Planning Events

The success of your organization’s events depends on how prepared you are for the unexpected. Your organization should try to anticipate everything by systematically following a clear and agreed-upon process and remaining organized throughout the process. Obviously, smaller meetings are less complex than campus-wide events.You should recognize the scope of your event and plan accordingly. Avoid last minute stress, anxiety, or even the need to cancel your event by adhering to the necessary steps.

A typical process for planning events on campus involves the following steps:

1. Brainstorm ideas.

Create ideas for events with a group of people. If you’re having trouble, keep in mind why are you having the event, the mission of the organization, what the event can provide to the University community, and how you can collaborate with other student organizations to plan an event.

2. Choose an idea.

Make sure that all members of the organization are committed to theidea.You will need the help of your membership to plan this event. If applicable, work with other student organizations to choose an idea.

3. Establish dates, theme, and location of the event.

When planning an event, be aware of other events happening during the same time such as exams, holidays, etc.

4. Create a budget.

Determine if your organization has enough money to cover the expenses of the event. If not, apply for grants or develop fundraising plans.

5. Develop goals.

Include timelines and a master task list. Communicate often with one another and ensure that everyone is aware of their particular responsibilities.

6. Have your event approved.

This should be done through the Department of Student Life’s online event approval form at www.utsc-campusgroups.ca.

7. Reserve a room location or site.

Make sure that the room or location is accessible for students with disabilities. You should not continue with planning the event if you have not received permission to hold this event or are unable to secure a venue.

8. Have your contracts reviewed and approved.

If you require a contract with a third-party service provider, such as a deejay, performer, or venue, be sure to follow the contract’s terms and have the services approved by the Department of Student Life before finalizing any details.

9. Outline service requirements.

All services and equipment, including audio-visual, food, sound, light, staging, and maintenance, should be listed in the original event application submitted through the Department of Student Life website.

10. Market your event.

Develop a press kit, publicity materials, t-shirts or other promotional materials. Advertise on the intranet, bulletin boards, through email, Facebook, etc.

11. Conduct a walk through.

Just prior to your event, divide your planning team into teams and ask them to write out first-person accounts of the event. Have your teams read their accounts to the group when finished.Team members should ask questions about potential problems they identify and formulate solutions to each.

12. Exercise due diligence.
If consideration must be given to the use of safe practices, waivers, or releases, ensure that you consult with the Department of Student Life prior to the event regarding proper guidelines.

APPLYING FOR APPROVAL OF ON-CAMPUS EVENTS

Student organizations must apply for approval of all on-campus events through the online booking form at www.utsc-campusgroups.ca.

On this form, you will be asked a series of questions about your event. Depending on its complexity, you may need the approval of various on-campus offices and administrators.You should leave plenty of time for your event to be considered. We strongly advise all groups to apply for their event a minimum of seven working days in advance except in the case of alcohol-related events, which require 10 working days notice.

The University of Toronto Scarborough is not responsible for assessment of student-sponsored off-campus events, however, the Department of Student Life does offer coaching to ensure that events are safe and well-planned.

RISK PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES

To ensure that the University is acting responsibly in managing the affairs of the campus, it has enacted a series of procedures and guidelines to ensure that all events planned or sponsored by recognized student organizations on the premises are conducted in a manner that optimizes the experience of all organizers and participants, protects the community and minimizes liability.

The Department of Student Life has been charged with enforcing these guidelines on behalf of the University.These guidelines cover all venues and property of the University of Toronto Scarborough.

The Department of Student Life is specifically concerned with on campus events that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Alcohol will be served and/or sold
• Food from off-campus suppliers will be served and/or sold
• Total participants exceed 150 persons
• Total non-U of T Scarborough participants exceed 20 persons
• Activities pose a physical, emotional, or financial risk to participants
• Activities are controversial and/or may be offensive to members of the campus community
• Media or external groups/speakers will be present
• Third-party contractors or services will be present
• Copyrighted materials will be shown

If your event meets any one of these criteria (as determined by the Department of Student Life), please be prepared to meet with a representative of the Department of Student Life in person to conduct an assessment of your event.

FOOD SERVICE

The Department of Student Life requires that recognized student organizations conform to provincial, municipal, and University of Toronto health regulations when serving or selling food to others on campus.

You may be required to follow one or more of the following procedures when serving or selling food on campus:

• Food servers must wear gloves and some form of hair covering (a hat or hairnet).
• Sterilized utensils are required to handle and serve food at all times.
• Food must be brought directly from the vendor to prevent contamination.
• Food must be covered and kept warm or cool during transport to the site and during the time of service. Maintaining safe temperatures by use of a chafing dish or cooling container is required at all times on campus.

All food service requests must include the proper business name of the supplier as well as their address, city, postal code and a complete list of menu items in order for processing to occur.

Recognized student organization cannot serve or sell homemade or home prepared foods at events on campus. Provincial regulations require that all food prepared for public consumption must be prepared in a suitable, approved facility by an individual with proper certifications as determined by the City of Toronto Public Health and University of Toronto Scarborough.

Does your event require the use of chafing dishes to keep food warm? The SCSU loans chafing dishes to recognized student organizations for on-campus events in order to ensure that all food service guidelines are being followed. For more information, please email campuslife@scsu.ca.

THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS

All contracts with third-party service providers, including but not limited to performers, sound and lighting providers, disc jockeys, and tent providers, must be reviewed and approved by the Department of Student Life prior to the service being permitted on campus.

Recognized student organizations are reminded to follow these processes when utilizing third-party services on campus:

• Third-party service providers must not be given exclusive control over the means, method, or details of an event without the Department of Student Life first reviewing all contracts and riders for services provided in University space.
• Third-party service providers may not promote the event to the general public without the approval of the Department of Student Life.
• Third-party service providers must possess their own comprehensive general liability insurance to cover participants in case of injury relative to the service provided at an event.
• Third-party service providers cannot store materials on University property for a period longer than is needed to provide a service for an event. The University of Toronto Scarborough will not store or accept responsibility for the personal property of third-party service providers.
• Third-party service providers cannot be substituted for University of Toronto employees providing a similar service without the written authorization of the Department of Student Life.

ALCOHOL SERVICE

In addition to the applicable provincial legislation, the University of Toronto has established rules and regulations to manage alcohol-related events organized by student organizations on campus. These rules and regulations cover alcohol service and
advertising as well as provide guidelines on how to effectively manage the activity itself. The authority to enforce these rules and regulations is vested in the University’s licence holders through provincial statutes and policies.

Provincial legislation and institutional policies provide licence holders with a range of powers to exercise their duties. These powers include, but are not limited to:

• The right to restrict access to licensed facilities and events to those who meet conditions of admission as defined by provincial laws or institutional policies.
• The right to limit and/or refuse alcohol service to guests at a facility or event if such service were to be in violation of provincial laws or institutional policies.
• The right to have a guest removed from a facility or event if the guest’s continued presence would be in violation of provincial laws or institutional policies, or poses a risk to the safety of staff or other guests.

Student organizations are responsible for meeting with the license-holder delegate prior to their event prior to an event being approved. The Department of Student Life will facilitate this meeting on behalf of your group.

LIABILITY AND INSURANCE

Recognized student organizations assume legal liability for all events, activities and initiatives held on or off campus. It is your responsibility as the organization’s leaders to exercise due diligence when planning events by carefully identifying risks associated with an event and employing safe practices to protect participants at all times.

For events outside of the Student Centre, the Department of Student Life will assist you with identifying risks and recommending
safe practices to protect your event’s participants. However, you should be aware that the University does not
insure any recognized student organization for personal injury or loss of property at their events unless the University is responsible for the injury or loss.

Recognized student organizations should, whenever possible, obtain their own insurance for events; particularly if there is a mod-
erate to high risk of injury or loss to organizers and participants.


STUDENT CENTRE

The U of T Scarborough StudentCentre is operated by the SCSU and serves as a central hub of student life and social activities on campus. Rec-ognized student organizations maybook space, including meeting rooms and tables, directly through the SCSU office in the Student Centre, SL–108.

Individuals who are booking rooms must provide valid university identification and a deposit before being allowed to take
possession of a room key. Room bookings cannot be made more than 10 days in advance unless the student organization can demonstrate that special arrangements are required.

All meeting and social activity space in the Student Centre can be booked from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9:00 am and 7:00 pm and Friday 9:00 am to 5:00pm. Additionally, you can make special arrangements to book the Student Centre Food Court & Student Centre Front Courtyard—please email campuslife@scsu.ca for more information.

Special arrangements for the reservation of the multi-faith prayer rooms located on the second floor of the Student Centre can be made through theVice-President Students & Equity—studentsandequity@scsu.ca.

SHOWING COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS

Showing copyrighted materials, including a motion picture or television show, without the proper licenses or written authorization is illegal. The Department of Student Life will not approve special event requests that involve the broadcast/performance of a copyrighted work unless a copy of the performance license is provided.

The SCSU has obtained a license that allows copyrighted films from most major studios to be shown on campus. For a list of these
film studios, please visit the SCSU office for more information.

If you wish to show a film not covered by the license, the following company handles the licensing for the majority of films released inCanada:

Audio Ciné Films Inc.
1955 Côte-de-Liesse Road, Suite 210
Montréal (Quebec) H4N 3A8
1-800-289-8887
info@acf-film.com
www.acf-film.com

Costs for a one-time performance
license range from $200–$400 per
movie.