Georgia State University endeavors to provide for the safety of students and guests attending campus events. These guidelines apply to late night and special events and are intended to complement the University's regular reservation policies and procedures. For purposes of this policy, "late night events" shall mean events expected to end at 11p.m. or later and "special events" shall mean events that 300 or more guests are reasonably expected to attend or that pose a security concern for some other reason, as determined in the sole discretion of the University.
2. Sponsoring Student Organization
Chartered student organizations at Georgia State may not co-sponsor the event with an off-campus organization or with any commercial enterprise. In order to sponsor campus events, student organizations must be in good standing with the University. Student organizations that are on probation or that have any outstanding financial obligations to the University may not sponsor special events/late night events.
3. Special Event/Late Night Event Approval Process
a. The special event/late night event approval process is administered by the Office of Student Life and Leadership. Approval forms are available in 330 Student Center.
b. All chartered student organizations sponsoring special events must complete the approval procedures outlined in these guidelines. The sponsoring organization must tentatively reserve the space through the standard reservation procedures for the specific venue. This reservation will remain tentative until all of the required approvals are obtained.
c. The organization must obtain all of the approvals and signatures from the Office of Student Life and Leadership, Georgia State University Police, organization’s faculty/staff advisor, and event venue at least 10 business days prior to the scheduled event. A meeting will be scheduled with all respective officials in order to review the security plan for the event. Final approval is given by the Assistant Dean/Director of Student Life and Leadership. Requests not meeting the 10 business day approval requirement will not be approved.
4. Student Organization Agreement
a. Admission: Admission to special events/late night events is limited to 1) currently enrolled Georgia State students presenting a valid Georgia State ID; 2) guests of a currently enrolled Georgia State student. No more than two guests are allowed per student. It is the obligation of the student organization and the faculty/staff advisor to enforce these attendance expectations.
b. Admission Charges: Only student organization representatives will take admission funds and must maintain the security of the funds. University police officers or other University officials will not handle tickets or money. There will be no refunds for any event admission charges.
c. Payment for the Event: Payment for charges for the event will be through the standard billing process for the University department providing the service (police, reservations, physical plant/maintenance, etc.). Organizations with outstanding debts will not be allowed to hold future events. Should the organization fail to meet the financial obligations, the organization representative who has signed the Special Event/Late Night Event form will be financially responsible for these charges. These debts will be viewed as debts to the University and the student will have a hold placed on their account until the debt is cleared.
d. Event Time: Times for events must be approved by the appropriate event venue representative. All Special Events/Late Night events must end by 2 a.m. All patrons must exit the building no later than 2:30 a.m. The sponsoring organization must exit the building no later than 3 a.m.
e. Responsibility of Student Organization: The officers of the sponsoring organization shall be responsible for maintaining order at the event. This includes meeting with the advisor and police prior to the event, administering the ticket process, checking student IDs of students and guests, ensuring compliance with maximum-event capacity, ending the event, ensuring compliance with all facility rules and expectations, etc.
f. Maximum Attendance and Loitering: The maximum attendance for each event is determined by the capacity of the scheduled room. After the room capacity has been met, no one will be admitted to the event even if other patrons have left the event. No loitering is permitted in the lobby, outside the building, or in parking areas. It is the responsibility of the organization to inform patrons of this policy during the event and utilize police officers to enforce these policies. An accurate account of all entering patrons must be recorded.
g. Advertising for the Event: No advertising may be distributed for the event until the approval form has been completed and final confirmation and approval have been received by the organization. All advertisement should include the statement “This event is not a public event. Attendance is limited to Georgia State students and their invited guests.” Advertisements must be in compliance with the Campus Posting Policy. Failure to comply with this regulation could result in the cancellation of the event.
h. Cancellation and Inclement Weather: Cancellation policies are venue specific. Cancellations must be in writing and signed by the person that made the original reservation or by the organization’s advisor. The cancellation must be made to the service provider, event venue representative, and the Office of Student Life and Leadership. Failure to cancel the event may result in the organization incurring minimum charges for the event. If the event is canceled by the sponsoring organization, the space arrangements may not be assumed by another student organization. If the event is canceled and another organization has time to complete the Special Event/Late Night Event approval process, the new organization must initiate the approval process as a new event. In the event that the University is closed due to inclement weather, the event will be canceled and no charges will be incurred for security support. Should inclement weather be a possibility, organizations are encouraged to listen to the local media for official announcements.
i. Violations of State Law and University Policy at Event: If violations of state law or University policy occur at the event, including but not limited to, the presence of alcoholic beverages, smoking or disruptive behavior, the event could be canceled immediately by the advisor, police , student organization officials or University officials. This judgment call can be made at any time during the event in question by the aforementioned entities; however, the University police have the final decision regarding the safety of the patrons and the security of University property and may cancel the event immediately.
5. Student Organization Advisor Responsibility
For all Special Events/Late Night Events, the student organization’s University faculty/staff advisor (or approved designee) must attend a pre-security planning meeting with respective University officials and must be present during the entire event. The advisor’s responsibilities include conferring with the student organization leaders and the University police regarding security expectations; assisting with attendance requirements; and assisting in handling any problems related to the event (that is, violations of University regulations regarding alcohol, overcrowding, unruly behavior, ending the event, etc.). An event evaluation form shall be signed during the event and returned to the Office of Student Life and Leadership one business day after the event.
6. Security
a. Georgia State University Police officers must be present for all special events. A minimum of two officers will be required for all events for a minimum of a four-hour time period and the student organization will be billed accordingly. Only officially assigned Georgia State University police officers may be utilized for these events. The final determination of the number of police officers necessary for a specific event will be made by the Georgia State University Police.
b. The police officers on duty will enforce state law and University regulations. One officer will be posted at the entrance to the event to supervise admissions procedures and to provide security for any cash receipts. The other officer will patrol the event both inside the room and outside the hall. If problems occur, officers will respond and request additional support from the Georgia State University police as necessary. The organization may be billed if additional officers are needed at the event.
c. The sponsoring organization will be responsible for all costs related to security for the event. The sponsoring organization will develop a security plan with a representative of the Georgia State University Police, in conjunction with the event venue representative and in advance of the event. The police will make decisions on the number of police officers required, the number of hours necessary and the estimated cost. Prior to the beginning of the event, the student leaders of the organization and the advisor will meet with the police officers assigned to the event for introductions, to clarify roles and to discuss any policy concerns regarding the event.
d. Should circumstances related to the event (excessive loitering after the event, lengthy cleaning time, etc.) require the officers to work overtime, there will be additional charges billed to the sponsoring organization. The police officers will secure the building following the event and will not leave until the building and the area are cleared of people and the area is secure. If any damages are discovered at the end of the event, the police will submit a report to the appropriate facility representative and the student organization will be billed accordingly.
7. Damage and Excessive Clean-Up Requirements
a. Prior to the event, the sponsoring organization, together with the University police, will inspect the facility to ensure that there is no damage caused to the facility. If there is any damage, it will be noted by the sponsoring organization and verified by the University police. A report will be submitted to the appropriate venue documenting damages after the event has concluded. The organization is responsible for any damage that occurs during the event, in the event room, adjacent facilities (e.g. restrooms), and entry areas, regardless of who is at fault.
b. The sponsoring organization should clean up all debris and/or decorations from the facility. Should the organization fail to clean the facility, the organization will incur additional costs related to having the excessive cleaning complete. The sponsoring organization is financially responsible for all damage or excessive clean-up costs and will be billed accordingly following the event.
8. Limited Reservations
a. Student organizations may sponsor multiple special events/late night events during a semester, provided they follow the special event/late night event approval process.
b. Organizations may be denied approval for future special events/late night events if there are significant problems associated with a previous special event/late night event sponsored by the student organization. Significant problems may include but are not limited to, physical altercations, excessive damage to the facility, presence of alcoholic beverages or illegal substances, non-compliance with special event/late night event policy, or any violation of University policies or state law.
9. Exceptions
Written requests for exceptions may be made in advance to the Assistant Dean/Director of Student Life and Leadership. These requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Approved January 1997, Student Life and Development Committee
Revised April 7, 2005, Student Life and Development Committee
Revised November 16, 2006, Student Life and Development Committee
