Hosting Student Organization Events

Event Planning & Registration

Successful events are the lifeblood of student organizations. To ensure safety, compliance, and success, the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) has established a standardized registration process.

General Information

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 household 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?
    • Are three or more members of my group, who do not live in the same residence, invited or participating because they are members of our organization?
  • How does this look or appear to the average student or community member?
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • If a reasonable person would associate the gathering with your organization, register it.

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.

Registration Requirement: Events must be submitted in 1850 in advance of the event date. This process notifies CSI of your plans and initiates the room reservation request.

Approval Process: Submission of an event form does not guarantee approval. Events are not officially approved until the organization receives a confirmation notification via 1850 and the room reservation is confirmed.

Advertising: Organizations should not advertise an event until they have received official event approval and space confirmation.

Mission Alignment: All events must align with the University of Dayton’s educational mission, Catholic and Marianist identity, and the Commitment to Community.

Cancellations: If an event is cancelled, the organization must update the event status in 1850 immediately to free up the space for other groups

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Events with Additional Considerations

Certain events involve higher levels of risk or logistical complexity. These events require a longer planning timeline (typically 3–4 weeks) and may require a consultation meeting with a CSI professional staff member.

A horizontal, clean graphic illustration on a light grey background designed for student organization event planning. On the left, a red circular badge features a winding path with caution triangles, flags, a shield, and gear icons, symbolizing complex or higher-risk logistics. A sweeping grey and red arrow connects this to the right side, which features a blue circular badge containing a calendar and a stopwatch marked "3-4", representing a three-to-four-week planning timeline. Below the calendar badge, icons of a handshake and a meeting table signify a consultation meeting.