research, and public service and to comply with all applicable regulations, including those governing the university’s tax-exempt status.
Each production company will be charged a location fee. The standard large production fee is $10,000.00 per day. In addition, the production company will be responsible for all incurred expenses such as those for electricians, food services, security, janitorial services, etc. Proof of insurance naming Cornell University as additional insured must be provided. Other production guidelines apply and will be presented upon approval.
Cornell University prohibits filming commercials, endorsements or advertisements on university property, as well as filming that implies Cornell endorsement of a business, political candidate or other organization (including nonprofits). Any use of Cornell’s name or marks must be approved in writing before publishing.
NOTE: Filming at Roosevelt Island in New York City is managed by Cornell Tech and may have different requirements. Please visit the Cornell Tech Plan Your Event page or contact events@tech.cornell.edu for more information.
All requests for student projects, non-profit or academic partnerships, and other non-commercial and non-news multimedia recording must be submitted at least 30 days in advance and be approved by University Relations. Proof of insurance naming Cornell University as additional insured must be provided. Other production guidelines apply and will be presented upon approval.
Cornell University must approve anyone wishing to use a drone at the university and require additional information and verification prior to the requested drone operation. Cornell’s position on drones, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, local community standards and established drone industry safety practices set the parameters for approved drone use on university property.
Request permission for recording on campus property
Unless otherwise noted, photography produced by University Relations is licensed under Commons-Attribution-Noncommercial-NonDerivative 4.0 International License.
Use is permitted under the following terms:
Permission to use photography owned by Cornell, but not produced by University Relations, must be obtained directly from the college or unit responsible for the asset. Assistance can be received from the Center for Technology Licensing.
Policy 4.10 "Use of Cornell's Name, Logos, Trademarks, and Insignias" Cornell has adopted certain authorization procedures to ensure that the university and its campuses and units are presented to the public in a consistent, coherent manner, and that university resources are expended efficiently and effectively in alignment with brand guidelines. Cornell University allows the use of its name, and its logos, trademarks, insignias, and other indicia only with permission, as set forth in the principles and procedures of this policy.
Policy 4.11 "Establishing a New University-Related Subsidiary or Affiliated Corporation" The university imposes tight controls on the creation of subsidiary and affiliated corporations in order to exercise responsible stewardship over the university's tangible and intangible assets, to manage risk exposure, and to facilitate compliance with reporting and other legal requirements.
Policy 4.16 "University Social Media Accounts" The university recognizes the value of social media platforms for a range of business goals and must balance its support of social media with the preservation of Cornell's brand identity, integrity, and reputation. As described in this policy, Cornell authorizes the creation and use of university social media accounts, provided their use is professional, protects the reputation and brand of the university, and complies with Cornell policies and applicable laws and regulations.
Policy 4.18 “Political Campaign Policy” Cornell University supports freedom of thought and expression by members of its community. Cornell encourages faculty, staff, and students to be full participants in the civic process, including communicating with policymakers on issues of importance and contributing time and money to the candidates of their choice as private citizens, using their own resources. These activities must be done in a personal capacity, and not imply in any way that the university supports, opposes, or otherwise endorses any candidate for public office.
Policy 4.3 "Sales Activities on Campus" Cornell regulates the use of its property for sales and other commercial activities in order to maintain a safe, attractive environment for instruction, research, and public service. For the convenience of its community, as described in this policy, Cornell University allows limited sales to be conducted on its campus in ways that are consistent with the university's mission, take account of off‐campus businesses, and comply with applicable laws and regulations.
Policy 5.6 "Recording and Registration of Domain Names" When creating a new domain in a diverse university environment like Cornell's, most often it's important to include your college or department's name to help people associate a project or service with the unit that sponsors it. Units such as colleges, schools, and administrative departments have their own three-part domain names, such as library.cornell.edu. This policy provides the criteria for three-part domains, the method for requesting three-part domains, and alternatives.
Student & Campus Life "Postering Policy" This policy is designed to allow campus organizations and individuals to advertise events on campus without causing damage to buildings, signage, and/or trees on or near campus.
Follow Cornell on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr.