UC Davis Business Services

Contact Information

Conference & Event Services

University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA  95616

(530) 752-2813

Student Dance Guidelines
April 2006

The Student Dance Guidelines were developed with the intent to provide registered student organizations a process in order to ensure the safe and orderly promotion and coordination of dances and large events held in campus facilities. 

These guidelines operate in parallel to existing campus policies and regulations within each of the facilities.  The following facilities where dances may be held include: Freeborn Hall, Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) and Lodges.  These guidelines will facilitate a successful event with advanced planning and the involvement and communication with university staff and student organizers.  Failure on the part of students or student organization representatives to fulfill the requirements established may result in the cancellation of the event by the designated campus official and assessment of appropriate fees. 

I. DANCES DEFINED
 *A “dance” is any social event sponsored by a University-recognized student group or organization, including the Associated Students of the University of California, Davis (ASUCD) whose primary purpose is the promotion of free movement to amplified music in a campus facility or area subject to reservation.

II. DANCE GUIDELINES
A. One student signatory of a currently registered or sponsored group seeking to use campus facilities to hold a dance must:

1.  Check to see if facility is available at http://www.cevs.ucdavis.edu/dept_cont/space/.  Go to CES office to make reservation and to schedule an appointment with a Conference and Event Services coordinator no less than 45 working days or seven weeks from the event date.  The Conference and Event Services coordinator will give the student a “Conference and Event Services Signature Form” and indicate which service units need to be contacted for approval. 
2. Obtain signature approval from an adviser in the Student Programs and Activities Center (SPAC).
3. Obtain signature approval from UC Davis Police Department (UCDPD) on the “Conference and Event Services Signature Form,” verifying that all security requirements have been met.  This must be done no later than 30 working days in advance of the dance.
4. After all approvals and signatures have been obtained, return the completed form to CES.  Students are responsible for providing copies of the final form with all signatures to the facility manager, SPAC and UCDPD, no later than 15 working days before the dance (student group to make copies, CES does not provide this service).  Once the form is received, the reservation will be updated and a confirmed use permit will be sent provided payment arrangements have been made with CES.

B. Organizers of the dance and the student group signatory who appear on the “Conference and Event Services Signature Form” are required to meet with designated campus staff for a pre-event meeting.  CES will schedule the pre-event meeting at least 10 working days prior to the event.  CES may schedule a post event meeting within 10 working days after the event if requested by SPAC, UCDPD or facility manager and/or at the discretion of the CES if the event was problematic.  There will be a $55 per hour administrative charge for post event meetings.

C. An additional meeting may be scheduled by campus staff to ensure that all requirements outlined in the “Conference and Event Services Signature Form” have been met by the sponsoring student organization.

III. ATTENDANCE
1.  Only current UCD students may attend and are allowed to bring one guest who must be at least 18 years of age.  UCD students must show student identification card; guests must provide a photo ID (example:  drivers' license, school ID, etc.).
2.  No attendees will be admitted with alcohol or exhibiting any kind of abusive behavior, including that which is discernibly associated with alcohol or other illegal substances.  All attendees will be subject to search for contraband, weapons, drugs, alcohol, and other illegal or prohibited materials by private security or UCDPD.  Attendees shall be notified through clearly posted signs at the dance entrance that they are subject to search.
3.  No “in and out” privileges allowed.
4.  The “event” end time for student dances will be no later than 1:30 a.m
 
IV. TICKET SALES
1.  Only advanced ticket sales will be allowed for student dances that are intended to reach an audience beyond UCD students (i.e. any large dances in which the promotion, fund-raising, or programmatic approaches are intended either by consequence or design, to attract students from other universities and colleges). 
2.  No on-site ticket sales will be accommodated during the event.
3.  Appropriate “cut-off’ times for ticket sales preceding the event will follow standard operations of the UC Davis Ticket Office, other campus box offices at other universities and colleges, or ticket outlet agencies, in accordance with appropriate business practices.
4.  The maximum number of tickets sold will not exceed 1,200 persons in attendance.  The 1,200 maximum applies to Freeborn Hall only.  The Lodges and the ARC attendance limits shall be established by the appropriate facilities managers at the discretion of the University. 
5. Tickets that will be sold by the sponsoring student organization shall be checked out by the UC Davis Ticket Office.  The Ticket Office follows stringent guidelines regarding this practice, and sponsoring organizations are responsible for the monetary value of the tickets.  Further details are available through the Ticket Office for ticket check out procedures.

V. DANCE ADVERTISING
1.  All promotional material shall be submitted at least 30 working days in advance from the event date for approval to SPAC.
2.  Flyers and posters must clearly state the dance is open to “UC Davis Student and one guest 18 years or older only.”
3.  Advertising may not include any references to alcohol sales or “after parties” where alcohol will be served.
4.  Advertising may not include or imply sponsorship of the University of California, Davis.

VI. SECURITY
1.  UC Davis Police assumes primary coordination for security of the event, approval of private security and Aggie Hosts.
2.  A pre-event meeting shall be held at least 10 working days prior to the scheduled event.  The pre-event meeting will be convened by CES and will include, as necessary, the following: CES and SPAC representatives, UCDPD designee, facility manager or designee, student event contact, and if necessary, other representatives from the sponsoring student organization. 
3. The student (s) serving as the “Event Contact/Dance Coordinator (s)” must be identified at this time and will be present throughout the pre-event and post-event meetings (if necessary).
4.  Security staffing will be determined by venue capacity and prior history of sponsoring group’s events.  Requests for approval to use less than the required number of officers or private security must be submitted in writing to UCDPD and CES and is subject to UCDPD approval.  This request must be made no later than 10 working days before the event.
5.  A minimum of five (5) student event sponsors must be on site during the event.
6.  Private security companies must work under the approval and in collaboration with the UCDPD, and must be selected from an approved list developed by UCDPD.  Private security monitors control of interior doors, crowd control and maintains highly visible security positions within the facility and parking structure.
7.  Student Event Sponsors and the sponsoring student organization shall assist with the interior monitoring of the event, provide announcements, and assist private security and UCDPD with the exterior movement of the crowd from the venue to the appropriate place of dispersal.  For Freeborn Hall, Student Event organizers will assist and exert peer pressure to facilitate the crowd’s exit to the exterior of the Freeborn Hall canopy.
8.  The authority to end a dance due to safety concerns rests with the highest-ranking UCDPD officer on site and in consultation with the senior facilities manager and/or senior administrative official.
9.  The sponsoring group shall incur additional costs if UCDPD determines that additional security is needed at any time during the dance.

VII.       FACILITY RESERVATION DEADLINES
For dances scheduled in Freeborn, the following reservation deadlines apply only to student organizations hosting a dance.
1.  On a first come, first served bases, the first two student dances scheduled in a quarter have a cancellation period of 30 days from reservation date before penalties apply. The rate for 90 day cancellation fees apply to this process.
2.  All other dances scheduled follow standard cancellation policies.

VIII.   FUNDING SOURCES FOR REGISTERED STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Several funding sources are available for student organizations to sponsor dances on campus.  Funding is available to registered student organizations whose dances will serve to promote the campus community to current and prospective students.  The following campus funding sources are available to primarily provide those qualified student organizations funds to assist with the facility and program expenses for dances that take place in University facilities.

Student Dances Grant:
 
In collaboration with the Associated Students of University of California Davis (ASUCD), the Student Programs & Activities Center will administer a limited amount of funds to help subsidize the cost of expenses related to an on campus social dance whose primary purpose is to retain current UC Davis students and to complement the recruitment process of new students to UC Davis.  This fund will be in effect until the funds are depleted by users of the fund.  Only registered student organizations will be eligible for these funds.
 
Amount:
 
The budget for the year is  approximately $7000.00
 
The maximum amount of the grant may not exceed 80% of the total expense or $2000.00 for a Freeborn Hall function and 80% or $1000.00 for all other on-campus facilities.  If the dance is able to make a net profit, the club/organization must refund up to 50% of the original grant back to Club Finance Council so that other organizations can take advantage of the program in the future. 
 
Allocation:
 
Funds will be allocated and administered by Club Finance Council, a program of the Student Programs & Activities Center.
 
 Application Process:
 
A club or organization must first register with SPAC and also attend a CFC workshop prior to submitting an application.  A club or organization is limited to one application per quarter.
 
Application Deadline:
 
Applications will be accepted a minimum of 45 business days before the date of the event.  A club/organization can submit a request as early as 90 days prior to the event date for consideration by Club Finance Council.

*Adopted from UC Berkeley Campus Policy Governing Student Dances, November 2001.