Organization and Event Planning Handbook, Student Involvement at Oregon State University

Event Planning

Planning an Event
Personal Service Contracts
Guidelines for Responsible Use of Alcohol
Food Service at Events
Accessibility
Transportation
Assumption of Risk and Liability Waiver

Planning an Event

The talent, energy and vision of the individuals in your organization create the events that contribute to the development of OSU as a just, open, caring and celebrative community. The participation in the organization and planning of events is a growth enhancing opportunity for each individual to develop efficiencies in time management, team building, leadership, resource management, and community building. The staff of Student Involvement is here to support and challenge you as you undertake this endeavor.
This section provides information on university, local and state regulations, budgeting, committee building, programming, publicity, building and equipment use. All of this information is to assist you with your decision-making and to provide guidelines and opportunities for success.

Good planning is essential to a successful event. Here are some steps to get you started:

Develop an Idea
Your organization may have had many events in previous years. The first thing to think about is-do we want to do the same thing that's been done before? Try BRAINSTORMING all possibilities. Think about:

What's our goal?
What do we want the participants to get from attending our event?
What would the overall "theme" be?
What kinds of events would help us meet our goal?
How can we contribute to the campus culture?

Review your group's budget
It is important to think through all of the possible expenses in advance. Do you have enough money to do the event that is being planned? If not identify additional resources for funding or set entry fee to cover the additional expenses.

Reserve the space
See the previous section and make sure you have a space available so that you can move forward confidently in planning your event and meeting the requirements of whichever space you will be using.

Plan the details
The Event planning team in Student Involvement will provide insight into planning steps and details that you may need to consider. They're glad to help you with budgets, committees, equipment needs, food, and ticket sales & publicity. You will also want to meet with the facilities staff of whatever building you'll reserve for your event. They'll work out the details of type and cost of equipment needed, room rental, room set-up, and security needs.

Attend an Event Planning Workshop
Come to one of the Event Planning Workshops sponsored by Student Involvement. They are offered once a term during Fall for Winter events and in Winter for Spring events. Check with Student Involvement for the dates of upcoming workshops.

Organize the planning committee
Talk about what's involved in staging your event. What committees will you need? Common committees include Publicity, Food, Decorations, Program, Ticket design and sales, and facilities. Which members will be responsible? How can you recruit more helpers? If you can divide responsibilities among members, more people get to experience the reward of being a part of creating a successful event.

Implement the event
On the day of the event have an Event Coordinator in charge of the day's itinerary. Check for set-up of your room; account for all equipment ordered; meet with chairs of all committees to identify areas of concern and to "get on the same page." Be sure, if money is involved, that all procedures are well planned and ready to go.

Evaluate the event
Remember the goals that you set at the beginning? It's now time to take a look at those and see if you met them. Also, it really helps your next year's officers if you do a detailed evaluation of the event. What would you do differently? What are you particularly proud of? How good was your planning process? Were enough people involved?

Personal Service Contracts

When you need to pay for personal services, an OSU Personal/Professional Services Contract must be completed and approved at least two weeks in advance by the University Contract office. Examples of when such a contract will be required include but are not limited to: speakers, bands, musicians, DJ's, sewing services, use of sound equipment (when paying an individual), recording concerts, etc. Personal Services Contracts cannot be processed for current employees of Oregon Higher Education Institutions or OSU students.

The key item to remember is that this document will need to be prepared and approved at least two weeks in advance by the university. NO payments can be made if a contract is presented to the university after the services are rendered. You will need to plan in advance, especially if the person to be paid is out of town. The person will need to sign and return the contract before the university will review it. Also, there are only two people on campus who are authorized to approve contracts for the university and only one of them can sign for payments over $999.99. Beginning this process at least four weeks before you will need payment will ensure that there is enough time to complete all paperwork and generate a check for payment.

Please note that students have no authority to sign contracts on behalf of Oregon State University. Therefore if you, as an organization officer, sign a performance or other type of contract, that contract will not be honored by the university and cannot be paid.

Guidelines for Responsible Use of Alcohol

OAR 576-018-0260, effective April 21, 1997

Individual students and all student organizations and student living groups are required to register all events involving alcohol and must have completed the event registration process at least 4 weeks prior to the event through the Student Involvement office. The following represent Guidelines for Responsible Use of Alcohol:

Adhere to all laws and ordinances of the state, county, and city as well as University policies
Hold only closed events for members and their guests for which individual invitations are provided and establish a means to determine each participant's age to assure that no one under the age of 21 consumes alcoholic beverages
Do not provide alcohol to individuals who seem to be intoxicated, regardless of age
Provide food and nonalcoholic beverages
Provide for security and make arrangements to monitor other potential problems such as noise and disorderly conduct
Stop providing alcohol one hour before the close of the activity or event or whenever over consumption is evident
Provide alternative transportation for individuals who cannot drive safely
Use alcohol as a complimentary part of the event rather than its primary focus
Impose sanctions on members of the organization who abuse alcohol
Involve law enforcement officers when individuals become disruptive, disorderly or cannot be controlled
Prior to each event obtain information on state law and University policy governing the use of alcohol

Food Service at Events

Food service requirements are dependent on the classification of an event.

Closed Events: Food service regulations are determined by facility regulations.
Open Events: Food service regulations are determined by Benton County Health and Sanitation and the OSU facility.

Option #1
Have members of your organization do the food preparation at the MU East International Kitchen. All arrangements for student preparation must be coordinated through Student Involvement where you will be supplied with policies and procedures to assure compliance with Benton County regulations.

Option #2
Use a licensed and insured caterer. Check with the facility to determine the caterers allowed to do business in that facility.
The following information is for groups who choose to prepare the food themselves in the MU East International Kitchen:
The event must first be registered a minimum of 4 weeks prior to your event in Student Involvement. Upon submitting your Event Registration form to the Student Involvement Information Desk, please schedule an appointment with the Special Events Coordinator to plan your event.

Safety and Security

This policy clarifies Student Involvement's role as listed in OAR 576-018-0100: Open Events, Concerts and Dances.

Policy
This policy is dedicated to insuring the consistency of event security for OSU Recognized Student Organizations, ASOSU, MUPC, Cultural Centers, Craft Center, Student Involvement and Student Media as they sponsor events on campus. These events must be registered through Student Involvement. Events must adhere to the Oregon Administrative Rules and Student Fee Use Regulations. These events must be open to the public and alcohol/drug free. The intent is to provide a secure environment for participants, with the cost being covered by Student Fees.

Procedures

Each event must be registered through Student Involvement a minimum of four weeks prior to the scheduled date of the event.
Based on campus location, security needs for events will be determined by the location manager and OSU Public Safety.
All events must meet the requirements for the use of Student Fees.
Contributions for security cost from Student Fees will not exceed $1000 for any one event. The sponsoring organization is responsible for additional coverage.
Student Involvement will alert Public Safety to the events as they are registered with Student Involvement.

Accessibility

Physical access must be provided for all campus events and programs. It is the responsibility of the coordinator of the event to make sure that the location is physically accessible and to be aware of particular limitations of the space (i.e. front and back access to a room; parking nearby). By inviting requests for accommodations by a specific deadline, needs should be met and surprise requests prevented.

Accommodations typically requested for events include preferential seating, portable amplification systems, sign language interpreters, and modified formats of printed materials. When scheduling a sign language interpreter, allow at least seven working days.

Individuals attending campus events must be given the opportunity to request accommodations within a specific time period; a contact person should be identified. All announcements, ticket information, brochures, posters, etc., should include one of the following statements:

Requests for accommodations related to disability need to be made to (name) at (phone number) by (date).
Requests for a sign language interpreter and other requests for accommodations related to disability need to be made to (name) at (phone number) by (date).
For assistance in satisfying the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 737-4098.

Transportation

Motor Pool Policies and Procedures selected sections numbered to correspond with Motor Pool Policies and Procedures Publication. OAR 576-018-0220 specifies Use of University Property.

Use of motor pool vehicles is restricted to student organizations funded by student fees.

Responsibility for knowledge of state laws, rules and regulations governing use of state-owned vehicles rests with the driver. Drivers of University vehicles are expected to observe all traffic laws. Failure to do so could result in suspension of use privileges. Fines for violations are the responsibility of the individual driver and may not be paid from University funds. Drivers are required to hold a valid driver's license from the State of Oregon or a reciprocating state and have a satisfactory driving record with no major traffic offenses. International driver's licenses are not acceptable. Drivers shall be personally responsible for costs resulting from damage to vehicles while engaged in unauthorized or illegal use of state vehicles and for restoration of vehicles to original condition.

Students may be authorized to operate official vehicles for approved University activities after first obtaining authorization forms from the head of the department, the department administration office or Motor Pool, when such operation is clearly in the interest of the University. The request for authorization is obtained from the department administrative office or from the Motor Pool. Student Organizations may be authorized for specific University sanctioned trips if approved by the Student Involvement designee, who must provide a state funded account.

Use of Motor Vehicles
If you drive or provide your own motor vehicle for transportation you will be expected to accept full responsibility and liability for yourself and your passengers. You are not covered by insurance through Oregon State University. If you are a passenger in such a private vehicle, be aware that OSU insurance does not cover any damage or injury suffered in the course of traveling in private vehicles.

For more information contact Student Involvement or the Oregon State University Motor Pool at 7-4141.

Assumption of Risk and Liability

Risks
Please understand that when you participate in various recognized student activities, you may be risking your physical well-being. Make sure that you are adequately prepared with proper skills and/or equipment and insurance. No personal medical insurance is provided.

Participation is Voluntary
Your participation in events is not required, nor is any specific activity within the event required. If you feel a particular part of the event is beyond your ability or you feel it has some risks you are not prepared to accept, you should feel free not to participate in that aspect.

Liability Waiver
Assumption of Risk and Liability Waiver forms are available from Student Involvement. Before signing this waiver, read it carefully. Participants should not be asked to sign the form until they fully understand the statements and the risks of participating in the event. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask the event sponsor or a Student Involvement staff member.


			OSU Home » Student Involvement » Student Organization Development » Organization Resources » Organization and Event Planning Handbook » Event Planning. Event Planning Planning an Event Personal Service Contracts Guidelines for Responsible Use of Alcohol Food Service at Events Accessibility Transportation Assumption of Risk and Liability Waiver Planning an Event The talent, energy and vision of the individuals in your organization create the events that contribute to the development of OSU as a just, open, caring and celebrative community. The participation in the organization and planning of events is a growth enhancing opportunity for each individual to develop efficiencies in time management, team building, leadership, resource management, and community building. The staff of Student Involvement is here to support and challenge you as you undertake this endeavor. This section provides information on university, local and state regulations, budgeting, committee building, programming, publicity, building and equipment use. All of this information is to assist you with your decision-making and to provide guidelines and opportunities for success. Good planning is essential to a successful event. Here are some steps to get you started: Develop an Idea Your organization may have had many events in previous years. The first thing to think about is-do we want to do the same thing that's been done before? Try BRAINSTORMING all possibilities. Think about: What's our goal? What do we want the participants to get from attending our event? What would the overall "theme" be? What kinds of events would help us meet our goal? How can we contribute to the campus culture? Review your group's budget It is important to think through all of the possible expenses in advance. Do you have enough money to do the event that is being planned? If not identify additional resources for funding or set entry fee to cover the additional expenses. Reserve the space See the previous section and make sure you have a space available so that you can move forward confidently in planning your event and meeting the requirements of whichever space you will be using. Plan the details The Event planning team in Student Involvement will provide insight into planning steps and details that you may need to consider. They're glad to help you with budgets, committees, equipment needs, food, and ticket sales & publicity. You will also want to meet with the facilities staff of whatever building you'll reserve for your event. They'll work out the details of type and cost of equipment needed, room rental, room set-up, and security needs. Attend an Event Planning Workshop Come to one of the Event Planning Workshops sponsored by Student Involvement. They are offered once a term during Fall for Winter events and in Winter for Spring events. Check with Student Involvement for the dates of upcoming workshops. Organize the planning committee Talk about what's involved in staging your event. What committees will you need? Common committees include Publicity, Food, Decorations, Program, Ticket design and sales, and facilities. Which members will be responsible? How can you recruit more helpers? If you can divide responsibilities among members, more people get to experience the reward of being a part of creating a successful event. Implement the event On the day of the event have an Event Coordinator in charge of the day's itinerary. Check for set-up of your room; account for all equipment ordered; meet with chairs of all committees to identify areas of concern and to "get on the same page." Be sure, if money is involved, that all procedures are well planned and ready to go. Evaluate the event Remember the goals that you set at the beginning? It's now time to take a look at those and see if you met them. Also, it really helps your next year's officers if you do a detailed evaluation of the event. What would you do differently? What are you particularly proud of? How good was your planning process? Were enough people involved? Personal Service Contracts When you need to pay for personal services, an OSU Personal/Professional Services Contract must be completed and approved at least two weeks in advance by the University Contract office. Examples of when such a contract will be required include but are not limited to: speakers, bands, musicians, DJ's, sewing services, use of sound equipment (when paying an individual), recording concerts, etc. Personal Services Contracts cannot be processed for current employees of Oregon Higher Education Institutions or OSU students. The key item to remember is that this document will need to be prepared and approved at least two weeks in advance by the university. NO payments can be made if a contract is presented to the university after the services are rendered. You will need to plan in advance, especially if the person to be paid is out of town. The person will need to sign and return the contract before the university will review it. Also, there are only two people on campus who are authorized to approve contracts for the university and only one of them can sign for payments over $999.99. Beginning this process at least four weeks before you will need payment will ensure that there is enough time to complete all paperwork and generate a check for payment. Please note that students have no authority to sign contracts on behalf of Oregon State University. Therefore if you, as an organization officer, sign a performance or other type of contract, that contract will not be honored by the university and cannot be paid. Guidelines for Responsible Use of Alcohol OAR 576-018-0260, effective April 21, 1997 Individual students and all student organizations and student living groups are required to register all events involving alcohol and must have completed the event registration process at least 4 weeks prior to the event through the Student Involvement office. The following represent Guidelines for Responsible Use of Alcohol: Adhere to all laws and ordinances of the state, county, and city as well as University policies Hold only closed events for members and their guests for which individual invitations are provided and establish a means to determine each participant's age to assure that no one under the age of 21 consumes alcoholic beverages Do not provide alcohol to individuals who seem to be intoxicated, regardless of age Provide food and nonalcoholic beverages Provide for security and make arrangements to monitor other potential problems such as noise and disorderly conduct Stop providing alcohol one hour before the close of the activity or event or whenever over consumption is evident Provide alternative transportation for individuals who cannot drive safely Use alcohol as a complimentary part of the event rather than its primary focus Impose sanctions on members of the organization who abuse alcohol Involve law enforcement officers when individuals become disruptive, disorderly or cannot be controlled Prior to each event obtain information on state law and University policy governing the use of alcohol Food Service at Events Food service requirements are dependent on the classification of an event. Closed Events: Food service regulations are determined by facility regulations. Open Events: Food service regulations are determined by Benton County Health and Sanitation and the OSU facility. Option #1 Have members of your organization do the food preparation at the MU East International Kitchen. All arrangements for student preparation must be coordinated through Student Involvement where you will be supplied with policies and procedures to assure compliance with Benton County regulations. Option #2 Use a licensed and insured caterer. Check with the facility to determine the caterers allowed to do business in that facility. The following information is for groups who choose to prepare the food themselves in the MU East International Kitchen: The event must first be registered a minimum of 4 weeks prior to your event in Student Involvement. Upon submitting your Event Registration form to the Student Involvement Information Desk, please schedule an appointment with the Special Events Coordinator to plan your event. Safety and Security This policy clarifies Student Involvement's role as listed in OAR 576-018-0100: Open Events, Concerts and Dances. Policy This policy is dedicated to insuring the consistency of event security for OSU Recognized Student Organizations, ASOSU, MUPC, Cultural Centers, Craft Center, Student Involvement and Student Media as they sponsor events on campus. These events must be registered through Student Involvement. Events must adhere to the Oregon Administrative Rules and Student Fee Use Regulations. These events must be open to the public and alcohol/drug free. The intent is to provide a secure environment for participants, with the cost being covered by Student Fees. Procedures Each event must be registered through Student Involvement a minimum of four weeks prior to the scheduled date of the event. Based on campus location, security needs for events will be determined by the location manager and OSU Public Safety. All events must meet the requirements for the use of Student Fees. Contributions for security cost from Student Fees will not exceed $1000 for any one event. The sponsoring organization is responsible for additional coverage. Student Involvement will alert Public Safety to the events as they are registered with Student Involvement. Accessibility Physical access must be provided for all campus events and programs. It is the responsibility of the coordinator of the event to make sure that the location is physically accessible and to be aware of particular limitations of the space (i.e. front and back access to a room; parking nearby). By inviting requests for accommodations by a specific deadline, needs should be met and surprise requests prevented. Accommodations typically requested for events include preferential seating, portable amplification systems, sign language interpreters, and modified formats of printed materials. When scheduling a sign language interpreter, allow at least seven working days. Individuals attending campus events must be given the opportunity to request accommodations within a specific time period; a contact person should be identified. All announcements, ticket information, brochures, posters, etc., should include one of the following statements: Requests for accommodations related to disability need to be made to (name) at (phone number) by (date). Requests for a sign language interpreter and other requests for accommodations related to disability need to be made to (name) at (phone number) by (date). For assistance in satisfying the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 737-4098. Transportation Motor Pool Policies and Procedures selected sections numbered to correspond with Motor Pool Policies and Procedures Publication. OAR 576-018-0220 specifies Use of University Property. Use of motor pool vehicles is restricted to student organizations funded by student fees. Responsibility for knowledge of state laws, rules and regulations governing use of state-owned vehicles rests with the driver. Drivers of University vehicles are expected to observe all traffic laws. Failure to do so could result in suspension of use privileges. Fines for violations are the responsibility of the individual driver and may not be paid from University funds. Drivers are required to hold a valid driver's license from the State of Oregon or a reciprocating state and have a satisfactory driving record with no major traffic offenses. International driver's licenses are not acceptable. Drivers shall be personally responsible for costs resulting from damage to vehicles while engaged in unauthorized or illegal use of state vehicles and for restoration of vehicles to original condition. Students may be authorized to operate official vehicles for approved University activities after first obtaining authorization forms from the head of the department, the department administration office or Motor Pool, when such operation is clearly in the interest of the University. The request for authorization is obtained from the department administrative office or from the Motor Pool. Student Organizations may be authorized for specific University sanctioned trips if approved by the Student Involvement designee, who must provide a state funded account. Use of Motor Vehicles If you drive or provide your own motor vehicle for transportation you will be expected to accept full responsibility and liability for yourself and your passengers. You are not covered by insurance through Oregon State University. If you are a passenger in such a private vehicle, be aware that OSU insurance does not cover any damage or injury suffered in the course of traveling in private vehicles. For more information contact Student Involvement or the Oregon State University Motor Pool at 7-4141. Assumption of Risk and Liability Risks Please understand that when you participate in various recognized student activities, you may be risking your physical well-being. Make sure that you are adequately prepared with proper skills and/or equipment and insurance. No personal medical insurance is provided. Participation is Voluntary Your participation in events is not required, nor is any specific activity within the event required. If you feel a particular part of the event is beyond your ability or you feel it has some risks you are not prepared to accept, you should feel free not to participate in that aspect. Liability Waiver Assumption of Risk and Liability Waiver forms are available from Student Involvement. Before signing this waiver, read it carefully. Participants should not be asked to sign the form until they fully understand the statements and the risks of participating in the event. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask the event sponsor or a Student Involvement staff member.