Before You Register

  • A media release form is required for each conference attendee.
  • New guidelines are in effect for solo and group conference registrations.

Media Release Forms

Completed release forms are required for all attendees.

We are excited to welcome you to the Columbia campus for our 86th Annual Fall Conference.

CSPA has hired professional photographers to document the amazing experiences that will take place during the event. These photos and videos will not only amplify our archive but will also be used to publicize future CSPA events and programs.

WHY IS COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY REQUIRING MEDIA RELEASE FORMS FOR EACH ATTENDEE?

Columbia University's privacy policy requires CSPA to obtain a signed media release from everyone attending any University event. Attendees who opt out must still complete the form.

Submitting a completed media release form allows CSPA and the University to safely use photos and/or videos of your participation on campus in marketing and promotional materials.

WHO IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A COMPLETED MEDIA RELEASE FORM?

All conference delegates are required to complete and submit a completed media release form.

  • Adult attendees (18 years of age and older): Adult attendees should complete and sign their own forms.
  • Minor attendees (under the age of 18): Minor attendees must include the name and signature of an authorized parent/guardian on their completed forms.

Completed forms should be submitted during the registration process, as described below.

DOWNLOAD AND SUBMIT THE REQUIRED RELEASE FORM BELOW.

CSPA has prepared a PDF download for the 2026 Fall Conference.

  • If you are attending alone, download the PDF file and upload the completed form during your registration.
  • If you are attending as a group: download the PDF file and distribute a separate form to each group member as soon as possible.

Completed media release forms should be submitted as part of the registration process.

HOW SHOULD I COMPLETE THE MEDIA RELEASE FORM?

  1. Download the media release form.
  2. Open the PDF file.
  3. Complete the available fill-in form fields.
  4. Print the form.
  5. Sign and date the form. (Conference attendees who are minors [below 18 years of age] must include a parent/guardian's name and signature.)
  6. Scan the signed form and save it as a PDF file.
  7. Upload the completed form during the Conference registration process.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF AN ATTENDEE CHOOSES NOT TO GIVE CONSENT FOR CSPA/COLUMBIA TO INCLUDE THEM IN CAPTURED MEDIA?

If an attendee chooses to opt out of the University's media release policy, CSPA will provide a special wristband to that attendee upon check-in.

The wristband will identify that person to the on-campus photographers and videographers as someone who should not be included in photos or videos captured during the Fall Conference.

Please ensure that your group members complete their forms and submit them to you before you start the registration process.

About Solo and Group Registrations

CSPA and Columbia University have developed specific policies for in-person event attendees depending on their participation: attending on their own, or as part of a larger group.

Solo Registrations

MINORS

Minors (under 18 years of age at the time of the event) are permitted to attend the conference on their own, with the following restrictions:

  • Minors who live within the New York City area and are within commuting distance of the Columbia University campus are permitted to arrive on campus without a parent/guardian, provided they have parental consent and complete the forms below.
  • Minors who live outside the New York City area, not in commuting distance to the Columbia University campus, must arrive on campus accompanied by a parent or guardian. They must also complete the forms below.
  • On the day of the Conference, two check-ins with a designated CSPA chaperone are required: once, upon arrival to campus, and again, before leaving campus for the day.

All minors attending on their own are required to complete and submit the following forms during the registration process:

ADULTS

Adults 18 years of age or older at the time of the event can only attend as a solo Conference delegate in one of the following instances:

  • They are presently a high school student from the New York City area; OR
  • They are an active student publications adviser who is unable to bring students; OR
  • They are a scholastic journalism professional who has been trained in policies for the protection of minors.

Group Registrations

Conference attendees registering as a group are usually part of a school-sponsored field trip, chaperoned by an authorized adult teacher or adviser.

  • Attendees coming from one school should not register individually.
  • An authorized group leader (an adult teacher or adviser), should complete the registration process as the primary contact, listing all students, teachers, and chaperones as members of the same group.
  • If an adult adviser is leading the group, the primary contact of record should not be a minor student.
  • Only the authorized group leader will be able to check in upon arrival at the Conference registration desk.
  • Individual members of the group will not be permitted to pick up their credentials before or after the same group has checked in.
  • All groups outside of the New York City area, not in commuting distance to campus, must travel with an adult teacher or adviser.

In the rare instance that a minor (under the age of 18) is leading a group of minors, they must be from the New York City area, within commuting distance of the Columbia University campus.  The minor group leader is required to provide the following documentation for EACH minor member of the group during the registration process:

Use the links above to access the required forms.