University of Virginia Library

Committee Amends Space Request Policy

By Donn Kessler
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

In a meeting last Friday, the University
Committee on Calendar and Scheduling
amended the procedure for the
reservation of University facilities for
extra-curricular activities.

In the past few years, the procedure
for scheduling University space for
extra-curricular activities has come into
question and criticism, especially involving
the refusal for protesting the Founder's
Day celebration on the Lawn last
year and the reserving of most or all
available University space for this year's
Sesquicentennial celebration.

With these facts in mind, the Subcommittee on
Scheduling this year recommended amendments
to the procedures on reserving space for
any extra-curricular activities. The new procedures
were then submitted to and approved
by the University Committee on Calendar and
Scheduling.

The subcommittee found that the "present
scheduling procedure was basically sound and
should be continued but that certain amendments
needed to be made."

General Policy

In restating the general policy of the
University for the assignment of University
facilities for extra-curricular events, the subcommittee
said that "It is the policy of the
University of Virginia to permit University
students and student organizations, academic
and administrative departments, and University
organizations to use available University space
for extra-curricular meetings ... as they desire.

"The only general requirements are that an
organization sponsoring an event is not
discriminatory on the basis of race, religion,
color, or national origin; that the events is not
physically destructive, unlawfully disruptive of
academic activities, scheduled events or other
normal University functions ... that attendance
not be limited specifically by race, color,
religion, national origin or sex; and that the
event does not have a primarily religious
objective nor is it a meeting of a religious group
..."

Admissions Charges

The policy report also stated that admission
charges could be made for events sponsored by
Student Council recognized organizations.

Finally, the report outlined the procedures
for students or organizations desiring to reserve
University space for their activity.

The first step in the procedure would be for
the applicant to advise the Facilities Coordinator
of the Registrar's Office of the event, its
sponsor, the space and the date and
time of the event. The Facilities Coordinator
would then record the request on the
schedule" and would inform the applicant if
there were any conflicts in scheduling his event.

Written Requests

According to the new policy, the applicant
would then have to file a written request for his
event on forms available in the Registrar's
Office. If there were no conflict in scheduling
his event in the desired time and place, the
Registrar would then reserve the space for that
event.

An application for space assigned prior to 30
days before an event must, however, between
30 days and 60 days before the event, be
confirmed by a written statement to the
Registrar notifying the Registrar that the
proposed event is still to take place.

The report added that any appeal from the
action of the Registrar on assignment or
non-assignment of space, would have to be
directed to the Committee on Calendar and
Scheduling.

* * *

A future note: the dates for Spring Vacation
have been officially changed from the previously
announced period by the approval of
Acting President Frank Hereford. The Spring
Vacation period now extends from Saturday,
March 28 to Sunday, April 5.