Event Planning

Further Links:

 

 

 

Event & Space Use Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

  1. Establish the foundation for excellent service to the many internal and external groups and individuals who wish to schedule events at Occidental or use campus facilities;
  2. Establish the priorities on the basis of which the College’s facilities will be allocated;
  3. Centralize the administration of all campus facilities in order to ensure that their use is consistent with this policy and to avoid scheduling conflicts that would limit the success of approved events; and
  4. Authorize the implementation of a campus-wide master calendar software program to:

     

    1. provide excellent communication about events and facilities availability among internal departments;
    2. provide event information through a web interface for students, staff, faculty, and interested external community members;
    3. serve as the authorized medium for reserving College facilities

Policy

Occidental College facilities exist to serve the College’s mission. Occidental welcomes the responsible use of its facilities by groups and individuals for purposes that conform to the College’s mission.  As an institution of higher learning, Occidental College seeks to balance its commitment to teaching, research and co-curricular activities with its commitment to public service and to the broader community of which it is a part.

All Occidental facilities are owned by the College, a private non-profit California corporation, and their use is administered centrally.  The President delegates the authority to schedule College facilities based on relevant policies and procedures to the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Master Calendar.  These offices schedule facilities according to the following priorities:

  1. Academic activities involving course credit
  2. College-sponsored activities as directed by the Office of the President
  3. Academic activities other than course-related activities
  4. Administrative department meetings and programs
  5. Programs sponsored by the Dean of Students
  6. Athletic activities in which Occidental College students compete, other than club sports and intramurals
  7. ASOC-sponsored activities, activities related to student clubs and organizations that are recognized by the Office of Student Life, club sports and intramurals in which Occidental College students participate
  8. Co-sponsored activities
  9. External activities

These nine priorities are defined below. All Priority 1 activities are scheduled by the Office of the Registrar. All Priority 2-9 activities must enter the Master Calendar registration and approval process to obtain access to College facilities. All Priority 9 activities must be coordinated and contracted with Conference Services.

 

Definitions:
 

1. “Academic activities involving course credit” are those activities directly related to the instructional mission of the College that take place in designated classrooms and laboratories such as: classes offered for credit to enrolled students, class-related laboratories, and programmatic activities directly related to credit-bearing classes. The Office of the Registrar schedules Priority 1 activities in designated classrooms and laboratories but does not schedule other campus facilities.
 

2. “College-sponsored activities as directed by the Office of the President, or a senior level administrator” includes but is not limited to annual College-wide activities such as Convocation, Commencement, Homecoming, Alumni Weekend, and major events hosted by the Office of Admission and the Institutional Advancement Department. It also includes any events or programs these leaders determine will serve the College’s mission or will benefit the College, including programs of interest to the community. For the purposes of this policy, a senior level administrator is defined as the vice presidents, the dean of students, or the chief information officer.
 

3. “Academic Activities other than course-related activities” are activities sponsored by faculty members or departments that are not related to offering credit to enrolled students but are related to the instructional mission of the College. These activities include such events as seminars, conferences, lectures and presentations by visiting scholars. The Dean of the College approves activities encompassed by this definition.
 

4. "Administrative department meetings and programs"  are meetings, workshops, events and programs called by a formal administrative department of the College. These activities generally are meetings during regular business hours held in conference rooms  and offices usually located in administrative facilities. These events, however, can sometimes take place in meeting rooms in the Johnson Student Center, the Cushman Board Room, or larger public spaces on campus.
 

5. “Programs sponsored by the Dean of Students” includes events offered by the Dean of Students and those reporting to him or her.
 

6. “Athletic activities in which Occidental College students compete, other than club sports and intramurals” include all SCIAC-sanctioned events and NCAA Division III intercollegiate competitions, and team practices related to league-sanctioned intercollegiate competition.
 

7. “ASOC-sponsored activities, and club sports and intramurals in which Occidental College students participate” are events related to those student clubs and organizations that are recognized by the Associated Students of Occidental College. Examples of such events include meetings, workshops, conferences, games, shows, concerts, movies, and dances.
 

8. “Co-sponsored activities” are campus events that involve off-campus individuals or groups and have direct programmatic relationships with College departments or the ASOC that agree to co-sponsor the events. To co-sponsor an event, a department needs to:
 

    8a. Obtain written approval from its Vice President (the ASOC obtains    
    approval from the Dean of Students).


    8b. Provide staff members to help plan and implement the proposed event.


    8c. Accept fiscal responsibility for any unpaid fees related to the event by 
    providing an interdepartmental charge account number (IDC) to the Office of
    Master Calendar when the event is presented for approval.


    8d. Initiate timely communication among campus departments and individuals
    who will be affected by, or required to support, the event.


    8e. Comply with relevant Campus Events Scheduling and Facilities Use
    policies and procedures. The Office of Master Calendar and Conference
    Services will assist departments that seek to co-sponsor an event with
    coordination and logistical support.

 

    Individual College employees (including faculty members who wish to sponsor
    an event other than the types of events described above as Priority levels 1  
    or 3), students and alumni who wish to schedule a campus event need either
    to receive co-sponsorship from a College department or process their
    requests through Conference Services.

 

9. “External activities” are campus events:

  1. for groups and individuals that exist primarily outside of the organizational structure of the College; or
  2. whose proposed events do not have direct programmatic relationships with College departments; or
  3. do not meet the definitions of the eight priorities described above.

To have an activity on campus, interested parties need to:


    9a. meet with Conference Services to learn about relevant College
    procedures


    9b. sign a Conference Services Contract


    9c. provide evidence of appropriate event insurance


    9d. pay fees as determined by Conference Services


    To maintain its non-profit status, Occidental must prohibit any use of its
    facilities by external groups or individuals that would constitute an Occidental
    College endorsement of a political candidate, or a religious, partisan, political
    or sectarian position.

 

 

Responsible parties:

 

Office of Master Calendar and Conference Services. This office provides event scheduling services for members of the College community as well as event scheduling and service coordination for external groups and individuals. The director designs and maintains the College’s automated calendar system and helps coordinate the work of various College departments in support of approved events. Only the Office of Master Calendar and Conference Services can provide institutionally binding confirmation of facility space reservations, except for the scheduling of classes.

Office of the Registrar. The Registrar schedules all activities related to courses for credit in designated classrooms and laboratories. Only the Office of the Registrar can provide institutionally binding confirmation of facilities reservations for credited courses.

Campus Event Approval Committee. This committee oversees the implementation of policies and procedures related to events and facilities use, and periodically reviews and approves proposed events either due to their unique characteristics, or based upon the requests of the President, any Vice President, the Office of Master Calendar and Conference Services. The committee is comprised of:

  • Associate Vice President for Hospitality Services (chair)
  • Associate Dean of Student Life
  • Chair of the Community Outreach Council
  • Director of Athletics
  • Director of Campus Safety
  • Director of Development
  • Director of Facilities Management
  • Director of Master Calendar and Conference Services
  • Environmental Health and Safety Manager
  • Production Manager, Theater Department
  • Registrar
  • Area Coordinator, Residence and Greek Life 

Community Outreach Council. This council reviews requests by external groups and organizations seeking to hold events on the Occidental College campus and has the authority to provide financial support for such requests under certain circumstances.  The council considers requests based on criteria that are set by the council and approved by the President. The council is comprised of:

  • Director, Community and Government Relations (chair)
  • Assistant Director of Conference Services
  • Assistant Director of Resources, Facilities Management
  • Associate Vice President for Hospitality Services 
  • Director of Campus Safety
  • Manager, Community Partnership Programs
  • Production Manager, Theater Department

 

Cancellation

Occidental College reserves the right to cancel an event if fees are not paid according to deadlines identified in the Campus Events Scheduling and Facilities Use Procedures, in the event agreement, or in the Conference Services Contract. The College also reserves the right to cancel an event if the event or those responsible for it do not comply with relevant Occidental College policies and procedures, the directions of College officials including Campus Safety Officers, or if Occidental College officials cannot ensure the safety of students, faculty, staff members or visitors in relation to an event. These cancellation criteria are evaluated at the sole discretion of Occidental College officials and may be applied without prior written or verbal notice to any event, including an event that is in progress.

Every reasonable effort will be made to provide facilities and services as approved through the Office of Master Calendar and Conference Services. However, circumstances may create the need for Occidental College to reschedule or cancel an approved event with or without prior verbal or written notice, and at the sole discretion and judgment of Occidental College officials. Circumstances which might require event cancellation include but are not limited to natural disasters, war or threat of terrorism, inability to provide approved services for reasons outside the College's reasonable control, or as the result of College priorities as defined in this policy. The Office of Master Calendar and Conference Services will make every reasonable effort to notify affected parties in as timely a fashion as is practically possible under the circumstances existing at the time of the decision. The Office of Master Calendar and Conference Services will make every reasonable effort to find an alternative location, or to reschedule a previously scheduled event into the same location on an alternative date.

As a condition of scheduling approved events, parties accept the possibility that their activity could be rescheduled with little or no notice, and agree that Occidental College will not bear financial or other responsibilities due to this policy.

August 15, 2005

 

Taken from http://www.oxy.edu/x3890.xml