U.S., State, and Delta State University Flag Protocols
| POLICY STATEMENT |
This policy outlines the procedures for flying the national, *state, and University flags during proclaimed mourning events.
* In 2016, Delta State University ruled to no longer fly the Mississippi State flag. It has been replaced with the Mississippi Economic Council’s Bicentennial flag indefinitely.
| DEFINITIONS |
None
| PROCEDURES and RESPONSIBILITIES |
Any Delta State University unit that learns that the White House or the Mississippi Governor’s Office is issuing a proclamation to fly flags at half-staff should promptly notify Delta State University’s Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) or University Police Department (UPD). Those two offices will coordinate their efforts.
The OCM will post the proclamation(s) on the Delta State University website and share the news elsewhere across other relevant platforms, if applicable. The UPD will lower the flags on the Main Plaza accordingly.
The OCM will also notify the campus community and the UPD before a holiday in which federal mandate requires the lowering of the flags. The UPD will fly the flags at half-staff at the plaza on these occasions as well, and the OCM will share the news on the Delta State website and other relevant platforms if applicable.
The University President may further decide to lower the University’s flag at the flag plaza and on any University property for other reasons. Such an order will be conveyed to the OCM and executed by the OCM and the UPD via the steps indicated above.
The OCM will receive requests for the University flag to be flown at half-staff to honor the deceased such as active or retired University employees, current students, notable alumni, notable donors, notable friends of the University, notable community members, and others. The OCM director will confer with the University President’s Chief Of Staff about such requests and inform the UPD of granted requests. In these situations, the University flag will be lowered for 3 days (the day before, of, and after the funeral or memorial).
The OCM will create University half-staff proclamations and model them on those issued by the White House and the Mississippi Governor’s Office. A picture of the deceased may also be included in Delta State proclamations. The OCM will announce/include these proclamations via the steps indicated above. Facilities Management will purchase/fabricate and maintain a display case that will house all flag proclamations on the south side of the flag plaza. The OCM will be responsible for drafting and placing the proclamations in the display case.
Responsible Office and/or Policy Owner: Office of Communications and Marketing and DSU Police Department
| RELATED DOCUMENTS |
- None
| STATUS |
Active
| DATES(S) |
Change/Review/Approval Date:
Policy Effective Date: March 27, 2019
Approved by Cabinet: March 27, 2019
