Dear Caucus Leaders,
Thank you for your patience with the room reservations process. Our Facilities department recently implemented new fees and policies that altered our processes. Please make sure you read through this full email, as there are significant changes.
How to Book Rooms
Facilities Policies & Fee Structure
AV Policies & Fee Structure
Spending Guidelines
Budget Tracking
Student Life Resources
Advertising
Meeting Requests
You will only be able to book rooms for the Fall Semester until October 8th at 12:00 PM. After this date, if you need a room, you must email [email protected] with the following information:
Name of Event
Proposed date and time
Event description
Reason for not booking this room during the booking period
You will only receive approval for events that were on your Annual Caucus Plan. Please make sure to email [email protected] for any events that fall outside of that. As a general rule of thumb, if the event is beyond a general body meeting, you should consult with Student Life.
You will receive a log-in and password for your caucus account. Once you receive this log-in and password, you will have access to VEMS. You will use this log-in and password to reserve rooms using this site: https://ems.cuit.columbia.edu/social/BrowseForSpace.aspx
Below is the link to the CSSW Caucus Calendar. Caucus leaders are responsible for putting their events into the shared calendar. Make sure to add all events to the calendar once you book the room. Room reservations will NOT be confirmed if the event is not entered on the Google calendar. Make sure that your Google Calendar event includes an event description. Information is taken from the calendar for the Weekly Events Email, the more information you put, the more students will know about your event.
Link to Google Calendar:
2. Facilities Policies & Fee Structure
Reservation Process
Student Caucuses submit their web request through VEMS (allow 2-3 days for
processing)
Facilities will send a “tentative” acknowledgment back to the caucus
The event will be evaluated for facilities and AV-related charges.
If there are no fees, then the caucus will receive a “Confirmation”
If there are fees, the estimate will be returned to the caucus for approval and request for a chart string to confirm.
Once approved, the caucus receives a “Confirmation” Building Usage
The School of Social Work provides the use of rooms to student caucuses at no cost.
SSW only accepts requests that fall within scheduled building hours during the week.
Events need to end at least 1⁄2 hour before closing time.
Monday: 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Wednesday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Thursday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Facilities Fees
Facilities charges a custodial cleanup fee of $58/hour if food is served.
Columbia Labor bills by the hour to add chairs or tables for a room setup. There will be a reset fee to return the room to its original classroom condition. Columbia Facilities requires a five-day notice to guarantee service.
3. AV Policies & Fee Structure
Make sure to read through the AV Policies & Fee Structure:
Audio Visual Services
Student caucus groups receive Basic AV free of charge during standard hours of operation in the fall and spring terms, but you must request the space through VEMS at least five days in advance. If you have a late request, a cancellation within five business days, or a no show, your caucus will be charged a minimum of $150.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they cancel the space five business days in advance if they are no longer using it.
4. Spending Guidelines
Spending Guidelines can be found here:
Vendor Purchase Authorization Form (Vouchers):
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9ByYMRg26oyyYDjecV_XKu9omt1G8BeCR2CUbhI lbh6dLjA/viewform
Out-of-Pocket Expense Request Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSewcK-ggHD36KofNIYYe8zSsPItuLqzrhML61PRh9ftId7f0A/viewform
*Prior to filling out the out-of-pocket request form, you must schedule a meeting with Student Life ([email protected]).
Honorarium Request Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAulGRcIVlraGSsONjl7-6f_JvL8T_eahuhlRLQ4B_yW2bEg/viewform
*Prior to filling out the out-of-pocket request form, you must schedule a meeting with Student Life ([email protected]).
5. Budget Tracking
Each caucus will receive access to a Google Drive folder with a Budget Tracking Sheet. Leaders are expected to update this budget after every expense to ensure accurate tracking. At the end of each semester, caucus leaders are required to submit their budget tracking sheet in order to remain active.
6. Student Life Resources
Caucus Space:
Caucus Space – Rm. 403 | Door code: 3521
Each caucus has a labeled drawer for storage. Additional items can be stored anywhere inside the room, but you must label items with the name of your caucus. DO NOT use items that belong to other caucuses without permission.
There are two drawers containing plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, and other general use items. Any caucus is welcome to use these items. If you have unused items after an event, please put them in these drawers so that other caucuses may use them.
Zoom:
If you’d like to make your meetings/events livestreamed, please email [email protected]. It’s not guaranteed that we can accommodate all requests.
7. Advertising
All flyers MUST include:
Font size that is 22pt+
This disclaimer: “Columbia University makes every effort to accommodate individuals with
disabilities. If you require disability accommodations to attend an event at Columbia University, please contact the Disability Services at 212-854-2388 or [email protected] at least 5 days in advance of the event.”
This disclaimer: “This event is sponsored in part by the Office of Student Life.”
Stamp Approval & Weekly Events Newsletter:
E-mail event flyers to [email protected] at least 5 business days prior to your
event for approval. The earlier you send it, the more time you have to advertise it!
If your event does not have a stamp, you can not post it on the elevator, it won’t be on
virtual screens, and it won’t be approved for the newsletter
Tip: Leave room in the bottom right corner for the stamp to go on
Digital Screens:
- The process for posting flyers on our new digital screens is forthcoming.
8. Meeting Requests
We know this is A LOT of information. If you’d like to schedule a meeting with us or provide feedback about the new policies and fees, please email Ana ([email protected]) and/or Student Life ([email protected]).