Events with Alcohol

Due to the level of risk, eligible organizations must register events with alcohol on 1850 at least 21 days in advance. If requirements are not met, the event will be denied. Requirements prior to registering for an event with alcohol:

• Organizations must have host liquor/liquor liability insurance on file with CSI.
• 90% of organization members will need to attend Event Management Training (EMT) / FSL Host Training provided by the Center for Student Involvement prior to the organization being eligible to host events with alcohol. The president, vice president, treasurer/secretary, event planner/ social chair, and risk management chair MUST be part of the 90% present for the training.
• Organizations will schedule this training with the Assistant Director of Organizational Development (Student Organizations) or FSL Coach (fraternities and sororities). The training will educate members on identifying and managing risk, how to be an “upstander,” and how to register and administer an event with alcohol.

When co-hosting an event with alcohol with another university-recognized student organization, the risk management plan will need to be completed jointly with the other organization(s) to have a coherent and unified protocol in the event of an emergency or incident.

• Both organizations need to register the event in 1850. Among themselves, the organizations must determine who the hosting organization is and who the co-hosting organization is.
• All organizations involved must be eligible to host events with alcohol, meaning, they should have up-to-date host liquor/liquor liability insurance and have completed Event Management / FSL Host Training.
• When co-hosting an event with alcohol, both chapters MUST have representation at the Risk Management Meeting in order to assure that both organizations understand their responsibilities regarding the event’s risk management.

 

The fraternity or sorority risk management chair and other Officers In charge of the event (social chair, president, etc.) must attend a Risk Management Meeting with their Fraternity and Sorority Life Coach.

• FSL Coaches will go through a Risk Management Checklist.  A completed checklist will be required for the final approval of your event.
• These meetings must be executed at least 7-14 days prior to the day of your event. If a Risk Management Meeting is not completed within 7 days prior to the scheduled event, CSI reserves the right to cancel the event.

Organizations hosting events with alcohol are allowed to have cash bars only. NO OPEN BARS. In addition, arrangements with third-party vendors can only include drinks with alcohol sold by the individual unit. Non-alcoholic beverages and food items (not limited to those that increase thirst/consumption) must be provided.

• All participants (members and guests) will need to complete and sign a release and agreement with their emergency contact information via 1850. Participants will not be able to RSVP to the event until the event is approved. Remember, emergency contact information should be the first person the individual wants to be contacted in the event of an emergency. (Individuals/participants cannot list their friend/roommate as their emergency contact. Your organization is responsible for the information submitted on every form.)
• Incompleteness, missing, falsifying, or not satisfying the requirements for an event with alcohol will result in the event not being approved. Therefore, the event will not be allowed to occur and may result in possible organizational and individual consequences. Any event (including events with alcohol) not registered will be considered a violation of CSI guidelines and the Student Code of Conduct resulting in possible sanction(s) including loss of recognition status.
• A guest list must be created using the Register/RSVPs from the registered event in 1850. The attendee/guest list must be shared with the Fraternity and Sorority Life staff following the event with alcohol within the “Post Event High Risk Review.”
• Event Monitors are required for all events with alcohol regardless of location.

Student organizations are responsible for managing organization activities before, during, and after the event.Pre-gaming (the consumption of alcohol prior to the registered event), abuse of alcohol at events registered with alcohol, and hosting/participating in after parties with alcohol are all prohibited.

• Pre-gaming is prohibited before all registered and unregistered student organization events. This behavior is restricted to ensure the health and safety of all (participating organization members and guests. Prohibited pre-gaming includes gatherings of organization members or guests before an event that includes alcohol.

• After parties are prohibited after all registered and unregistered student organization events. This behavior is restricted to ensure the health and safety of all participating organization members and guests. An after party includes any gathering of organization members/guests that includes alcohol and occurs after a registered or unregistered event.

Event Monitors are required for all events with alcohol regardless of location.

• Designated event monitors should consist primarily of members over the age of 21.
• The number of event monitors required is proportional to the number of attendees.
• Event Monitors must complete the Event Management Training / FSL Host Training with their student organization. Training sessions can be scheduled through the Center for Student Involvement.
• In order to qualify as an event monitor, students identified as Event Monitors are not permitted to consume alcohol prior to, during, or after the registered event. More details are included in the training.

For student organizations wishing to host or co-sponsor an event with alcohol on campus, please review and complete the following additional requirements:

• Register the event in 1850 following all requirements listed in the “Registering an Event” section of this guide.
• Catering Services is the sole third-party vendor for organizations wanting to host an event on campus with alcohol.
• On-campus events with alcohol can only take place in Kennedy Union.
• Additional requirements may be set forth by the Center for Student Involvement during your Risk Management meeting.

Student organizations are not permitted to host events with alcohol in the student neighborhood or off-campus housing.  A frequent point of confusion for student leaders is the distinction between a private gathering of friends and an organization event.

• To be clear: there is no such thing as an "unofficial" organization event.  To determine whether or not a gathering is an event:

To determine whether or not a gathering is an event, the University applies a "reasonable person" standard. If a reasonable observer would associate the gathering with your organization, it will be treated as an organization event. If several of the following factors are present, the University will likely classify the gathering as an unregistered event:

• Who is hosting? Do the residents of the house hold leadership positions or active membership in the organization?
• How was it communicated? Was the gathering announced at a meeting, posted on the organization's social media, or shared in group chats (e.g., GroupMe, text threads, Slack)?
• Who is attending? Is a significant portion of the attendees made up of organization members, alumni, or potential new members?
• Who is paying? Were organization funds used to purchase alcohol, food, or supplies? (Note: This includes informal Venmo pools or "pass the hat" collections among members).
• What is the scale? Is it a large, open gathering rather than a small, intimate group of roommates and close friends?
• Is there an effort to conceal the activity? Are hosts confiscating cell phones at the door, covering windows, or explicitly instructing attendees not to take photos or post on social media? These secrecy measures strongly signal that the hosts know the gathering violates University policy and will be viewed as evidence of an unauthorized event.

Accountability: If a gathering is determined to be an unregistered organization event where alcohol or other policy violations are present, both the individual residents and the student organization as a whole may face disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct.

There are also legal risks to consider.

• In addition to University disciplinary action, student leaders and house residents must be aware of their personal liability under Ohio law. In Ohio, it is illegal to provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, or to allow underage individuals to possess or consume alcohol on property that you own, rent, or otherwise control.
• If you host a gathering in your neighborhood or off-campus house where underage drinking occurs, you are considered a "social host" under the law. This carries immense personal risk:
• Criminal Penalties: You can face first-degree misdemeanor charges, which may result in up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine per underage person present.
• Civil Liability: If an underage person consumes alcohol at your residence and subsequently injures themselves, hurts someone else, or causes property damage (such as a drunk driving accident), you (the leaseholders) can be sued directly for damages.
• Attempting to pass off an organization event as an "unofficial gathering" does not protect you from these laws. By hosting an unregistered event where alcohol is present, you are taking on legal and financial risk.

For student organizations wishing to host or co-sponsor an event with alcohol off campus, please review and complete the following additional requirements:

1. An organization must rent a room, area, or venue closed to the public during your event.  A rental agreement is required to secure the venue. There are two options available to student organizations for securing an off-campus venue for events with alcohol.

A venue that has a Master Service Agreement on file with The University of Dayton.

• A list of these venues will be maintained by Fraternity and Sorority Life and shared with eligible organizations.
• If there are additional venues your organization might be interested in hosting an event at, please contact Fraternity and Sorority Life.
• The “Exhibit A” form must be submitted with the 1850 event registration, with venue details finalized, including the venue representative’s signature.

A venue that provides its own contract or rental agreement:

• A rental agreement is considered a contract, and students cannot sign contracts on behalf of the University of Dayton and/or a Recognized Student Organization. Please submit all contracts to CSI through the event registration process at LEAST THREE WEEKS prior to the event for review and signature.
• The contract must be approved through the contract approval process from the Office of Legal Affairs prior to the event being approved. The Office of Legal Affairs reserves the right not to enter into a contract with any given business or venue.
• The contract may be returned to the venue with proposed changes prior to receiving approval.

Additional Requirements:

1. All venues hosting events with alcohol MUST carry liquor liability insurance in order to be approved. Proof of this insurance must be provided and on file with the University of Dayton.
2. Security must be present during the event to ensure the event is private (closed to the public) and that all participants are abiding by proper state and federal alcohol-related regulations. Please contact the venue for their preferred/required security needs.  If the venue does not require or have a preferred vendor for security, please contact CSI for assistance.
3. Confirmation of Third-Party Transportation must be provided. An uploaded email confirmation, electronic receipt, etc. is required. Remember, students cannot sign contracts!

Events with parents in attendance must be marked as having external participants in the registration form in 1850. Parents are considered guests of the individual student they are the parents of. All information and guidelines around the event need to be communicated to the student who will need to inform the parents.

• If the event is an event with alcohol, all parents must be included on the guest list, and all parents must sign the release and agreement. If the event requires transportation, all parents must use the 3rd party transportation unless the event is at a hotel and parents are staying at that hotel and are able to walk to the event. Students under the age of 21 cannot consume alcohol at an event registered by their organization or while attending another organization’s event, even if alcohol is purchased by and in the presence of a parent.

Events with alumni in attendance must be marked as such in the registration form on 1850. Alumni attendees are considered guests of the student organization and the organization should communicate the guidelines of the event to the alumni. Events that are hosted by the Alumni/Dayton Chapter of the organization are not hosted by the student organization but the organization needs to register for the event and be marked as attending the event.

• If that event includes alcohol, the student organization must follow all CSI guidelines. If the event, hosted by non-students, does not permit students to follow all of the CSI guidelines, the organization would need to register their attendance as an event without alcohol and not consume any alcohol at the event.