Procedures for non-Departmental Users to Request Access to Campus Facilities FAQ

In response to public comments and stakeholder feedback, the campus changed four key aspects of the Major Events Policy:

1. The deadline for notifying the campus of a potential Major Event was shortened from eight weeks to six weeks.
2. The number of participants triggering the definition of a Major Event was increased from 200 to 300.
3. The definition of a dance was changed to clarify that dance performances are not considered Major Events.
4. The distribution of alcohol at Lawrence Hall of Science, the Botanical Garden, the Blake House, and Anthony Hall was exempted from the Major Event policy.

As has been the case since 2009, Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) and other non-departmental users are required to assume responsibility for their event’s basic security costs. These costs can range from non-existent to substantial. Please reference the fee schedule (PDF) for details. For example, dances (socials, not dance performances) may be required to pay for security.

For more information about the criteria used to determine basic security costs, as well as what they cover, see Page 4 of the Major Events Policy (PDF), under “Security Procedures for All Major Events.”

Security measures deemed necessary by the UCPD to confront or deter anticipated unlawful activity, disruption, and/or violence directly related to the viewpoint expressed at the event is the responsibility of the campus.

The Major Events policy keeps in place a long-standing provision requiring RSOs and other non-departmental users to obtain insurance coverage for their use of campus facilities. This requirement has been in place since 2003 for outside users and since 2009 for RSOs. Again, the Major Event policy does not change this obligation. See Berkeley Risk Services for more about insuring campus events.

RSOs are legally autonomous and independent from the campus. With autonomy comes the responsibility to meet basic expenses associated with an event. Just as it was before the Major Events policy was adopted, RSOs are expected to pay for security necessary to carry out an event in the absence of any expected disturbance (i.e. making sure people do not gain unauthorized access, making sure only individuals over 21 consume alcohol, etc.). Some facilities, like Zellerbach Hall, require police security for every event. RSOs are also charged when they want the UCPD to provide security the UCPD doesn’t deem necessary for protection of the event. RSOs are not charged for extraordinary security necessary to respond to protests or protect the community.

Yes. Non-departmental users planning a campus event that may qualify as a Major Event must do the following at least six weeks before the event: (1) contact the administrator responsible for managing the intended venue(s), (2) submit an Event Notification and Security Assessment Form (PDF) to the UCPD, and (3) submit an Event Registration Form to ASUC Event Services. The great majority of the time, the UCPD determines the event does not require additional security and planning can proceed without further security preparations.

The requirement for six weeks’ advance notice is based on how long it actually takes to complete the logistical, planning, and security arrangements for Major Events. This is standard practice, for example, at private sector event venues, which often require even more than six weeks’ notice. For instance, from a security standpoint, the UCPD needs two weeks to evaluate whether it will need to request additional personnel from other law enforcement agencies to keep a Major Event safe. If more security is needed, other law enforcement agencies typically require four weeks’ notice to provide additional personnel for a planned event (as opposed to an unplanned or spontaneous disturbance). The total required lead time is therefore six weeks.

No. Non-departmental users may schedule events on short notice at Upper Sproul Plaza, the West Crescent area, and the Savio Steps because the policy does not apply to those locations. The policy only applies when an RSO or other non-departmental user is formally reserving (renting) a campus facility other than Upper Sproul Plaza, the West Crescent area, or the Savio Steps.

The number of attendees that makes an event "major" under the policy is based on the ability of the UCPD to respond to a crowd disturbance with its current level of staffing. For a planned event of more than 300 people, the UCPD may need to arrange for additional officers to be brought in from other UC campuses, or from other police departments, to reasonably assure the safety of the event and the safety of the campus.

An RSO must do the following at least six weeks in advance of the event:

1. Submit a reservation request to the desired campus venue.
2. Submit an Event Notification and Security Assessment Form (PDF) to UCPD by email or by dropping the form off at the UCPD in the basement of Sproul Hall.
3. Submit an Event Registration Form following the on-line instructions.

All of these requirements are on Page 7 of the Major Events Policy (PDF). The policy’s Appendix B on Page 16 provides a fuller event planning timeline that RSOs should find helpful. The quick checklist for other non-departmental users is largely the same. Those requirements start on Page 8 of the policy.

Submit the Event Notification and Security Assessment Form (PDF) to the UCPD more than six weeks in advance of the event.

No. Upper Sproul Plaza (and the West Crescent area, as of Oct. 15, 2018) are not subject to the policy. In accordance with Section 331 of the Berkeley Campus Regulations Implementing University Policies, anyone can use Upper Sproul Plaza without a reservation from 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days per week, for discussion or public expression that does not involve sound amplification. Non-departmental users who wish to use sound amplification in Upper Sproul Plaza or the West Crescent area may plan events on short notice through ASUC Event Services. Amplified sound is allowed at Upper Sproul Plaza and the West Crescent area from noon to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., seven days per week.

Outdoor amplified sound almost always affects campus operations at locations other than where the event is scheduled. The purpose of the policy is to provide time for consideration and coordination of such impacts. Even at Upper Sproul Plaza and the West Crescent area, the use of amplified sound is restricted to noon to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 pm under Section 342 of the Berkeley Campus Regulations Implementing University Policies

The Major Events Policy (PDF) doesn't apply to departmental events, because the campus can control events the campus itself stages. For example, if the UCPD thinks it needs more time to plan security for a departmental event, the Chancellor can direct the department to postpone the event. The campus provides space to non-departmental users on a contractual basis, and once the contract is signed, the campus is bound to fulfill its obligations, meaning the campus does not have the same flexibility in terms of event planning with non-departmental users.

Under the Major Events policy, departmental “sponsorship” means the department takes over responsibility for scheduling, organizing, and supervising the event.Under the Major Events policy, departmental “sponsorship” means the department takes over responsibility for scheduling, organizing, and supervising the event.

Contact the event coordinator for the venue where you want to hold your event. You do not have to obtain a confirmed reservation for the venue on the date and time you want; in fact, most venues will not provide a confirmed reservation on initial contact. Instead they will put a hold on the date and time you request pending a UCPD security assessment and other considerations. Contact information for various campus venues can be found in the Major Events Policy (PDF)’s Appendix C, pages 17-20.

The UCPD can protect any location with enough resources and time to plan. Of course, no amount of protection can completely guarantee safety or prevent property damage. Depending on the type of event, some campus venues will be more protectable than others. Based on a UCPD security assessment, the campus may request that non-departmental users hold their event at more easily-protected locations.

Planning any event involves risk that the event will not occur as anticipated. The contract for use of the venue describes who is responsible for costs if an event is canceled. Campus venues have the right to set their own terms for allocation of costs in the event of a cancellation. Throughout the event industry, it is common for the event organizer/promoter to bear the financial risk of an event cancellation, and that is usually the case with campus venues as well. It is extremely unusual for a planned event to be shut down by the University or the UCPD, and that cannot happen except in the event of an imminent threat to safety or property that cannot be managed any other way. It is more likely an event will be canceled because a speaker or other performer becomes ill or misses a flight.

This policy was made in response to student input to the Free Speech Commission that, given the large number of student programs in the area, Lower Sproul Plaza requires a greater level of management by the campus. Therefore, Lower Sproul Plaza will be subject to the campus’s Major Events Policy (PDF). In order to offer an alternate event location, Upper Sproul Plaza and the West Crescent Lawn will not be subject to the Major Events Policy (PDF) Nondepartmental users may plan events at those locations on short notice in accordance with the requirements of the Berkeley Campus Regulations Implementing University Policies.