1. Purpose

The American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private institution; as such, its campus, which consists of all buildings, classrooms, hallways, outdoor spaces, and other facilities, is private property. This policy is designed to govern the use of the campus for filming, with a specific focus on the commercial use of filmed content.

Filming activities, including photography, video recording, and audio recording, require prior approval from AUA and must align with the guidelines outlined in this policy. This includes the Main Building, Paramaz Avedisian Building, K. George and Carolann S. Najarian MD Building, Mashikian Student Residence, Vartkes and Hasmig Barsam Building, and AUA Center.

The Office of Communications, in collaboration with other relevant University stakeholders, oversees the approval process for filming requests on campus. AUA reserves the right to deny or revoke approval for filming at any time if the activity is deemed disruptive, misrepresentative, or not in the University’s best interests.

2. Personal, Non-Commercial Use

AUA allows students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and visitors to film for personal, non-commercial purposes, provided such filming does not interfere with the normal operation of the University or violate other AUA policies.

Filming must not be monetized in any form, and content that misrepresents the University or falsely implies an endorsement of external entities is strictly prohibited. Such content must be removed upon request.

Formal approval is not required for personal, non-commercial filming, as long as it adheres to these guidelines.

Institutional Media Use by the Office of Communications

AUA reserves the right to photograph or film students, faculty, and staff in campus settings, including but not limited to University events, classroom activities, common areas, and spaces on campus. Such imagery may be used for institutional purposes only, including University websites, social media, marketing materials, and publications.

3. Press and News Media

Credentialed journalists and news media representatives must obtain prior approval from the Office of Communications by emailing [email protected]. Approved media personnel may film on campus, but they must comply with ethical journalism standards and respect privacy guidelines. For more detailed information on the media policy, please refer to this link.

4. University Content

Administrative staff producing media content for AUA’s colleges and other institutional units must ensure that all filmed content aligns with the University's branding and communications standards.

Further guidelines on staff-produced content can be found here and here.

5. Academic and Scholarly Work

Students may film on campus for academic purposes when the activity is directly related to a registered AUA course, research project, or other supervised scholarly work.

Faculty members assigning filming or photography projects can include the following statement in their course syllabus to ensure students are aware that the content created during the course cannot be used for commercial purposes:

"All content created through filming or photography on AUA’s campus for this course must be used solely for academic purposes. Such content may not be used for promotional, advertising, or other commercial purposes.”

Faculty can also submit a request via email to the Office of Communications ([email protected]) in advance of class projects that include photography or filming, specifying the student's name and project details to ensure that the University can properly distinguish between academic work and commercial activities on campus while minimizing unnecessary administrative burdens on faculty and students.

Faculty may film on campus solely for academic purposes, including teaching, coursework, research, and other scholarly activities without prior approval, provided the filming remains non-commercial and ensures compliance with this policy.

Filming for any commercial purpose, including but not limited to promotional, advertising, or revenue-generating activities, is strictly prohibited for students, faculty, staff and alumni.

6. Commercial Filming and External Organizations

AUA prohibits the use of its name, logo, trademarked buildings, and other recognizable campus locations for any commercial purpose, including brand promotion or marketing, without prior written approval from the Office of Communications.

External entities and individuals — such as businesses, influencers, non-profit organizations, or other commercial interests — must obtain explicit approval before filming on campus. This includes the use of AUA facilities for promotional or marketing purposes, as well as filming content intended for distribution via social media platforms. Any filming conducted by external organizations without prior approval will be subject to legal action.

Any external party filming at AUA without prior approval will be subject to legal action.

If filming occurs outside AUA property (e.g., public streets), in order to prevent unauthorized commercial association, the trademarked materials, such as  AUA’s name, logo, or identifiable campus landmarks, must not be visible in the footage.

7. Drones and Aerial Filming

The use of drones or other aerial filming equipment on AUA’s premises is strictly prohibited unless explicitly approved in writing by the Office of Communications. Any footage obtained through unauthorized drone operations constitutes a violation of this policy. In such cases, the University reserves the right to demand the deletion of all unauthorized footage and prohibit future filming privileges.

Approved drone operators must comply with all applicable safety regulations.

8. Enforcement

Failure to adhere to the terms of this policy may result in content removal requests, disciplinary actions for students, faculty, or staff, and legal actions against external entities. AUA reserves the right to deny or revoke filming approval at any time if it deems the activity disruptive or inconsistent with the University's best interests. 

Campus security personnel are authorized to halt any filming activity that violates this policy or presents a safety concern.