WUSA Poster Run
Reach students across campus with the Poster Run!
Bookings for the upcoming Friday must be submitted by Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Before booking, please read the guidelines and FAQ below.
Questions? Email production@wusa.ca
How Poster Run Works
Enter the below details into the poster run request form.
- Pick your Friday (first come, first serve)
- Fill out contact details.
- Choose size of poster.
- Letter Space: 8.5″x11″
- Tabloid Space: 11″x17″
- Choose your organization’s type. Are you a:
- WUSA club: Official student group under WUSA. Your poster needs to be approved by the Clubs Manager before submitting your poster run request.
- WUSA society: Official student group under WUSA. Your poster needs to be approved by the Societies Relations Coordinator before submitting your poster run request. To submit your poster for approval, please fill out an event form.
- Student club: Any other student-run group at the University.
- University department: Official academic or administrative unit of the University.
- External group: Organization outside the University or WUSA that may engage with students. Cannot participate in large runs (residence).
Are you a WUSA service? Please do not submit a request form. Reach out to both your Services Manager and Marketing Specialist for next steps.
After submitting your request form, the production team will respond within 2 business days to confirm availability, provide final pricing, and ensure the request meets the guidelines (including necessary approvals).
- Bookings are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Each booking includes a maximum of 6 tabloid spots or 12 letter-sized spots.
- If you are a WUSA club or society, your poster must also be approved by the WUSA Clubs Manager or Societies Relations Coordinator before you submit your request.
Please do not print or drop off your posters until you have received a confirmation email.
Once you receive your confirmation email, please ensure your posters arrive by Thursday at 12 p.m. (noon) at the Student Life Centre (SLC) Turnkey Desk.
Drop off in person:
Place your posters in an envelope with your organization/club/society name and poster run date.
Deliver by mail:
[Organization/club/society name] and [Friday run date]Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association – Poster RunStudent Life Centre (SLC) Turnkey Desk
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Posters submitted after Thursday at 12:00 p.m. may not be included in the weekly Poster Run, even if accepted by Turnkey Staff. Please note that Turnkey Staff are instructed to accept all posters but do not have information about the weekly distribution schedule. Late submissions will still incur charges but may not be posted. For further details, please review our cancellation policy.
On Fridays, the WUSA student poster runner picks up posters and begins posting them across campus on approved WUSA boards (link to list of boards). The poster run typically takes around 10 hours, spread across multiple shifts over the weekend.
- All posters are installed no later than Sunday at 8 p.m. following your booked run date.
- Each poster remains up for 2 weeks (no exceptions). Please plan your campaign around this timeframe.
- After the 2-week period, all posters are removed by the student poster runner. Do not plan to retrieve posters from the boards after this time.
Please note: While WUSA staff ensure posters are installed on approved boards, we cannot guarantee they will remain untouched. Posters may be removed or taken down by unauthorized students or community members before the end of the 2 week period.
After your run is complete, an invoice will be emailed from accounting@wusa.ca the following month.
Payment options:
- WUSA Clubs: Complete a cheque request form (linked on your clubs dashboard) and send it, along with the invoice, to clubs.manager@wusa.ca for payment through club funds.
- WUSA Societies: Complete a cheque request form and send it, along with the invoice, to your signing authority. Once they have approved, please send the signed form to societies.accounting@wusa.ca.
- Reminder: You’ll need an Event ID#, obtained by submitting the Societies Event Form, to complete your cheque request form
- Internal UW departments: Forward the invoice to UW Finance, finance@uwaterloo.ca, for processing.
- External groups: Payment can be made by Electronic funds transfer – EFT (banking details available upon request) or cheque (payable to Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association).
Mail or drop off cheques to:
Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association – Poster Run
Student Life Centre (SLC) Turnkey Desk
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
Note: Late payments may affect your ability to book future poster runs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The price depends on your organization type. The cost of the run is discounted for our members and internal groups.
All prices exclude printing and HST.
Large Run (includes residences)
Posters go to Village Dons, Renison, St. Jerome’s Colleges, WUSA boards on main campus, and outside kiosks.
|
Group |
Letter (8.5″x11″) |
Tabloid (11″x17″) |
|
WUSA Club |
$15 |
$30 |
|
Society / Student Club |
$22 |
$44 |
|
University Department |
$55 |
$110 |
|
External Group |
N/A |
N/A |
Small Run
Posters go to WUSA boards in academic buildings and outside kiosks.
|
Group |
Letter (8.5″x11″) |
Tabloid (11″x17″) |
|
WUSA Club |
$12 |
$24 |
|
Society / Student Club |
$20 |
$40 |
|
University Department |
$44 |
$88 |
|
External Group |
$124 |
$248 |
Large Run (includes residences)
Posters go to Village Dons, Renison, St. Jerome’s Colleges, WUSA boards on main campus, and outside kiosks.
Fall: 213 posters
Winter: 213 posters
Spring: 65 posters (some residences only)
Small Run
Posters go to WUSA boards in academic buildings and outside kiosks.
Fall: 33 posters
Winter: 30 posters (outside kiosks not available)
Spring: 33 posters
To maintain a respectful, inclusive, and student-focused campus environment, all posters submitted to the WUSA Poster Run must follow the guidelines below. WUSA reserves the right to refuse the display of any poster, including but not limited to those that do not comply with these policies.
What Can Be Posted
Posters must be:
- Relevant to students at the University of Waterloo
- Timely (e.g. club meetings, campus events, info sessions, academic deadlines, important information or updates, volunteer opportunities, etc.)
- High-quality, clear, and easy to read
- Sized correctly:
- Letter: 8.5” x 11”
- Tabloid: 11” x 17”
Examples of some acceptable posters:
- Events hosted by or as a partnership with WUSA clubs, societies, or services
- Department-sponsored academic workshops or campaigns
- Volunteer opportunities open to students
- Job fairs, conferences, or educational events that are beneficial to students
What Cannot Be Posted
The following types of posters will not be accepted:
- Offensive or discriminatory content, including hate speech or inappropriate language
- Illegal references to alcohol, drugs, or substances (must follow AGCO and University policies)
- Sexually explicit or suggestive material
- Misinformation, conspiracy theories, or unverified health claims
- Advertising conflicts including, but not limited to, promotion of businesses or services that compete directly with WUSA businesses
- Private advertising not connected to a recognized student group, UW department, or approved external partner (e.g. apartments for rent, used textbooks for sale, etc.)
Poster with the following design issues:
- Blurry or low resolution
- Have accessibility issues and/or difficult to read due to poor contrast, tiny text, or cluttered layout
- Missing essential information, such as the event date or organizer name
Policy and eligibility restrictions:
- External ads in Residence buildings (Large Run) – not permitted under UW policy
- Duplicate bookings – only one Poster Run per organization per week
- Unapproved posters from WUSA clubs or societies – must be pre-approved by the Clubs Manager or Societies Relations Coordinator before booking
Notes on Approval
- All posters are subject to final approval by WUSA Marketing & Communications
- Posters may be rejected or delayed if they do not meet the criteria above
- WUSA reserves the right to make case-by-case decisions for exceptional cases, including external groups seeking to promote events of high student value
- WUSA reserves the right to refuse any poster, for any reason at our discretion
Questions? Email production@wusa.ca
We understand that plans change. If you need to cancel your Poster Run booking, please review the following policy.
Cancellation Deadline
- Cancellations must be submitted by Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. oin the week of your scheduled Poster Run.
- Cancellations after Wednesday at 10 a.m. will be subject to full billing, regardless of whether posters are submitted.
How to Cancel
- Email production@wusa.ca with the subject line: “Poster Run Cancellation”
- Include your organization name, contact information, and the date of the Poster Run you are cancelling.
Late Cancellations and No-Shows
- Cancellations after Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., or failure to submit posters by Thursday at 12:00 p.m. (noon), will result in full charges as originally booked.
- Posters dropped off or delivered after 12 p.m. on Thursdays may still be taken at the Turnkey Desk; however, this does not guarantee they will be included in the weekly Poster Run. Turnkey staff are not involved in the Poster Run process and cannot confirm or ensure the inclusion of late posters.
Running Late?
If you anticipate your posters may not arrive on time or if you have dropped them off after 12 p.m., contact production@wusa.ca immediately to discuss your options. We may be able to offer alternate arrangements if notice is given early enough, but this is not guaranteed.
Frequent Cancellations
Organizations with frequent late cancellations or no-shows may have their booking privileges suspended or limited in future terms. This helps ensure equitable access to the service for all student groups and departments.
Posters are installed by 8 p.m. on Sunday. WUSA manages a set number of boards across campus, but many boards belong to other groups or departments. Check out a list of WUSA board locations here (link) to see where your posters should be.
If you still do not see your posters, please send a photo of the board to production@wusa.ca.
Please note: While WUSA staff ensure posters are installed on approved boards, we cannot guarantee they will remain untouched. Posters may be removed or taken down by unauthorized students or community members before the end of the 2-week period.
Posters are installed by our student poster runner. They pick up the posters on Friday and spend the weekend putting them up across campus. The full process takes about 10 hours, so we allow them the flexibility to work according to their weekend schedule.
No. Posters are displayed for a fixed period of 2 weeks.
- This ensures fair access for all groups wanting to use WUSA boards.
- Plan your poster run carefully so your message reaches students during the intended time.
- At the end of 2 weeks, all posters are removed by WUSA staff. Please do not expect to retrieve or leave them up beyond this period.
- If you would like your poster to be displayed again in a future run, you may submit a new request. Please note, this will include dropping off or mailing a new batch of posters for the next cycle (even if the design is the same).
No. WUSA does not accept both credit card payments or in-person payments.
No. External groups cannot post in Residence buildings due to University of Waterloo policies.
- Exceptions may be made for off-campus events that directly benefit students, such as job fairs, but these require special approval from WUSA. Please reach out to production@wusa.ca for more info.
- External posters can still be posted on academic building boards and outside kiosks through the Small Run option.
No. WUSA will post all approved posters on approved boards on behalf of the group; please do not post yourself. Any unapproved posters will be removed.
No. Each organization is allowed only one poster run per week.
- This ensures fair access to all groups who want to use WUSA boards.
- If you want more visibility, check out our advertise page.