Student Engagement

Student group recognition, policies, activities, and events are overseen by student engagement [1]. Hampshire College encourages students to design and implement programs that enrich and are consistent with the educational mission of the College. The name “Hampshire College” and all abbreviations are the property of the Trustees of Hampshire College and may not be used to imply, either directly or indirectly, the College’s endorsement, support, favor, association with, or opposition to an organization, product, or service without permission of the College. The student engagement [2] staff, Senior Director for Student Success and Engagement, the Senior Vice President for Justice, Equity, and Antiracism, or designee, may deny recognition, or cancel events or activities that violate any of these criteria.

Hosting/Registering an Event or Program
All events have an impact on the image and reputation of Hampshire College. Therefore, event organizers have the responsibility to ensure that their events reflect the core values of the institution: responsibility, community, and well-being. All events must comply with the campus event safety policy: https://www.hampshire.edu/offices/campus-event-safety-policy [3]

The event registration process is designed to provide assistance to event organizers and student group representatives in navigating the various steps necessary to host an event on campus. This includes providing support with reserving facilities, complying with applicable campus policies and procedures, and ensuring adequate program planning. The policy covers the following events hosted on campus:

Events funded by student activities fee (funded or sponsored by the SAF), student groups and non-student groups
Events in public spaces
Conferences (see more guidelines below) and workshops
Events with an anticipated audience of 15 or more
Events held outdoors
Events involving alcohol

For general event planning guidelines visit leadership.hampshire.edu [4].

Looking for information about how to host events in the residences? Visit the social events section [5] for more information.

Large Events, Conferences, and Multi Day Events

Large Events
Events with an expected attendance of more than 200 individuals require consideration beyond the two-week event-registration requirement. Residence Life and Student Engagement will work in conjunction with student organizers in an attempt to accommodate large events. However, because each event may require unique considerations, each must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Hosting Conferences or Multi Day Events
Students who want to hold a conference or multi day event on campus must do so in conjunction with student engagement. Planning must begin at least four months in advance of the conference or multi day event. Conference planning requires a large amount of preparation and logistics. Considerations need to include: funding, event budget, time of year, location, security, contracting with outside vendors/speakers, expected attendance of on- and off-campus individuals, parking and traffic, food, lodging, setup, technical needs, conflicts, advertising, and guest registration.

Student Engagement [1] has guidelines that student organizers need to follow when planning a conference or multi day event. Due to availability of campus resources, students and student groups are allowed to host only one conference or multi day event a year. For information about additional requirements and planning procedures, please visit student engagement [1].

Additional Event Planning Regulations

Alcoholic beverages are allowed only by special permit (see the Alcohol Policy [6]).
All campus events have a 10 p.m. curfew Sunday through Thursday and a 1 a.m. curfew on Friday and Saturday. Quiet hours [7] begin at 11 p.m. (Sunday–Thursday) and at 2 a.m. (Friday–Saturday).
Events cannot take place prior to the first day of classes (orientation period), beyond one week after classes end (graduation period), or during other large scale campus events. Final event approval is always at the discretion of the residence life and student engagement staff. Only events sponsored or approved by the residence life and student engagement staff can be scheduled during the dates of Hampshire Halloween and Spring Jam. Student engagement [1] in conjunction with campus safety and wellbeing [8] and event services [9] may limit, at any time, the number of registered student events per day or weekend.
Non-Student Group Events: Event organizers are the students requesting money for an event, and are taking on the responsibility of organizing, attending, and monitoring the event. Each event requires three event organizers, and all three event organizers must be currently enrolled, distinct students. (See the non-student group policy on the student recognition process page)
All trash and recycling must be collected and placed in the appropriate barrels.
At no time may doors, ﬁre exits, elevators, hallways, or foot trafﬁc be blocked. All events must observe ﬁre and accessibility codes.

Advertising:

Advertising for events is permitted only once the event has been approved by residence life and student engagement [1]. This includes online advertising in social media as well as postering, tabling, chalking, and mailbox stufﬁng.
Posters are permitted only on bulletin boards not designated for speciﬁc departments or centers. Students are encouraged to use the bulletin boards under the walkway along the west wall of Franklin Patterson Hall and the north wall of the Harold F. Johnson Library Center, underneath the bridge. Posters placed anywhere but upon designated bulletin boards will be removed with no regard to content.
Chalking is permitted on any outside ground surface that is exposed to the elements (can be rained or snowed upon) so removal does not require the attention of facilities and grounds staff. Chalking is prohibited inside campus buildings and outside on non-ground surfaces including, but not limited to, walls and windows of campus buildings, signs, trees, poles, and other structures.

Fundraising Policy:

Fundraising may be conducted for the purpose of charitable giving or charitable donations to entities outside of Hampshire College as well as for recognized student groups. Any student interested in fundraising is required to obtain authorization from the office of residence life and student engagement [1] for any fundraising event and/or where money is exchanged. For student group fundraising or events handling cash, the office of residence life and student engagement [1], working with the controller's office, must have reviewed and approved the student groups cash handling procedures prior to the event.
Fundraising activities benefiting an outside organization/company/foundation must have a letter of permission from the organization/company/foundation when registering the activity.
Monies raised for an outside charitable organization must be donated directly to the outside entity (for example, through donation to the entity’s website, or an entity representative being physically on site to collect donations).
Monies raised for the purpose of charitable giving must be submitted to the charitable entity within two (2) business days of the fundraising. Monies cannot be held by an individual or student group beyond that time. Current students may not function as a charitable entity’s representative for the purpose of collecting charitable donations.
All monies donated to a recognized student group must be transferred to the student group account one week prior to the event date.
All crowdfunding campaigns to benefit student groups will be created and managed by residence life and student engagement [1].

Contract Policy:

Any performer, speaker, organization or outside vendor at an event sponsored by a student group or using SAF funding must complete and sign a Hampshire College Contract. All contracts must be authorized by student engagement [1] staff.

Students are prohibited from signing any contracts or making verbal and/or written commitments to outside agencies, as it makes them PERSONALLY LIABLE for fulfilling the terms of the contract should a problem arise.

Contract Request Forms must be submitted a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the event date. Each person/organization/vendor receiving payment will require its own individual contract. Please submit one contract request form for each person/organization/vendor receiving payment.

Contract request forms can be found on the HampEngage [10] homepage under campus links.

Residence life and student engagement should also review all rental or purchase contracts as well as legally binding agreements to ensure the terms are agreeable for Hampshire College.

Any questions about contracts can be directed to the assistant director of student engagement [1].

Reserving Space:
The dining commons, red barn, main, west, and east lecture halls in Franklin Patterson Hall, the merrill and dakin living rooms, and most academic and other campus spaces may be reserved through the event registration form. The library gallery may be reserved through the gallery coordinator, 413.559.5622.

Any reservations of space for student events made with event services and summer programs [9] will be considered tentative until the event registration form (ERF) is approved by residence life and student engagement [1]. If an ERF has not been approved, tentative bookings will be canceled two-weeks prior to an event without notice. Food and beverages are allowed only in certain spaces; when making reservations, refreshments must be noted. Sensitivity to neighboring classes, offices, meetings, and functions should be exercised. All campus events have a 10 p.m. curfew Sunday through Thursday and a 1 a.m. curfew on Friday and Saturday.

Student Group Accountability

Hampshire College emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility and accountability in the lives of its students. Additionally, the rights and duties of recognized student groups also carry with them an obligation on the part of their members, collectively, to uphold the policies and community standards set forth in the Standards for Student Acccountability and Norms for Communinty Living. This statement of group accountability acknowledges that unacceptable behaviors by individuals functioning as members or signers of a student group may have consequences for those individuals as well as for the group.

Also, the privilege of being a signer of a student group carries with it particular responsibility for the reasonable anticipation and prevention of foreseeable violations of College policies, resulting from either deliberate or negligent behavior of the group's members or guests.

In general, a recognized student group may be held accountable for the behavior of its members and guests on its premises, at events sponsored or co-sponsored by the group, or when a group including significant numbers of members or guests violate community standards. Student groups that violate community standards may be subject to accountability measures. It is the responsibility of group signers or those in charge of an event to identify foreseeable problems that may arise and to take timely corrective action.

Student Engagement will address student groups reported as violating community standards, and when appropriate accountability measures will be imposed. At the discretion of student engagement, typically for significantly egregious violations, student groups may be referred to the Office of Community Standards and Student Accountability for resolution through the community standards process.

Student Group Recognition Process

New Student Group Recognition Process

Students at Hampshire College have the opportunity to start new student groups contingent on the Student Engagement staff evaluating the following: type of activity, similarity to existing groups, their detailed mission statement, proposed community engagement, risk and safety concerns, as well as the viability of the group determined by potential conflict with Community Standards.

Students who are wanting to create a new student group on campus are able to do so at any time by following the outlined process below:

Student groups must complete the New Student Group Registration form located in the Organizations tab of HampEngage
Student groups must have 3 signers

New groups with 3 graduating Div 3 students will not be approved

The student group must have at least two other active members in their HampEngage roster
The 3 signers must meet with Student Engagement Staff at least three times before they are a fully registered organization

Intake & signer training
Event planning
Evaluation and future planning

The student group must host at least one outreach event to promote their organization; tabling, meeting, social, etc.

After completion of all steps listed above and approval from the Student Engagement staff, the new student group will have full HampEngage privileges, a meeting food account, a general expenses account and the ability to request funds from the SAF.

In addition to the New Student Group Recognition process, these groups must follow the same student group and signer expectations outlined below.

Regardless of where New Student Groups are in their recognition process, they must complete the Spring Re-registration to be active for the next academic year.

Returning Student Group Recognition Process

The student group recognition process is held in the spring semester for the next academic year's recognition. All groups, new and established, are required to complete and submit a registration form each year.

Student Engagement [2] staff evaluate all applications to determine if additional information is necessary, and if approved, the group is recognized for the next academic year. Consideration will be given to the type of activity, similarity to existing groups, their detailed mission statement, proposed community engagement, risk and safety concerns, as well as the viability of the group determined by potential conflict with Community Standards.

Groups may be asked to have a faculty or staff advisor, and/or submit a self-risk activity assessment. Once recognized, all participating members of the group must complete a student activities risk waiver.

If a registration form is not submitted, or supplemental information is not provided, the registration will not be approved.

Unrecognized student groups are not eligible to receive direct funding from the student activities fund (SAF), nor have an active HampEngage page.

Student Group Expectations:

All student groups must have three trained signers in order to maintain recognition.
Student groups must host one event or program open to the Hampshire community per semester in order to maintain recognition. A program can be active, such as an event, or it can be passive educational outreach, for example an informational campaign or a publication.

Student groups must register their meetings on HampEngage [10] via the event registration form. Failure to do so will make your group ineligible to receive funding. All group meetings must occur in public spaces.

All participating members of the student group must complete an online student activities risk waiver.
Student groups will notify Student Engagement in writing of any intent to change to the name of the student group, mission statement, or group signers.

All members of student groups are expected to conduct themselves, both on and off campus, as responsible members of the Hampshire Community.

All student groups shall be responsible for adhering to the above expectations as well as policies outlined in the Student Handbook [11].

Signer Expectations:

All student group signers are required to attend signer training and at least two additional leadership training sessions organized by student engagement staff each semester. In the event that a signer cannot attend a training the student must notify student engagement staff in writing and send a representative of the student group in their place or attend a makeup session; failure to do so will impact the recognition status of your group and its ability to receive funding.
Signers are responsible for submitting all of the following on HampEngage [10]:

SAF funding request forms
Purchase request forms for food, services, and supplies

This includes second signing purchase requests

Event forms for group meetings and events
Trip registration forms
Contract request forms for outside performers/speakers/vendors

Signers are responsible for picking up purchase orders from student engagement staff and returning receipts in a timely manner, within 48 hours of purchase.
Purchasing Card Usage:

Registered student groups have the opportunity to check out a Student Engagement Purchasing Card to make purchases with approved funding and purchases. In order to utilize the card, student groups must do the following:

Secure funding from the SAF following the Signer Guidelines and By-Laws
Submit a purchase request on HampEngage marking they need to use the card and have it second signed one week prior to needing the card.
Schedule a time 3 days in advance to complete paperwork and purchasing with Student Engagement Staff.
One student signer for the group must sign the Hampshire College Student Group Cardholder Delegation form and take on responsibility for the card and purchases while in their possession
Once the form is signed and expectations are discussed, students are able to do their shopping.
The Purchasing Card and receipt(s) must be returned immediately upon finishing shopping.

If any of the expectations or guidelines are not followed, student groups are subject to the following tiered warning system:

Warning 1:

Revocation of the privilege to use the Purchasing Card for one semester.

Warning 2:

Student group is financially frozen and placed on probation.

Warning 3:

Student Code of Conduct case opened and/or criminal charges being filed with the appropriate authorities.

Deposits:

Signers must inform student engagement staff of any cash deposits or fund transfers from inter-departmental accounts.

Duplications:

Signers must have all duplication charges approved by the student engagement staff prior to making any copies.

All signers of student groups are expected to conduct themselves, both on and off campus, as responsible members of the Hampshire Community.

Maintaining Your Student Group Recognition.
These recognition requirements will be reviewed both mid-year and as part of the annual recognition process to determine eligibility for continued group recognition. Groups may be moved to a frozen status if they do not fulfill these specific requirements.

For additional information on becoming a recognized group visit leadership.hampshire.edu [1].

Questions or comments? Contact the dean of students office at deanofstudents@hampshire.edu.