Objective: The purposes of this Policy are to create a safe environment for event sponsors and the guests attending these activities and to clarify expectations of all entities involved in managing these events including, but not limited to, sponsoring organizations, Student Affairs Staff and University Police.

Jurisdiction: This Policy applies to any organization or individual who wishes to use facilities managed by the Division of Student Affairs for large, outdoor and late hour events. Additional outdoor on-campus venues are included but only when requested by registered student organizations.

Definitions:

• Event – any program or event sponsored by any registered student organization, University department or non-affiliated group with a completed Facilities Use Agreement. This includes parties, dances, musical performances, concerts, speakers, and similar types of events. This does not typically include organization meetings, trainings, workshops, etc.
• Facilities – for the purposes of this policy, any building or open area under the management of the University of Connecticut Division of Student Affairs, except as previously noted.
• Large Event – any program or event where the anticipated attendance will exceed 200
• Late Hours – any program or event that begins after 9:00 p.m. or ends after 11:00 p.m. Unless otherwise specified, all events must end by 1:45 am.
• Late Hours Dance Party – any program that meets the definition of a late hours event and includes a DJ or musical performer where the set-up includes a large open area for dancing.
• Outdoor Event – any program or event held on University property that is outdoors including fields, parking lots, streets, etc.
• Outdoor Concert – any program that includes acoustic and/or amplified musical performance(s) held on outdoor University property.
• Outdoor Concert Hours – defined as starting no earlier than 9:00 am and concluding 30 minutes prior to sunset. This is restricted to Saturdays and Sundays or when no classes are in session.
• Approved Event – any event or program approved by any department within the Division of Student Affairs.
• Approving Office – the department within the Division of Student Affairs granting approval for the event or program to occur.
• Student – any graduate or undergraduate student currently enrolled at the University of Connecticut.
• Student Organization – any student organization at the University of Connecticut that has completed all requirements for recognition developed by the Department of Student Activities.
• Student Organization Advisor – the University of Connecticut staff or faculty identified as the official advisor on all Department of Student Activities registration materials.
• University Property – any building or open area under the management of the University of Connecticut.
• Venue – any location where an event or program takes place.

Standards for an Approved Event

The University of Connecticut recognizes the importance of large events on college campuses. It is essential that such events are planned and implemented with the proper safety and security measures. All University employees, students, guests or other visitors must comply with the following standards.

Guests

• Photo ID is required for all guests. All guests must present a College/University ID or show proof that they are 18 years of age.  Minor children under the age of 18, must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, but only if the presence of the minors has been approved.
• Any event including minors must adhere to the University’s Minors on Campus policy. The event will be reviewed for compliance by the Office of Audit, Compliance and Ethics.

Guests Attending Late Hours Events

• Attendees are limited to current UConn students and their guests.  Each UConn student may bring up to five guests to a program.  The approving office will verify the individual is a current UConn student by checking their UConn ID using a One Card verification device.
• An entire party must be present to enter a program. Partial groups are not admitted and additional guests cannot enter after the UConn student host has entered.
• The approving office will record in a database each UConn student and their guest(s). The approving office will also verify that each guest has a photo ID and scan the ID.
• Guests must follow all University and event policies. The host UConn student is responsible for the conduct of their guests at the event.

Staffing

• Organization representatives identified on all event or program-related materials (reservation confirmation, catering confirmation, etc.) must be present at the event at all times. Additional organization representatives may be required by the approving office.
• The Student Organization Advisor may be required to be present at the event at the discretion of the approving office within the Division of Student Affairs.
• Additional full-time staff from the approving office may be required at the discretion of the department i.e. Student Union may require Student Union staff to be present at the event.
• Organization representatives will be required to collect all entrance fees from guests (if applicable) and the approving offices will verify that guests have photo identification on their persons prior to entrance if required for admission.

Staffing for Late Hours Dance Parties

• For registered student organizations, the Advisor MUST be present for the duration of the dance, from the pre-event security meeting to the end of the event.
• For University departments and non-affiliated clients, supervision of the program will be determined by the approving office.

Security

• Decisions regarding appropriate security for an event will be determined by reviewing the following circumstances: nature of the event; number of participants; location; type of event; time of the event; admission policy (open or closed); history of previous events; marketing plan for the event; University status of the group; etc. Various levels of security may be required. The security required may include but is not limited to: University Staff; Student Organization Advisors; University Police; Private Event Security; Bag Searches; Wristbands; and/or Re-admittance Policies as defined below. Additional security measures may be required by the approving office

Police – University of Connecticut Police Officers assigned specifically to the event

• A minimum of two officers are required for a minimum of four hours of service time for Large or Late Hours Programs with a closed admissions policy i.e. attendance is limited to University of Connecticut students, faculty and staff. This requirement may be waived by the approving office based on the information provided about the event.
• Additional officers may be required based on the size of event, venue, admissions policy, marketing plan, etc. The decision to require additional officers will be made by the approving office and University of Connecticut Police Department.
• The Event Services Staff of the Student Union will coordinate all requests for Police Officers. The approving office staff will contact the SU Event Services Office at least 3 weeks in advance to arrange for police security.
• Student organizations are required to pay 40% of University Police fees for indoor events. The approving office will pay the remaining 60% of the University Police fees and may require pre-payment (as a deposit) of student organization costs. Non-student organizations will pay 100% of University Police fees. Police fees for outdoor events will be paid in full by the sponsoring organization.

Private Event Security – a private security agency approved by the University of Connecticut Police Department

• Private security officers are required for Large or Late Hours Programs with an open admissions policy i.e. attendance is expected to include guests with no official affiliation with the University of Connecticut. This requirement may be waived by the approval office based on the information provided about the event.
• The number of private security officers will be based on the size of the event and venue location by the approving office in cooperation with the University of Connecticut Police Department.
• The Event Services Staff of the Student Union must be notified when private security officers are required by the approving office staff and be provided with a copy of the contract between the student organization and the private security agency at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. The SU Event Services Staff will notify the University of Connecticut Police that an approved private security agency is scheduled for an upcoming event.
• Event sponsors negotiate and sign contracts with approved private security agencies and are required to pay 100% of private security staff fees.

Additional Security Measures

• Bag Searches – All guests at Large Events or Late Hours programs will be required to open bags, purses, backpacks, pockets, etc. at the request of University of Connecticut Police or Private Security Officers. Individuals failing to comply with the request will be denied entrance.
• ID Checks – All guests at Large Events or Late Hours programs are required to show photo identification prior to entrance to the event. At any time during the program, guests may be required to show identification at the request of University of Connecticut Police, Private Security Officers or Event staff. Individuals failing to comply with the request will be asked to leave the event.
• Pat Downs – Private security officers will pat down guests to search for items restricted from venues e.g. weapons, beverage containers, medications, drugs, etc. Guests will select a gender-specific pat down area and searches will be conducted by gender-specific security officers. Private security officers may also use metal-detector “wands” to assist in this security check-in area.
• Wristbands – Once a guest has completed the entrance process, the Approving Office staff will place a wristband on the guest to indicate compliance with all security requirements. Wristbands are provided free of charge to student organizations. The number of wristbands issued for each event is determined by the Approving Office based on the established room capacity for each venue. All guests (including student organization representatives, speakers, performers, stage crew, etc.) must receive wristbands and are included in the room capacity.
• Re-admittance Policies – Wristbands are issued once. If a guest leaves an event prior to the end of the program, a new wristband will not be issued. Once an event has reached capacity, no additional entrances will be permitted even if a guest surrenders his or her used wristband.
• For Late Hours programs extending past 11:00 pm, a cut-off time of 11:30 pm will be established for admission to the program. This includes re-admission. If a guest leaves the program after 11:30 pm, s/he will not be re-admitted even if a wristband is displayed.

All Participants are required to comply with all federal, state and local laws as well as all relevant University policies, including The Student Code.

Event Protocol

Organizations will submit a Student Union Event Services request form found at https://www.studentunion.uconn.edu for reservable space. This is the first step in the process and is used to determine space availability and place a tentative hold on the space. A tentative hold on space does not imply an approved program or event.

Event organizers will schedule an event planning meeting with the Approving Office. The organization and the Approving Office will discuss and determine details of the event. The organization representative present at the planning meeting must be in attendance at the event. Topics will include:

• Date, time, location, etc.
• Purpose of the event
• Admissions Policy, ticket sales, handling money
• Emergency information
• Contracts, agreements, permits, etc.
• Risk Management including security and staffing
• Logistics (room, A/V, food, rain location, etc.)
• Estimated budget
• Planning timeline and checklist

Day of Event Logistics

The organization representative must attend a pre-event meeting on the date of the program no later than thirty minutes prior to the start of the event. This meeting will also be attended by a representation of the approving office responsible for the event’s production and a representative from all security groups required for the event. During this meeting, all policies and procedures will be reviewed as well as expectations for all guests. Posters outlining these polices and expectations will be displayed at all events and will be provided by the approval office.

Post Event Review

The organization representative and the approval Office Representative will schedule a post event meeting to review the program. This should take place within two weeks of the event’s conclusion and will be arranged by the approval office.

Method of Compliance:  The Vice-President of Student Affairs or designee shall review this policy as appropriate and provide guidance on the interpretation of this policy.

Approval Date: January 22, 2009; updated June 2010; updated January 2011; updated September 2017