Facility Usage

Scope: This policy and any associated policies refer to all internal and external users of college facilities and spaces.

INTERNAL:

Faculty, staff and recognized campus groups utilizing CSM facilities and spaces for college-related activities.

EXTERNAL:

Outside businesses or organizations requesting the use of CSM facilities and spaces for business meetings, conferences, or other social events.

POLICY:

1. The scheduling of space for credit and continuing education classes and regularly scheduled college events receive first priority on any CSM campus. Facilities will not be scheduled more than six (6) months and no less than four (4) weeks in advance except for recognized annual events; except for requests for the following campus spaces:
   1. La Plata Campus – BI Building, Multipurpose rooms 113, 113E, 103 and 104
   2. Leonardtown Campus – Building A, Auditorium room 206
   3. Prince Frederick Campus – Building B, Multipurpose rooms 103, 104, 105, 119
   4. Regional Hughesville Campus – HS Building, Multipurpose rooms 106 A and B
   5. Velocity Center – Multipurpose rooms 101 A and B

2. Assemblies or other activities, which in the judgment of the President will present a clear and present danger to members of the college community, campus visitors, and college property, or may reasonably disrupt the orderly conduct of the affairs of the college, may not be scheduled.
3. Requests for college facilities and space from external organizations are considered on a first-come, first-served basis. The college reserves the right to approve or deny requests and relocate events as needed.
4. All setups and required support services must be communicated at least 10 business days prior to the event. All modifications or additions to setups must be requested 3 business days in advance. The college reserves the right to refuse changes if not requested within the required timeframe.
5. The room rental fees must be received in full no less than 10 business days prior to the event.
6. Events that are scheduled in any specialized area will require approval by the building or lab coordinator responsible for those areas prior to confirmation of a request. Fees may be charged if additional college personnel are required to work the event.
7. CSM will require an acceptable bond and/or certificate of insurance indemnifying the college against loss or damage as stated in the signed CSM Facility Use Contract.
8. Requests to cancel a meeting, program, and/or activity must be made in writing to the Scheduling Office, a minimum of 10 business days prior to the event. Failure to comply will result in the forfeiture of room rental fees.
9. External groups requesting the use of college facilities for youth-serving programs, must submit a request at least 30 calendar days in advance. For programs lasting more than one day (8 hours or more), the external group must certify to the College of Southern Maryland that the outside group’s staff and volunteers have satisfactory results from a completed criminal background check. No staff member or volunteer from an external program lasting 8 or more hours may work with youth on college premises until a satisfactory criminal background check has been submitted to the College.
10. The College of Southern Maryland reserves the right to limit or refuse scheduling facilities for:
    1. Outside organizations and/or businesses requesting space on a continuing basis (e.g. every Saturday morning) for longer than 1 month.
    2. Organizations or businesses that have not complied with the Facility Use Policy in the past.
    3. Any meeting, event, and/or activity wherein additional documents are required i.e. proof of insurance, satisfactory criminal background checks, and said documents have not been submitted to the appropriate parties by the due date.
    4. Any meeting, event, and/or activity when the completed contract package, including the Event Summary Form and payment, has not been received by the due date.
    5. Any meeting, event, and/or activity requested outside of regular business hours.
    6. Any meeting, event, and/or activity that presents a conflict of interest to the mission, programs, or services of the college.
    7. Misrepresentation of the group or misinformation provided to the college by the group.
    8. Previous non-payment for services rendered.
11. External events that are social in nature, such as receptions, parties, and banquets are prohibited.
12. Any meeting, event, and/or activity is automatically canceled when the college closes due to inclement weather or other emergency conditions. Every effort will be made to reschedule the event or issue a full refund within 30 days.
13. The applicant will name a Group Representative who will be the individual present during the scheduled event and who is authorized to make decisions during the event. The applicant will provide all information required on the CSM Facility Use Contract.
14. Vendors requesting the use of CSM facilities for the purpose of the sale of goods or services, must submit in writing, a detailed description of their business and purpose/nature of event, to the College for review prior to confirmation of the request. Sales are required to be cashless only and taxes are the responsibility of the seller.
15. CSM is to be referenced only as the location of an event when advertising to the public and not as an endorsement of the event.
16. Fundraising events by outside organizations must provide a detailed description of the fundraising initiative to the CSM Foundation’s Executive Director for review prior to confirmation of the request. CSM Fundraising initiatives will receive priority and any requests that result in a conflict of interest will not be honored. Fundraising events by employees or student clubs must get approval through the completion of the Sales, Solicitation, and Fundraising form.
17. Outside organizations requesting to hold training courses at any campus location must be approved by the Continuing Education and Workforce Development offices’ Executive Director prior to the confirmation of the request.
18. Internal and/or external groups requesting catering, may use any currently licensed and insured caterer of their choosing. A copy of the license and proof of insurance must be available upon request.
19. The sale and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages for external groups is prohibited.
20. Internal groups requesting to provide alcohol during an event, except for personal enrichment programs/course, requires written approval from the College President prior to the event being scheduled.
21. CSM personal enrichment programs/courses where alcoholic beverages are consumed or used for demonstration purposes must be approved by the Vice President of Continuing Education and Workforce Development prior to scheduling. Staff are required to ensure that the required liquor license has been requested and approved by both the applicable board of commissioners and the CSM president prior to the program/course date.
22. Any room used during a meeting, event, and/or activity must be left in its original condition and may be subject to inspection by a representative of the college. This includes promotional items, fliers, and decorations. The placement of signs and decorations and their installation requires prior approval from the scheduler. Nails, hooks, tacks, tape, screws, or other similar devices used to secure signs or decorations that may damage walls, are prohibited. Reasonable charges may be assessed against the user for the costs of clean-up and for the repair of damaged property.
23. Use of college equipment, tools, and property is prohibited except for those specified in the Facility Use Contract.
24. All tobacco and vapor-producing products are prohibited on CSM property, including all parking lots and in personal vehicles.
25. Additional policies related to use of facilities can be found in the CSM Administrative Manual or Board Policy Manual. (e.g. Political Activity, HR 4122, Public Safety, PP 6028; Alcoholic Beverages, GEN 411; Petition, Handbill and Literature Distribution, GEN 414; Animals, PP 6010; Smoking, PP 6050/HRD 1116, Free Speech and Expression: GA311)

Exceptions to any CSM policy must be with expressed written authorization from the President.

Reference: Maryland Code, Education, section 15-111.

For more information contact:

Scheduling at scheduling@csmd.edu or x7743