Facility Use

1.0    Purpose

This policy establishes guidelines for identifying and prioritizing the appropriate use of college facilities.

2.0    Revision History

3.0    Persons Affected

3.1    Casper College employees and students

3.2    Any person or organization that would like to use campus facilities

4.0    Policy

The policy of Casper College is to ensure the following.

4.1    The primary use of college facilities is for Casper College’s programs and operational activities. The college does not grant individuals or groups unlimited license to engage in activity that limits, interferes with, or otherwise disrupts the normal activities for which the college facilities are dedicated.

4.2    College facilities are the property of the college. No individual or college unit may consider exclusive ownership of any space, no matter the funding source.

4.3    College facilities are not used for outside commercial enterprise.

4.4    The college may deny the use of facilities because the use is deemed not in the best interest of the college, goes against public standards, or creates an excessive liability.

4.5    Fees are assigned to ensure additional usage costs are covered.

4.6    College facilities are used responsibly to ensure the protection of public assets.

4.7    Any group or organization that violates the terms of this policy or the Facilities & Services Use Agreement will be prohibited from future use of college facilities, except upon prior approval by the Vice President of Administrative Services (VPAS). The college reserves the right to deny use of college facilities to any individual or group whose past facilities use resulted in damaged college property or excessive disorder or who failed to cooperate with college employees concerning facilities use.

5.0    Definitions

5.1    College Facility. All buildings, structures, grounds, fields, and parking lots owned or leased by the college.

5.2    Commercial Enterprise. Sales or purchases for financial gain.

5.3    Excluded Activities. Activities that the college does not permit on campus and for which it will not assign facilities to include

a.    commercial enterprise (third party contractors are excluded from this provision)
b.    activities that materially disrupt college programs and operations
c.    activities that duplicate or conflict with an activity or course offered by the college
d.    activities that violate local, state, or federal laws or college policies
e.    activities that differ from the described use stated on the Facilities Use Request
f.    political campaigning or fundraising to further the cause of a particular candidate, political party, or ballot measure. Campaigning and fundraising is allowed by the college for ballot measures that directly support the college. (This clause does not prohibit the use of college facilities for political discussions or debates or nonpartisan voter education programs to increase the general understanding of the voting process or encourage participation.)
g.    non-college groups fundraising for external entities
h.    social events such as weddings, receptions, parties, memorials, funerals, etc. or any other social event that is not either a college activity or college hosted activity.
i.    storage of personal vehicles or equipment
j.    the erection of permanent or semi-permanent structures without permission of the VPAS
k.    residential occupancy other than those specifically designated as residential spaces
l.    gambling, games of chance, lotteries, or raffles that do not meet the requirements under Wyo. Stat. Title 6, Ch. 7, Art. 1 Gambling

5.4    Priority Levels. The college assigns space based on the needs of the college. Priority is given based on the following schedule. Upper levels must be assigned prior to assigning subsequent levels.

5.4.1    Level 1

a.    Casper College credit classes
b.    Casper College non-credit programs

5.4.2    Level 2

a.    Casper College partnership institution credit classes
b.    Casper College operational activities

5.4.3    Level 3

a.    Casper College student and college activities including approved college hosted activities.

5.4.4    Level 4

a.    External users

5.5    Unit. A college school, department, or office.

5.6    College Activities. Activities in addition to academic instruction that college units or student organizations schedule and that are substantially funded by the college in cost or in-kind. Examples of college activities include athletics, intramural, class projects, fundraisers for college organizations, events, meetings, etc. There is no facility use fee for college activities.

5.7    Operational Activities. Activities directly related to the management and operations of the college. Examples include college meetings, registration, facilities maintenance, etc. There is no facility use fee for operational activities.

5.8    College Hosted Activities. College support of an external organization’s activity through the provision of facilities or services. Hosted activities must be beneficial to the college and the college must receive acknowledgment of its support. Employees of the hosting unit or student organization must be involved in the scheduling and planning of the activity, be the point of contact, and must be present at the activity for its duration. Request to host an activity must receive approval through the chain of command with final approval from the president.

5.9    Fronting. Permitting a non-college person or organization to use college facilities under the guise that the activity is a college hosted activity to circumvent the priority levels or avoid paying fees. Fronting is prohibited.  

5.10    External User Activities. Any activity that is conducted by an organization that is not part of Casper College or one of its partnership institutions. External users include employees who want to reserve facilities for personal or community use. All external users must pay the facility use fees and applicable support service fees and provide proof of insurances. Employees may not host an activity without appropriate approval.

5.11    Support Service. These are services necessary to support the use of a facility. Examples include custodial, security, maintenance, audio-visual, informational technology, and set-up/tear down. Support service fees will be determined when the applicant makes a reservation. The college may require the hiring of approved security or technician if the college decides such positions are warranted.

5.12    Third Party Contractors. Commercial organizations that have contractual agreements with the college to provide services that support college operations.

5.13    Executive Council. This council consists of the president; vice presidents of academic affairs, student services and administrative services; director of information technology; executive dean of continuing education; and director of public relations.

5.14    Liability Insurance. An insurance policy that protects the insured from the risk of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and other similar claims. All non-college groups must provide proof of organizational, general liability insurance that names Casper College, its trustees, officers, employees, and assigns as the insured or additional insured under the policy. Government users that are exempt from indemnification requirements under Wyoming Public Law must provide a letter of liability coverage under the state policy.

5.15    Hazardous Activities. Activities considered high risk. The college will not allow any activity on the University Risk Management and Insurance Association’s Tenants and Users Liability Insurance Policy (TULIP) Hazard Exclusion list on campus. The college reserves the right to require additional types or higher limits of liability insurance coverage if the activity warrants greater prudence.

6.0    Responsibilities

6.1    The facilities scheduler is responsible for reserving space including managing reservations and communicating with requesters.

6.2    The registrar is responsible for reserving credit and partnership institution credit classes.

6.3    The executive dean for continuing education is responsible for reserving non-credit classes.

6.4    The VPAS is responsible for ensuring compliance to this policy.

7.0    Procedures

7.1    Reserving Level 1 Activities

7.1.1    Reserving Casper College Credit Classes

7.1.1.1    The registrar works with Academic Affairs and the Calendar Committee to determine the required dates for the semester schedule.

7.1.1.2    Academic schools submit their classroom needs to the registrar based on the semester schedule dates.

7.1.1.3    The registrar assigns class space based on priority Level 1a.

7.1.2    Reserving Casper College Non-Credit Classes

7.1.2.1    Continuing Education enters their classroom needs into the facility management system after Casper College credit classes have been assigned rooms for the semester.

7.1.2.2    Space is assigned based on priority Level 1b.

7.2    Reserving Level 2 Activities

Each semester, the registrar notifies college employees and partnership institutions of the priority booking deadline date for Level 2 activities. College employees and partnership institutions have until the deadline date to reserve space for college or partnership institution programs.

7.2.1    Reserving Casper College Partnership Institution Credit Classes

7.2.1.1    Partnership institutions submit their classroom needs to the registrar based on the semester schedule dates.

7.2.1.2    Space is assigned based on priority Level 2a.

7.2.2    Reserving Casper College Operational Activities

7.2.2.1    Employees submit their space needs to the facilities scheduler.

7.2.2.2    Space is assigned based on priority Level 2b.

7.3    Reserving Level 3 Activities: Priority Booking

Each semester, the facilities scheduler notifies college employees and partnership institutions of the priority booking deadline date Level 3 activities.

7.3.1    Reserving Space for Casper College Student or College Activities

7.3.1.1    College student groups that would like to reserve space must request a Facility Use Request: Students form from the facilities scheduler. The requester emails or submits the completed form to the facilities scheduler at least 15 days prior to the activity.

7.3.1.2    College employees who would like to reserve space must request a Facility Use Request: Internal User form from the facilities scheduler. The requester emails or submits the completed form to the facilities scheduler at least 15 days prior to the activity.

7.3.1.3    The facilities scheduler will notify the requester as to the availability of space. Reservations are not complete until the employee receives confirmation from the facilities scheduler.

7.3.1.4    Space is assigned based on priority Level 3.

7.4    Reserving Level 4 Space

7.4.1    Open Booking for Non-Casper College Activities

7.4.1.1    Anyone who would like to reserve space, including employees requesting space for personal or community activities, must request a Facility Use Request: External User form from the facilities scheduler. The requester emails or submits the completed form to the facilities scheduler at least 15 days prior to the activity.

7.4.1.2    The facilities scheduler will notify the requester as to the availability of space, facility use fee, deposit, and required support service fees. If space is available, the facilities scheduler will send the requester a Facilities & Services Use Agreement for Non-College User Groups, which the requester must sign and return to the college. Reservations are not complete until the requester returns the signed agreement, provides a certificate of insurance, and receives written confirmation from the facilities scheduler. Notice of availability does not guarantee a reservation.

7.4.1.3    The requester submits the signed Facilities & Services Use Agreement for Non-College User Groups, a certificate of insurance, and, if applicable, a deposit to the facilities scheduler. The college will cancel any reservation if the information on the form is misleading or the requester does not provide proof of insurance and a deposit or payment by deadline dates.

7.4.1.4    Payment in full is due seven days prior to the first date requested or per contract, whichever date is sooner. The college will cancel any reservation if the user fails to provide full payment by the deadline date.

7.4.1.5    The college is not responsible for any cost incurred by the user when the user has failed to comply with the requirements of the contract.

7.4.1.6    Space is assigned based on priority Level 4.

7.5    Setting Fees

Fees are subject to change. The Executive Council, in consultation with the facilities scheduler, sets facility use and support service fees.