Starting on Sept. 8, the Students’ Administrative Council (SAC) will be offering a postering service aimed at increasing the effectiveness of advertising on campus and avoiding what SAC is calling the “staggering rates” charged by off-campus postering companies.

According to Scott Tremblay, SAC’s Student Life co-ordinator, the initiative to be implemented at U of T’s St. George campus is a reaction to the abuse of poster space by various off-campus, for-profit businesses. “Thirty years ago, you could actually look at a poster board and find information,” he said.

But how will SAC’s service remedy campus clutter? Tremblay says that if the competitive rates offered make SAC the preferred venue for postering, the business of other postering services will be undercut and eventually pushed off campus. And while postering services usually plaster boards with multiple copies of the same flyer, SAC would not put up more than one or two per board.

Students and student groups will be charged 10-20 cents per poster (the larger the quantity, the lower the price), with the first 20 posters free, while U of T administration, alumni, and non-students will pay 20-35 cents. External organizations will be charged between 65 and 75 cents.

With the approval of Student Affairs and building managers, student employees will be postering once a week in 50 frequented buildings-that’s 250 bulletin boards-as well as on the campus’ 10 kiosks.

Tremblay explained that the idea grew out of the need for an inexpensive, campus-wide postering service. “It’s not about regulation. That’s a misconception that’s been going around.”

He stressed that SAC’s motivation was to provide a service, not to make a profit. In fact, he expects SAC will endure some losses before the project becomes “revenue neutral.” For this reason, he feels the initiative will be well received.

Access is another advantage SAC will have over other postering companies, since SAC will be able to post in places where others cannot.

Although Tremblay’s expectations for this project are positive, Jamie Jillis, whose postering service Dr. Jamie’s Events has been contracted with U of T for the past three years, is not as optimistic. “I don’t think they understand how much work it is,” he said.

Citing the high cost of training employees in building regulations, the unreliability of students who have other commitments, and the fact that more time is spent removing posters than putting them up, Jillis says that U of T “would be better off having a professional maintain and provide the service.”

He also foresees some conflict between his company and SAC, since the two services may end up removing or covering up each other’s posters.

Tremblay thinks the service will be more effective than others and also save students money. If a student service like Hart House goes from paying 75 cents a poster to 35 cents, he explained, this will save students money in the long run, since it is students’ money that pays for these services.

As for limitations to the service, SAC will not poster election campaign material, anything that is slanderous or deemed offensive, or “anything that is not accessible.”

If the project is successful, SAC may seek to implement regulations and limits on postings by external groups.