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UA Bans Unmanned Aircraft Use Without Approval

2 min read

The University of Arkansas said Monday that it has adopted a new policy that prohibits the use of “unmanned aircraft systems” and remote controlled model aircraft on university property or within the university’s air rights without written approval.

The change comes in an effort to protect the safety, security and privacy of students, faculty, staff and campus visitors, the university said.

“There have been a couple of compaints recently dating back to last baseball season there was a drone flying about the stadium and we’ve had other stadium encounters,” said Mark Rushing, director of strategic communications for U of A. ” It’s primarily a public safety concern.”

Rushing said privacy concerns come into play when the smaller drones can fly around buildings including dorms and near windows. He also said that it has become more of a concern now due to the increasingly low prices of the drones and cameras, stating that some are available for as little as $20, making it easier for more people to own the devices.  

The restriction includes any equipment needed to operate the aircraft. The policy applies to privately owned aircraft as well as those owned by a business or a nonprofit.

Violations of the policy, which is a part of the campus facilities use policy, might result in a criminal trespass warning and possibly arrest for those who do not comply, the university said.

“Public safety is the primary purpose of this policy,” University Police Director Steve Gahagans said in a news release. “Drones and model aircraft can be useful, even fun, but are also potentially dangerous — if they malfunction they could injure anyone on the ground. Beyond that there’s the potential that they could be intentionally used as weapons. And finally they could potentially be used to take video or still images that violate student or employee privacy. These are all extreme examples, but they must be taken seriously. The only real option for us is to restrict use in order to protect the people on our campus.”

The policy does permit use of an unmanned aircraft if approved in advance.

To receive approval, the aircraft would have to meet all federal certification requirements, federal and state laws, and any Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

The university policy asks anyone who sees a drone or model aircraft being operated on campus to report it to the University Police.

According to Rushing, Auburn University and Mississippi are two other schools in the SEC that also have policies regarding drones and the use of the devices on campus. 

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