Flag Protocol and Procedures | Marketing and Communications

Status of U.S., New York, and RIT Flags

Flags are at full staff today.

Purpose

This document outlines the official procedures for displaying and lowering the United States flag, the New York state flag, and the RIT flag on campus. It ensures compliance with federal and state laws and directives and reflects institutional values.

Flags covered:

U.S. flag
New York state flag
RIT flag

Location:

Main campus entrance

Authority to Lower Flags to Half-Staff

Flag	Authority	Examples
U.S.	President of the United States; NY Governor (if applicable)	Presidential proclamations, national tragedies
NY	Governor of New York	Death of state officials, state observances
RIT	RIT President	Death of RIT community member, institutional events

Notification and Implementation Procedures

Monitoring
- Office of Public Safety monitors federal and state announcements daily.
  - U.S. proclamations are found here: https://halfstaff.org/
  - New York proclamations are found here: https://ogs.ny.gov/flags-new-york-state-buildings
  - RIT obituary guidelines, which include RIT flag lowerings, are found here.
- Sources also include email alerts, press releases, and official websites.
Verification
- Office of Public Safety shall verify, for authenticity and scope, all directives received.
- Clarification is sought when needed.
Internal Notification
- Once verified, Public Safety notifies:
  - Office of the President
  - University Communications
Timing
- Flags are lowered promptly, ideally before 9:00 AM.
- Duration follows the directive.

Communication to Campus

Flags lowered to half staff will be announced via RIT News & Events.
Federal/state observances may also be acknowledged on RIT’s social media (E.g., Sept. 11/Patriot Day)

Exceptions and Special Circumstances

Flags may be removed or not adjusted during inclement weather or equipment malfunction.
If multiple directives conflict, federal authority takes precedence with respect to the U.S. flag and state authority takes precedence with respect to the N.Y. state flag.

Review and Updates

Protocol reviewed annually by the Office of Public Safety, Office of the President, and University Communications.

Annual Federal Observances

National Firefighters Memorial Day – May 4th (sunrise until sunset)
Peace Officers Memorial Day – May 15th (sunrise until sunset)
Memorial Day – last Monday in May (sunrise until NOON)
Patriot Day – September 11th (sunrise until sunset)
Korean War Veterans Armistice Day – July 27th (sunrise until sunset)
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day – December 7th (sunrise to sunset)