Lansing Community College
Procedure Details

Procedure Title: Facility Use for Events
Procedure #: B-OPS.001
Revision #: 001

Unit Responsible: Conference Services
Individual Responsible: Director of Auxiliary Services, Conference Services Manager, Conference Services Coordinators

Effective Date: 09/19/2023
Initial Approval Date: (Historical)
Last Review/Update Date: 09/19/2023
Next Review Date: 09/01/2026

*Does this procedure support a Board Policy? Yes
If yes, identify: 6.040 – Facilities Use

Board policies can be found at: LCC Board of Trustees Policy Page

*Does this procedure support HLC criteria? Yes
If yes, identify: 1B

HLC Criteria can be found at: HLC Accreditation Criteria

*Does this procedure support a State or Federal Regulation? No
If yes, identify: N/A

*Note: Standard Operating Procedures should be in furtherance of some LCC policy and/or accreditation criteria, even if the relationship is not direct. Assistance in determining this information can be obtained from the Academic Procedure Advisory Committee (APAC) and/or the Accreditation Liaison Officer.

Facility Use for Events, BP 6.040

1. Purpose

To inform the College’s faculty and staff about Lansing Community College’s (LCC) processes and standards for holding events.


2. Scope

Applies to all College facilities including owned, rented, leased or under the control of the College. Conference Services has been charged to ensure high quality, five-star services for all internal and external events held at downtown and west campuses.

Conference Services provides support for events outside of the designated conference services spaces (listed below) as needed. Support in Health & Human Services (HHS), Gannon Gym, Washington Square Mall, etc. is provided to ensure five-star service to both internal and external event planners.

When work requests are needed for moving services, facilities and/or AV, as well as food and beverage, Conference Services needs to be involved.

Conference Services spaces include but are not limited to:

  • Downtown
    • Dart Auditorium (as approved by Arts & Sciences)
    • Gannon Commons
    • Grand River Room
    • Michigan Room
    • President’s Dining Room
  • West Campus
    • Atrium
    • General Motors Auditorium
    • M119 (Oldsmobile Room)
    • M120 (Chevrolet Room)
    • M121 (Cadillac Room)
    • M122 (Buick Room)


3. Prerequisites

Talent Management System (LMS) Training

The LCC Conference Services- Event Planning at LCC LMS training is required for all full time, non-student and non-faculty at LCC. The training will be assigned to all new employees at the time of hire and reassigned to all employees once per year. The LMS training can be printed upon completion.

All internal event planners are required to be current with the LMS training when planning an event.

Conference Services can be requested by departments or divisions for in person or virtual training for an in-depth review of the LMS training.

Defining Events

Some activities are considered events and require the support of Conference Services while others are considered meetings and do not.

Any activities that take place inside a designated event space are considered events. Other activities that take place outside of a designated event space are also considered events because of the intended audience, required logistics, etc.

Examples of events outside of a designated event space:

  • Global Fest in the Cesar Chavez Multicultural Center
  • Tech Careers Job Fair in the West Campus Lobby
  • Veterans Memorial Induction Ceremony in HHS

Conference Services will work with the internal event planner to help determine if it is an event and Conference Services is required to be involved or if it is an activity and Conference Services does not need to be involved.

Types of Events

  • External Events
    • Non-Sponsored or Hosted
      • Nonprofit and for-profit room rental rates apply
    • Sponsored Events
      • A sponsored event is an external event that receives money from LCC in support of the event in exchange for marketing, tickets or another in-kind contribution
      • The Department of External Affairs does not cover additional rates outside of in-kind room rental
      • To request a sponsorship, the external event planner or Conference Services contacts the Office of External Affairs and the external event planner completes the LCC sponsorship form
      • Once a decision has been made to support the event, the external event planner works with Conference Services following the event process mentioned previously
      • Post event, Conference Services will receive room rental reimbursement at the current nonprofit room rental rate from the Office of External Affairs through the charge back process
    • Hosted Events
      • A hosted event is an external event that has the support of an internal LCC department or division
      • The hosting LCC department or division provides a monetary contribution in the form of room rental and/or food and beverage ordered through Conference Services
      • Post event, Conference Services will invoice the hosting LCC department or division at the current nonprofit room rental rate and/or the hosting LCC department or division will receive a catering invoice from LCC’s accounting department for the cost of food and beverage
  • Internal Events- No room rental rates apply
    • College Business
    • Executive Office Hosting

Discounted Use of Facilities

LCC does not offer discounts to current or past employees, student, alumni or current or past Board of Trustee members on room rental, food and beverage or any other service at personal events at an LCC location. Should current or past employees,student, alumni or current or past Board of Trustee members use the space for free or discounted rates for personal use, they will be reported to Human Resources for theft of service.

External nonprofit organizations receive a 20% discount on room rental. A tax-exempt form signed and dated within the last year is required.

External for-profit groups receive a 20% discount on room rental when 3 or more event dates are booked on the same contract.

Room Rental

Room rental rates apply to all external events.

Room rental pricing includes set up, standard cleaning, a basic AV package, LCC PD (additional charges may apply if additional LCC staff as needed), set up, facilities and AV labor, directional signage (digital and printed, as determined by Conference Services) and standard linens.

Conference Services will provide a detailed room rental quote and contract to the external event planner based on the event needs.

Additional hourly rates apply for external events outside of Monday-Friday from 7:00am5:00pm.

Additional rates may apply for large scale events or events in non-conference rooms.

Internal events are not charged for the event expenses listed below:

  • Room rental in conference rooms or classrooms
  • Standard linens (additional rates apply for special order colors or sizes)
  • Digital and printed directional and event signage (needs as determined by Conference Services Manager)

Conference services has a budget for standard linens and printed directional and event signage for Conference Services events. This budget does not cover printed directional and event signage for non-Conference Services events.

First time internal events may qualify for supplemental assistance of up to $1500 per department from the Conference Services budget. This money can be used towards food and beverage provided by our caterer or in-house printing only. Supplemental assistance requests are reviewed and approved or denied by the Conference Services Manager and Director of Auxiliary Services. Supplemental assistance requests can be made via email (lccevents@star.lcc.edu) or by contacting Conference Services. Note: The $1500 first time event supplemental assistance is for the first-time event only. Future events are required to be budgeted by the responsible department.

BCI and CEWD groups must pay for event space use in all event spaces except for their dedicated conference rooms at west campus when booking the spaces for their clients. No room rental applies if they are using the event spaces for internal events like facility and staff training.

Cancellation information:

  • Internal- Event space cancellations require a minimum of 14 business day notice
  • External- The cancellation fee shall equal 50% of the anticipated billing (room rental and catered services) for events cancelled 120 – 180 days in advance. If cancellation occurs 61 – 119 days prior to the event, a cancellation fee of 75% of the anticipated billing will apply. A cancellation which occurs 60 days or less from the date of the scheduled event will result in a cancellation fee of 100% of the anticipated billing. Any cancellation fees will be due and payable upon invoice. If another group utilizes the space, the cancellation fee may be pro-rated or waived. This determination will be made solely by LESSOR after the day of the event. Any nonrefundable deposit which must be paid under this contract is not affected by the Cancellation policy.
  • The external event cancellation information it outlined in the external event contract

Catering Information

LCC has partnered with a variety of local caterers. Events are partnered with the caterer that best meets their needs.

  • Internal Event Caterings
    • All internal groups are required to order through Conference Services for all food and beverage for events. Special permissions are granted occasionally for outside catering if an authentic cuisine is required to meet a cultural need. These caterings require a one months' notice. This allows the Conference Services team time to secure a vendor. Requests are not guaranteed but Conference Services will do their best to find a match.
    • Internal groups are required to meet a $300 food and beverage minimum (pre-service fees) per delivery event per day. For example, if the event needs breakfast and lunch, each meal will need to meet the $300 minimum.
    • Internal groups may request catering for non-events through Conference Services, however, catering services are not guaranteed
    • Menus are required one month before the event date
    • Final counts are required one week before the event date
    • Internal groups are required to abide by the LCC purchasing guidelines when ordering food and beverage from Conference Services (Budget & Purchasing webpage).
  • Events that Require Catering (Star Standard Events)
    • To achieve the Star Standard, some events rise to the level of requiring some form of catering for attendees
    • Conference Services and/or the President's Office can help determine if your event is a Catering Required Event
    • These events now require, at minimum, beverages and a celebratory dessert like custom cookies or cake to be served
    • Examples:
      • Nurse Pinning
      • Police Academy Graduation
      • Fire Academy Graduation
      • Aviation Technology Graduation
      • Massage Graduation
  • Internal Non-Event Caterings
    • Internal groups are allowed to bring in their own food and beverage to classrooms and non-event spaces when it's not an event but food is being provided
    • Internal groups are required to abide by the LCC purchasing guidelines when ordering food and beverage from an outside vendor (Budget & Purchasing webpage).
    • Internal groups are required to submit the necessary work requests when ordering food and beverage from an outside vendor including 5Star requests as needed for:
      • Trash removal (required)
      • Cleaning (required)
      • Catering tables
      • Linens and skirting
  • External Caterings
    • All external groups are required to LCC’s caterers regardless of the event space. Penalties are issued to groups that bring in outside food and beverage.
    • LCC’s caterers have state rate menus if requested by the State of Michigan
    • All external groups are required to meet a $300 food and beverage minimum (pre-service fees) per delivery event per day
  • Alcohol
    • There are some occasions where beer and wine are permitted on campus for events. Liquor is never allowed on campus. Events on campus hoping to include alcohol must be initiated by the President’s Office and can only be purchased through a designated fund of the LCC Foundation.
    • If you are having an event that you feel should serve alcohol, please reach out to your Conference Services Coordinator so that they may begin the process for approving or denying the request
    • The event must be a business event as opposed to a social event like a wedding, shower, or birthday party
    • If permission is granted, Conference Services will work with local catering partners offering bartending services to determine their availability
    • Services must either be hosted or ticketed; attendees will not be able to pay by cash or card on-demand for drinks
    • The alcohol is required to be purchased and served from a licensed caterer. It cannot be purchased and served by LCC staff or event attendees.

Star Standard Requirement for Auxiliary Graduations and Student Recognition Events

An Auxiliary Program Graduation is a special ceremony apart from LCC’s Commencement Ceremony for students who have completed certificates or degrees in an accredited, cohort program. These graduations include speakers, guests from the community and the presentation of their certificate, pin or other token to symbolize the achievement.

Not all programs need, nor are they eligible for, an Auxiliary Program Graduation. Criteria for holding and Auxiliary Program Graduation:

  • Programs must be cohort-driven
  • ELT member support and approval with allocated budget for minimally required food and beverage
  • 12 or more students in graduating class
  • National, Regional or State Accrediting or Licensing Body tied to program completion
  • Certificate (from National/Regional/State accrediting or licensing body or designed by LCC Marketing), pins, cords/stoles or other token presented to graduating students

Requesting an Auxiliary Program Graduation or Student Recognition Event

Prior to selecting a date, time or location for your event, you must reach out to Conference Services to confirm availability and to discuss an appropriate location, in addition to ensuring that your program meets the criteria for holding an Auxiliary Program Graduation. If your event does not meet the criteria, there are other options to recognize students within your program.

  • Contact your Conference Services Coordinator by phone or email to discuss your potential event
  • Be prepared to provide criteria information, proposed date, time, location, number of people graduating, number of people attending and the event description/overview
  • If approved, work with Conference Services using the LCC Events Standards of Presentation to coordinate your event
  • If not approved, you will not be permitted to hold your event on campus in any capacity

Deadlines to Request Auxiliary Program Graduation or Student Recognition Events

Spring (May) Graduations or Student Recognition Events: requests must be received by Conference Services by the last Friday before Winter Break each year.

Fall (December) Graduations or Student Recognition Events: requests must be received by Conference Services by August 1 of each year.

If you have missed the deadline to submit your Auxiliary Program Graduation or Student Recognition Event request, a dynamic form can be completed by the internal event planner to request an exception. This will go to the internal event planner's ELT member and the Senior Vice President of Business Operations for approval.

PLEASE NOTE: Auxiliary Program Graduations or Student Recognition Events requested less than 30 days prior to the proposed event date will NOT be approved, regardless of exception. This is to ensure that we allow an appropriate amount of time to plan and execute a Star Standard event.

Standards for Auxiliary Program Graduation or Student Recognition Events

All approved Auxiliary Program Graduations will take place in an event space on-campus to ensure that the proper set-up and events Star Standards are being followed as it relates to AV, media, technology, set-up, food and beverage, marketing, digital and printed signage and overall presentation to our students and community. Events may take place off-campus if capacity is an issue.

During graduation season, these spaces will be offline and set-up specifically for graduation and recognition events. Limited modifications to the spaces can be made to better suit your event needs.

Other Recognition Options

Cords and Stoles are an excellent way to recognize your students and signify their accomplishments at Commencement. If your program does not meet the criteria for an Auxiliary Program Graduation, cords and/or stoles can be ordered and purchased by departments and given to students to wear.

Departments or programs providing cords or stoles to students must notify the Registrar’s Office to ensure that there is no duplication among programs.

Another way to celebrate your students is through receptions and/or small gatherings. This allows people to come together and acknowledge student accomplishments but does not rise to the level of a ‘graduation.’ To pursue offering a reception to celebrate your students, reach out to your Conference Services Coordinator and follow the standard College events process. Receptions celebrating student completion accomplishments must provide some form of refreshments.

Receptions should be flowing and provide an open-house feel and atmosphere. This is a celebration opportunity for students and their supporters to come together. Receptions may include a welcome and brief remarks, but should not include keynote speakers or presentation of certificates, etc. Conference Services must be involved in any celebrations to recognize student completion.


4. Responsibilities

The Executive Director of the Administrative Services Division is responsible for the administration of this process.


5. Procedure

Event Process

To view the entire process, see the Event Checklist on the LCC Events Standards of Presentation webpage.

Internal event set up changes made with less than a 24 business hours’ notice cannot be guaranteed.

External event set up changes made within 72 business hours’ or less are subject to charges up to the standard room rental.

Event Space Reservations

Before any event planning or advertising begins, Conference Services must be informed. Conference Services reviews the request to make sure the space is available and there are no other conflicting events. Conference Services reserves all event space in 25 Live, regardless of the space being requested.

Internal event space reservations cannot be made more than 3 months in advance for non-graduation or college wide events.

External event space reservations can be made more than 6 months in advance, however, classroom assignments cannot be confirmed until that semester’s classroom schedule has been entered into 25 Live.

Event spaces will be monitored by Conference Services to make sure all conference rooms are being requested and used appropriately. Correct use may include but it’s limited to ensuring the spaces aren’t used for staff meetings, are set up appropriately depending on the type of event, are the best fit for the type of event, etc.

Accommodations

ASL Interpreters

  • American Sign Language interpreters are required for certain internal events for accessibility including graduations, some hybrid events and events with a known need for an ASL interpreter
  • Requests for an ASL interpreters are required at least 2 weeks in advance.
  • Conference Service’s determines the need for an ASL interpreter and requests them as needed. The internal event is required to covers the cost for the ASL interpreters. An invoice will be emailed to the internal event planner post event.
  • ASL interpreters must have at least 48 hours’ notice of cancellation or there will be a charge

Captioning

  • Captioning is required for certain internal events for accessibility including graduations and some hybrid events
  • Requests for captioning are required at least 2 weeks in advance
  • Conference Service’s determines the need for captioning and requests them as needed. The internal event is required to covers the cost for the captioning. An invoice will be emailed to the internal event planner post event.
  • Captioning must have at least 48 hours’ notice of cancellation or there will be a charge

Event Decor

Prohibited items include but are not limited to:

  • Balloons (helium, latex, etc.) inside buildings
  • Glitter or confetti
  • Open flames
  • Tape on walls, doors, glass, etc., regardless of the type of tape being used

Internal events are responsible for additional cleaning needed if any of the above items were used or for deep cleaning as needed as a result of the event.

Billing Information

Internal groups- Accounting will email an invoice to the internal event planner post event and the internal event planner will need to complete a Direct Pay Dynamic Form: Invoicing can include but isn’t limited to catering, special order linens as requested by the event planner, etc.

External groups – Conference Services completes an invoice request form post event and emails it to fs-nsar@star.lcc.edu. Accounting issues an invoice to the external customer to be paid upon the terms in the invoice. Conference Services completes a Direct Pay Dynamic form for the external food and beverage.


6. Reference

Lansing Community College Facility Use Information:

Accounting Services Department

  • Direct Pay Dynamic Form


7. Definitions

N/A