University students are returning to campus following the winter break and some may be sporting a brand new drone. Drones have come a long way from the unwieldy RC copters of the past and modern drones can operate across several miles with great precision and with mounted cameras, microphones and other sensors. However, federal and state regulators have not established a robust and uniform regulatory framework for drone operation, leaving smaller jurisdictions, including colleges and universities, to fill the gaps.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates commercial and recreational aircraft, so universities may wonder why their campuses need to get involved. The FAA sets the floor for drone regulation, but many smaller localities have issued stricter rules. The FAA’s jurisdiction, for example, does not extend to drone-mounted cameras, so educational institutions need to address drone-enabled voyeurs with supplemental regulations.