Campus Space Usage Rules
A. Purpose and Principles of Usage
Central Ohio Technical College and The Ohio State University at Newark are dedicated to promoting the free exchange of ideas on campus and ensuring the continued safe and effective operation of the institutions. Use of space is reserved for the direct and indirect support of the institutions’ teaching, research, and service missions, administrative functions, and students’ campus-life activities. The institutions may limit access to, or use of their space as may be necessary to provide for the orderly conduct of the institutions’ missions, administrative functions, and students’ campus-life activities.
Accordingly, the institutions have designated its classrooms, laboratories, recreation areas, administrative offices, research, and facilities buildings as closed for public use, unless otherwise specified. Select buildings have spaces, including but not limited to conference rooms and classrooms, that may be reserved for activities or events that support the institutions’ teaching, research, and service missions, administrative functions, or students’ campus-life activities consistent with these rules.
Visitors are free to walk through our campuses; however, non-affiliates require authorization under these rules to make speeches or presentations, to erect displays, to engage in any commercial activity, or to conduct similar activities on college/university-owned or college/university-controlled property.
B. Designation of Space for Reservation
The campus is comprised of spaces that may be reserved for holding events, which are defined as activities where the user expects sole usage of the space or likely to be a gathering more than 100 people or activities that require physical set-up of equipment, signs, or other structures. Reservations may be made by registered student organizations, students, faculty, staff, and non-affiliates (defined as any person who is not a student, officer, employee, Trustee, or emeritus of the institutions) to support the institutions’ missions, administrative functions, or campus activities. In these spaces, the institutions may place reasonable time, place and manner limitations on usage to ensure that the usage does not disrupt the institutions’ mission, administrative functions, or other campus activities.
Similarly, the institutions have designated spaces that are not available for reservation by registered student organizations, students, faculty, staff, and non-affiliates. These spaces are assigned for specific college or university administrative functions, teaching, learning, or research and cannot be reserved by the Office of Student Life or college or university registrar.
Use of space for purposes other than those for which they have been designated will not be permitted.
C. Reserving Space for Events
The institutions allow designated outdoor and indoor space to be reserved for events consistent with the institutions’ missions, administrative functions, and students’ campus-life activities. Reservations for these spaces are processed on first-come, first- served basis with priority given to college or university departments, registered student organizations, and other official college or university functions. Reservations are non-transferable and the institutions reserve the right to reschedule events consistent with these rules.
Reserving space for events occurring in or on college/university space should proceed as follows:
- Registered Student Organizations – Registered student
organizations must submit requests through the Office of Student
Life student organization form repository. Registered student
organizations sponsoring visits from political candidates or
surrogates must also comply with the Protocol for Visits by
Political Candidates or Surrogates Sponsored by Registered
Student Organizations.
- College/University Departments, Faculty, Staff and Non-Affiliates –College/University departments, faculty, staff and non-affiliates must submit requests through 25Live. Non-affiliates without access to 25Live must submit requests through the Facilities office.
D. Rules Governing Usage of Space
- Facility Hours and Usage
Absent written permission from the COTC president and/or the Ohio State Newark dean/director, usage of institutional space is limited to the designated hours of operations for the space, and other property. Usage shall not disrupt the college’s or university’s administrative functions or other campus activities and may not impede ingress or egress to the campus, any college or university property, parking lot, building, facility, or event.
- Use of Sound
Due to the proximity of offices, residence halls, classrooms, and residential neighborhoods, amplified sound is not permitted when academic terms are in session Monday through Friday before 5:30 pm or after 9:30 pm, and Saturday and Sunday before noon or after 9:30 pm.
- Equipment, Signs and Structures
No bills, signs, or banners may be attached or affixed to college or university furniture, trees, or light poles pursuant to the institutions’ Posting Standards. Signs, a-frames, banners, and other forms of advertising may only be posted adjacent to the approved event and are not to be raised in other areas of campus.
Freestanding signs must be secure and safe. No signs causing ground penetration are permitted without prior approval from Facilities Department.
- Tents
No tents requiring staking may be set up without prior approval from the Facilities Department or the COTC president and/or the Ohio State Newark dean/director. Tents may not cover grass for more than 24 hours after the event concludes.
Tents or air supported temporary membrane structures (inflatables) more than 200 square feet in size or canopies more than 400 square feet in size must have a permit provided by the Ohio Department of Commerce. OSU Emergency Management & Fire Prevention can be contacted for additional information.
- Food
No foodstuffs shall be sold except by college or university food services or vendors having contracts with the college or university and authorization to serve a particular area. Food and beverages may be distributed free of charge in the approved area. All food should be prepared on site, delivered to the site from a licensed caterer or restaurant, or commercially pre-packaged. Student organizations’ bake sales are only permitted if foods are offered for an unspecified donation.
- Grills
Open fires and grills with charcoal are not permitted. Propane grills must be placed atop a shield to protect the surface beneath from drips or spills and be accompanied by a fire-suppression device approved by Ohio State’s Office of Emergency Management & Fire Prevention.
- Pets
All pets must be on a leash at all times and accompanied by their owner, per city ordinances. Large animals are not permitted without the prior consent of the Department of Facilities and the Department of Public Safety or the COTC president and/or the Ohio State Newark dean/director.
- Pond
No person, pet, or watercraft is permitted on or in the campus pond or any other body of water (including when frozen) without the prior consent of the Facilities Department or the Department of Public Safety.
- Overnight Events
Events spanning overnight hours must be confined to a single 24-hour period, with similarly structured events not occupying the same space on consecutive days. Outside habitation must not be the primary focus of the event. Overnight events are subject to prior review by the Department of Public Safety, the Facilities Department, the Office of Student Life, or the COTC president and/or the Ohio State Newark dean/director.
- Rescheduling of Events
Events that are determined to pose a risk to personal safety, institutional property or facility security may be moved to another space or rescheduled with at least a three-day, advance notice until such time as adequate and appropriate security can be made available, as determined by the Department of Public Safety.
E. Damage to Space
Persons or organizations reserving space are responsible for any damage and shall repair the damage to the satisfaction of the Facilities Department or pay for others to complete. Specific services when required or if needed must be arranged and paid for directly with the appropriate department (i.e., Facilities, Public Safety, etc.). Deposits or an agreement regarding use of space, liability, and payment may be required for reservation.
The Facilities Department reserves the right to cancel scheduled events (or move events to a predetermined alternate location if possible) with a three-day notice due to weather, grounds, and maintenance considerations.
F. Enforcement of Rules
All persons on college or university property are required to abide by college/university policies and shall identify themselves upon request to institutional officials acting in the performance of their duties.
Students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with all college/university policies, the Code of Student Conduct, and State and federal laws. Faculty and staff are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with all institutional policies, and State and federal laws. Use of institutional property must not, in any form, disrupt college or university business.
When enforcing these rules, an officer or employee authorized to maintain order on the campus or facility should make a reasonable attempt to warn and advise registered student organizations, students, faculty, staff and non-affiliates to cease the prohibited conduct or activity before citing and/or arresting the individual for violation of these rules, except where the conduct violating these rules reasonably appears to create a threat to or endanger health, safety or property.
Issued: June 2022