Effective: April 11, 2019 Updated: August 19, 2022
1. INTRODUCTION TO POLICY LANGUAGE AND TERMS
1.1 This policy is intended to facilitate the equitable allocation and efficient use of facilities within the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center (TMC) and to provide for the transparent and consistent administration of TMC facility usage.
1.2 This policy applies to the temporary use of the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center that is made available for meetings, activities, and events.
1.3 As used in this policy:
(a) “TMC” refers to the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center.
(b) “Fundraising” means (1) charging admission, (2) conducting a sale, or (3) soliciting contributions at an Event where one of the purposes of the event is to obtain funds using an electronic exchange resource.
(c) “Event” means any use or planned use for no more than five consecutive days of the TMC facility.
(d) “Group” means an entity reserving TMC space.
(e) “Student Organization” is defined as a student organization currently registered with the University of Michigan’s Center for Campus Involvement (CCI) as a Voluntary Student Organization (VSO) or Sponsored Student Organization (SSO) and in possession of an account with Student Organization Accounts Services (SOAS).
(f) “SOAS” refers to Student Organization Accounts Services, with whom registered Student Organizations must have an active account in order to reserve the TMC facility.
(g) "University Affiliate" refers to an individual student, staff, or faculty member independent from a Student Organization or University of Michigan unit.
(h) "Non-University Affiliate" refers to any individual who is not a student and is not affiliated with a University of Michigan unit.
2. RESERVATION GUIDELINES
2.1 The TMC Administrative Staff is the official entity responsible for coordinating the use of the TMC. All requests for the use of facilities must be reviewed by the TMC Administrative Staff prior to bookings completed in partnership with Conference and Events Services.
2.2 TMC reserves the right to prioritize reservations for events that align to the mission of the center and its core work. See TMC website for more information about the mission, vision, and core work of the Trotter Multicultural Center.
2.3 Except with respect to Student Organizations as provided in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 of this policy, the TMC facility is reserved in the order in which requests are received, with consideration given to the purpose of the event, size of the Group, type of program, and space available.
2.4 Advertising an Event prior to Event confirmation is prohibited.
2.5 The TMC may assign, and if necessary, re-assign rooms to ensure the maximum and most appropriate utilization of the TMC. If the Administrative Staff reassigns a room, they will contact the affected Group within a reasonable period of time.
2.6 No guarantees will be made for specific reservable spaces in the TMC (e.g. Roof Garden Deck, Multipurpose Room, Sankofa Lounge).
2.7 TMC may remove and/or reschedule any Event in order to host a TMC-sponsored Event.
2.8 The use of TMC for dance/party events requires special consideration by TMC and must abide by the University of Michigan Dance and Party Policy.
2.9 The use of TMC for e-sports and video gaming is prohibited.
3. RESERVING THE TROTTER MULTICULTURAL CENTER
3.1 A Group may request to reserve the TMC by submitting an online request through the EMS system. Once this request is submitted, a group must use the reservation number generated by the EMS system, to complete and submit the TMC Mission Alignment form.
3.2 All Event reservations must be scheduled during building operation hours and end at least 30 minutes prior to the end of building operating hours. Please visit the TMC website for hours of operation located at the bottom of each page.
3.3 Reservations should be submitted no less than 5-7 business days prior to an Event. Reservations that are requested and accepted 48 hours prior to Event may be subject to additional fees and may have a limit on setup availability.
3.4 Setup changes for a confirmed event need to be requested one (1) week in advance. All requested room configurations must comply with room capacity limits. If an event request is accepted outside of the 5-7 business day period (including same day event request and setup changes), setup may be subject to additional fees.
3.5 Use of the kitchen facilities must be approved by the TMC Professional Staff.
3.6 All food, beverages, and associated catering equipment must be provided by either Michigan Catering or an approved restaurant or catering organization identified on the TMC website. Please see the Trotter Multicultural Center website for a current list of approved caterers.
3.7 Student Orgs may schedule lobby space under the following conditions:
- The sale of any product or service offered as a fundraiser must be directly provided by the department or student org. No sponsorship of commercial groups or solicitors is permitted. The sale of food as well as the sale or promotion of cellular devices and credit cards are specifically prohibited.
- Lobby tables must be staffed by U of M students from the organization or department staff with University identification.
- Lobby users must remain behind their table.
- The use of sound amplification equipment is not permitted.
- Lobby space is limited to one (5x2') table with two chairs.
3.8 With permission and supervision from the TMC Administrative Staff or its designee[s], Groups may decorate their reserved space for the duration of their reservation as described in Section 7 of this policy. Groups will be charged for any damage to the room or special cleaning as a result of this decoration.
3.9 Service Animals, as set forth under the Americans with Disabilities Act, for guests with disabilities are welcome in the TMC. All other animals, including emotional support animals, are not permitted inside the TMC.
3.10 The TMC may require fire, police or other security personnel for Events in the facility. Need for such personnel shall be determined based on the time, place, and type of Event, along with consideration of any relevant safety and security concerns. Security personnel may also be provided at the request of the sponsoring organization. Requests for security personnel shall be made at least twenty-eight (28) days prior to the Event. Security cannot be guaranteed if requested less than twenty-eight (28) days in advance, and Events requiring security coverage will not be permitted if adequate security is unavailable. No security may be provided from agencies outside of the U-M Division of Public Safety and Security (DPSS) without their approval.
3.11 All Groups using the TMC shall obey all published University and TMC policies, regulations, and guidelines in addition to all local, State, and Federal laws.
3.12 The Group sponsoring an Event in the TMC may determine the participants at the Event, subject to the requirements of Section 3.11. The sponsoring Group is solely responsible for the actions of the participants. TMC policy is to call DPSS in the event that any person using the building appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The TMC staff may remove a person from the building if a staff member judges that the person represents a threat to the safety and security of others present in the building.
3.13 The TMC is a smoke, alcohol, and drug-free facility. Additionally, the usage of e-cigarettes and vaping is not allowed in the facility.
3.14 The TMC is not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged property belonging to users of the facility. A Lost & Found bin is provided on the premises.
3.15 TMC comports with the First Amendment and other laws and policies that protect speech including the University of Michigan policy on Freedom of Speech and Artistic Expression.
4. ADDITIONAL SCHEDULING CONSIDERATIONS
4.1 Reservations are reviewed in the order in which requests are received. Trotter Multicultural Center will provide Student Organizations whose mission aligns with the mission of TMC and are in good standing early access to reservations for reservable space in the TMC. Early Access reservation refers to academic year room reservations which can begin in the Winter semester prior to the start of the new academic year.
- To qualify for early access to reservations at TMC, organizations must have a relationship with Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA). This relationship can look different based on the needs and goals of the Student Organization, but could include:
- MESA-sponsored Sponsored Student Organization (SSO)
- Voluntary Student Organization (VSO) with informal support from MESA
- Student Organization with MESA Program Manager as advisor
- Student Organization for which MESA Program Manager is an informal advisor or serves as support to the student organization
4.2 After early access reservations have been completed, reservation access is granted to organizations in this order of priority: Student Organizations, Campus Units, and Non-University Affiliates (e.g., nonprofit and for-profit organizations), with consideration for how the proposed Event aligns with the mission of TMC.
4.3 Scheduling requests beyond the scope of this procedure may be brought before the TMC Administrative Staff for special consideration.
5. HOLD POLICY
5.1 A Group may put a room on “tentative hold” for up to one week.
5.2 A “tentative hold” may be challenged by a Group desiring to definitively reserve a room at a date and time that overlaps with the “tentative hold.” At the time the “tentative hold” room is challenged, the Group tentatively holding the room must either confirm or release the room.
6. CANCELLATIONS AND NO-SHOWS
6.1 Cancellations must be reported to the TMC Administrative Staff seven (7) days prior to the Event. University department and Student Organization Events must be canceled by an authorized signer from the department or organization. Failure to do so will result in the assessment of a cancellation fee. For student organizations, this fee will be $75.00. For all other departments/organizations, the fee assessed will be equal to the agreed upon room rental fee.
6.2 All Groups will be held responsible for all charges incurred by any financial or contractual commitments made to facilitate the Event.
7. DECORATIONS, EXHIBITS, DISPLAYS, AND GAMING
7.1 Decorations and/or displays must not compromise public safety or increase the risk of property damage.
- Groups utilizing decorations, exhibits or displays must arrange for labor.
- Stay within posted fire capacities.
- Maintain access to fire exits, no blocking of exit doors or needed egress areas.
- Special Effects equipment such as smoke, haze, fog and fire machines, sparklers, etc. are not permitted.
- Candles are strictly prohibited.
- Use of paint of any kind, tye-dye and tye-dye events are not permitted.
- Use of adhesives, hydrated beads, glitter, sand weights, confetti, rice, dance wax, powder, gel beads, or similar materials is strictly prohibited.
- Decorations may not be attached to ceilings, light fixtures, walls, floors, woodwork, draperies, windows, curtains, or any painted or papered surface unless approved by the TMC Administrative Staff or its designee[s].
7.2 Any special needs or specific methods for placing decorations, exhibits, and displays beyond the scope of this procedure must be approved by the TMC Administrative Staff or its designee[s] prior to the Event date.
7.3 All Groups are responsible for the set-up and clean-up of their Event unless a prior arrangement has been established.
7.4 Decorations, exhibits and displays must be removed immediately following the Event or activity unless other arrangements have been approved by the TMC Administrative Staff or its designee[s]. If it becomes necessary for staff to remove materials left by a Group, the sponsoring organization will be billed for all costs of removing the materials.
7.5 The individual/Group scheduling the Trotter Multicultural Center is financially responsible for the reservation and any damages or additional cleaning resulting from the Event.
8. FUNDRAISING, SOLICITATION, AND SALES
8.1 Student Organizations and university departments are permitted to engage in Fundraising during Events held at the TMC, provided that all revenues generated by such Fundraising are applied towards an internal organization at the University of Michigan, such as the activities of the sponsoring Student Organization or university department.
8.2 Requests for sales, fundraising, or solicitations must be brought before the TMC Administrative Staff for consideration. Otherwise, no group may engage in Fundraising during Events held at the TMC.
8.3 All fundraising, sales, or solicitations must be conducted using electronic services. The exchange of physical, cash, check, or money order is prohibited.
8.4 All advertising for sales or solicitations sponsored by departments or Student Organizations must prominently display the name of the sponsoring department or Student Organization.
9. RENTAL RATE CATEGORIES AND PROCEDURES
9.1 The following categories shall be used in determining room and equipment rental rates for the TMC:
(A) Student Organization (CCI-registered student organizations with a SOAS account)
(B) University Departments
(C) Community Organizations (e.g., 501c3 Non-Profit Organizations)
(D) Commercial Groups (e.g., For-Profit Corporations)
9.2 In order to ensure that organizational funds are committed appropriately for an affiliate, an authorized signer is required to confirm a reservation.
- Student Organizations must have the funds necessary to cover all estimated charges deposited in their account at the SOAS office prior to the final confirmation of the Event.
- Any Event scheduled in the TMC will be canceled if the funds are not deposited appropriately at the SOAS office.
9.3 Non-University Affiliates must make applicable payments through the Conference & Events Services Office. Payments should be made at least five (5) business days prior to the Event.
9.4 University departments must provide the appropriate account number and the name of the authorized signer in order to reserve the facility.
10. SANCTIONS
10.1 If any group violates any part of this policy, they may be sanctioned up to and including loss of scheduling privileges.
11. PARKING
11.1 There is no parking available at TMC. There will be no blocking of emergency entrances and rampways, and no parking in the designated delivery/loading zones. Users who do so risk being ticketed and towed at their own expense.
12. STANDARDS FOR REVIEW
12.1 This policy shall be reviewed by the TMC Administrative Staff on an annual or as-needed basis.