University Policies

Alcohol Policy

Student organizations wishing to serve alcohol at an on-campus event must make a request using an Alcohol Event Request Form at least 5 days prior to the event and follow all party management processes outlined on the Request Form.  A meeting with the Director of Student Activities is required along with the submission of the Request Form before permission to serve alcoholic beverages will be granted.  Any student organization hosting a party with alcohol that has not been registered will be in violation of this policy.  To learn more, please follow this link to read about the guidelines for serving alcohol.

Animals on Campus

In general, dogs are allowed on the grounds of campus, but are not allowed inside buildings (with the exception of Service Animals).  If you are planning an event where you will be bringing animals to campus, you must meet with a member of the Student Activities staff to discuss the details of the event.  You may also be required to build a risk management plan that is approved by the Office of Student Activities as well as the Safety Office.

Film Screenings

Students cannot show a film at organization events unless they obtain the public performance rights, even if no admission fee is charged. The university uses SWANK, Inc. to purchase performance rights. This amount changes depending on the number of people to whom you are showing the movie, but averages about $800 per showing. Some film makers will provide public performance rights for their films. If you are given the rights by a film maker, a letter to that effect must be given to the Office of Student Activities before the film can be shown on campus. 

The law is very specific that fair use in educational environments is limited to:

• The movie is being shown as an essential component to the class being taught 

• The students viewing are enrolled in the class for which the movie is part of the curriculum 

• The teacher is in attendance

Penalties for copyright violations:

• Criminal charges

• Lawsuits

• Fines up to $150,000 

Finding films with public performance rights

The Smith Library Center checks out some DVDs that may be shown on campus without paying royalties.  To browse the selection:

1. Visit the library home page

2. In the Search Catalog and Databases area, enter the topic you are interested in (e.g., climate change) along with the phrase "public performance rights"

3. Use Filters to limit your results to Southwestern University A. Frank Smith, Jr. Library Center

4. Click on the item you want for more information.  View Description should indicate INCLUDES PUBLIC PERFORMANCE RIGHTS in the Notes section.

Please note: You are not likely to find many feature films this way as they are rarely released with public performance rights or included in streaming media databases.

Other Resources

• You can publicly show any film available through the two streaming media databases licensed by the library: Films on Demand or Alexander Street Video

Fire Safety Policy

Open fires are prohibited on campus, as stated in the Fire Safety Policy.  An Open Fire is defined as the burning of fuel such as propane gas, charcoal, paper, wood fuel, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth, or similar purposes.  This includes fires such as fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, chimeneas , and bon fires, and small flames such as candles or incense.

The use of BBQ grills (propane gas & charcoal) are only allowed in designated areas near residential apartments.

Food Handling Policy

Any student organization that is hosting an event which involves food should meet with the Office of Student Activities to make sure all policies are being followed. Student organizations are not allowed to bring outside food in to the Roy Shilling Room, Margaret Shilling Room, Dan Rather Room, McCombs Media Room, or The Cove. Sodexo must provide food for events in those spaces. 

If a student organization is hosting an event in any other space, they are encouraged to give Sodexo an opportunity to bid on the event, but are not required to use them. External caterers are required to provide a certificate of insurance and complete the performer/speaker contract. If using an outside caterer, student organizations are not allowed to promote their event by focusing on the caterer. Their promotion should focus on the nature of the event and can include the name of the caterer but not promote the event because of the caterer. 

Student organizations bringing in food or cooking it themselves are required to go through a food handlers safety training conducted by a Student Activities staff member.

Fundraising Policy

1. The proceeds from the events must be for a reputable charity (non-profit, tax exempt, as defined by the IRS; and qualified, as defined by the Better Business Bureau) or to the organization’s general fund. 

2. If raising money for a charity, the event must have a reasonable potential for clearing a significant profit for that charity. 

3. The organization must file a complete plan for the event, with projected schedules, budget, and anticipated participant pool, in the Office of Student Activities at least two weeks in advance of the events and prior to release of publicity about the event. (see appendix VII). 

4. Within the two weeks following the event, the organizations must file a report with the Office of Student Activities with a description of the activity, budget showing expenses and profit paid to the charity or organization, attendance, and a subjective evaluation of the value of the event. 

5. Such events must operate within the usual University regulations for student events. 

6. The Director of Student Activities or the Dean of Students may cancel an event if the above conditions are not met. Appeal of any decision to cancel may be heard by the Student Government Association (SGA). 

7. The above events policy does not apply to the sale of items to on-campus individuals. Registered organizations may raise money for group activities by selling organizational items like T-shirts, mugs, etc; however, SU funds may not be used as “seed money” for such items. For example, an organization may not use it’s allocated funds to purchase t-shirts which they then sell as a fundraiser.

Organizational Travel

A student organization may take and/or sponsor an out-of-town trip (i.e. one which is outside the Georgetown area) under the following conditions: 

1. The trip must be approved in advance by the Director of Student Activities or the Director of Intramural and Recreational Activities (for sports clubs), who may require that a particular person be in charge of the trip and/or that a designated faculty or staff member or other designee accompany the group on the trip. 

2. Only regular members of the student organization may take trips; and 

3. Student on scholastic or disciplinary probation are ineligible to make any trip. 

Out-of-town trips must be scheduled in the same manner as other social functions. Any absence from classes is subject to authorization by the academic dean involved. In no event does the University assume any responsibility or liability for any accident or action occurring during or taken in connection with any out-of-town trip by a student organization, unless such liability is expressly assumed by the University. 

Vehicle Usage and Safety

15 Passenger Van Usage

Southwestern University has developed a proactive vehicle safety program. This program will help reduce the risk of operating 15 passenger vans (greater risk of a roll-over accident). It involves the following requirements prior to driving any 15 passenger van: driver license check, web-based van driver training, and following our safe driving instructions. All van drivers must have successfully completed the university’s on-line Van Driving Safety Course along with demonstrating mastery of course material in a road test prior to receiving access to the vans. (NOTE: Contact Evan Alexander x1863 to reserve a van or verify eligible drivers.) 

If you drive any 15 passenger van (maximum of 13 passengers allowed): 

1. Driver license record check (Texas license required) 

2. Complete van driver web-based safety training

3. Complete hands-on van driving instruction 

4. Follow required safe driving instructions

Personal Vehicle Usage

Students who intend to drive their own vehicles for organizational travel must first get approved driver status from SU Police (drivers license check, bi-annual) and following safe driving instructions.

Safe Driving Instructions

• Driver and passengers are required to wear seat belts at all times while traveling.  It is the drivers responsibility to ensure prior to leaving for trip/return.

• Avoid significant driver distractions - shall not use a cell phone, eat, smoke, read map, apply makeup, etc.

Conference Attendance Guidelines

Every student attending a conference on behalf of a registered student organization is acting as a representative of Southwestern University. Mature, professional conduct is expected of every student. The Office of Student Activities strongly encourages that the advisor attend the conference to provide guidance and support to the student delegates. The following guidelines have been established and all students traveling on behalf of the University are expected to adhere to these guidelines. 

1. Students are responsible for their behavior and will be held accountable while traveling on behalf of the University. 

2. Respect should be shown at all times for others.

3. If an advisor or student leader feels that any student has not adhered to these guidelines and has behaved in a manner which is unprofessional, illegal, or irresponsible, that student may be subject to disciplinary action upon return to campus. 

4. Student Activities and SU do not condone underage consumption of alcohol at University sponsored/supported/affiliated functions. Representatives of SU are expected to abide by the laws of the state they are in.

Conference Hosting Guidelines

A registered student organization wishing to host a conference on the Southwestern University campus must follow the guidelines below. Please contact the Office of Student Activities at x1345 for more information. 

1. A representative of the organization should schedule a meeting with a member of the Student Activities staff 3-6 months before planning of the event begins. Events with fewer than 100 attendees can work directly with the Office of Student Activities to secure approval. Events with 100 attendees or more will require additional approval by the Vice President of Student Life. 

2. The host organization’s student contact and advisor may be required to complete and submit a Risk Management Plan for approval no later than three months prior to the event start date. 

3. The current organization advisor or an approved staff or faculty substitute may be required to be present during the entire event. 

4. No conference attendees are permitted to stay in University residence halls at any point during the conference. 

5. Reservations for University facility space and/or campus services may not be secured until the event has official approval from the Office of Student Activities. 

6. Reservation or acknowledgment of facility scheduling is not "event" approval. Events requiring "approval" must be processed through the appropriate campus offices. At any point, should a facility coordinator discover that the event needs outweigh our on-campus resources, the event will be canceled.

7. All organizations should consider the impact of their event on the campus community. Any events that may cause disruption to students, faculty or staff will not be approved. 

8. The host organization is responsible for all charges associated with their event. These costs may include, but are not limited to, food service and support, equipment rental, additional staff support, facility fees and event insurance. 

Raffle Policy

Southwestern University is limited to two raffles per calendar year by the Charitable Raffle Enabling Act found in Chapter 2002 (Charitable Raffles), Occupations Code, Texas Codes Annotated. Violation of this law is considered an offense under the Texas Penal Code and is a Class A misdemeanor. This Act includes within its scope raffles held by departments, student organizations, and any other groups operating under the University's tax identification number. 

No raffles should be held without prior approval from the Business Office. Please contact Jennifer Martinka at (512) 863-1290 or martinkj@southwestern.edu if you have questions or if you wish to request authorization for a raffle.