Contact Officer: Executive Director, Risk and Safety Services
Purpose
To provide a description of the steps that must be followed when booking university space to ensure compliance with the Policy on the Booking, Use, and Cancellation of Bookings in University Space (“the Policy”).
Procedure
1. The unit, group, department, club, organization, etc. requesting the use of university space must contact the unit or society with initial or primary responsibility for booking the space (“Designated Space Administrator”) and complete the usual process for requesting a space, which must include:
- The purpose of the event;
- The title or topic of the event and the title and topic of all presentations (if any) to be made at the event;
- Any promotional material (print or social media) associated with the event;
- Whether the event will involve a speaker(s) and if so the name and affiliation (if any) of the speaker(s);
- Whether the event will be photographed, live-streamed, or video or audio recorded;
- The anticipated number of attendees;
- Any known or anticipated risks or security needs for the event;
- Detailed plans for how any risks will be mitigated.
2. The Designated Space Administrator will make generally available both a copy of the Policy, as well as their own space booking and use requirements, to units/groups requesting space. Maintaining the requirements, or a link to it, on the webpage of the unit or society fulfills the communication requirement of this provision.
3. The Designated Space Administrator will confirm that student groups wishing to book space are ratified with the AMS or SGPS before proceeding with the booking and that the event has been approved by the AMS or SGPS.
4. The Designated Space Administrator will review the space booking request to determine whether it falls into one or more of the categories in the Interim Policy on the Booking, Use, and Cancellation of Bookings in University Space that requires referral to the Event Assessment Team (EAT) for review. If referral is required:
a. The Designated Space Administrator will contact the Risk and Safety Services Office to request a meeting of the EAT.
b. The Event Assessment Team will review the proposed space booking request and/or event against the Policy, evaluate the specific risk(s) posed to the university, make a decision regarding whether the event will be permitted to proceed and, if so, on what conditions, and communicate the decision to the Office of the Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration).
c. The final decision regarding a request will be communicated to the requester by the Risk and Safety Services.
5. If any unit or society on campus becomes aware of an event taking place that is or may be or become one that would fall into one or more categories of events that require referral to the EAT under the Policy, the unit or society will immediately notify the Risk and Safety Services Office or CSES.
a. CSES will notify the Risk and Safety Services Office, which will liaise with additional senior administrative units as required.
b. The event may be cancelled by the Provost at this point if the event, in their view, is a prohibited event.
c. The event may be redirected or moved by the Provost if the choice of location is not optimal in the view of the university.
d. If the event is not cancelled or is underway CSES will attend on scene as required and prescribed by its own procedures and protocols.
e. Following the initial response, the Event Assessment Team will be informed and may meet as necessary to discuss possible next steps, including how to reduce any future risks to the campus arising from similar situations in the future.
Date Approved: October 10, 2017
Approval Authority: Senior Leadership Team
Date of Commencement: October 10, 2017
Amendment Dates: May 27, 2019, September 23, 2024
Date for Next Review: April 2025
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Senate Statement on Freedom to Read
Free Expression at Queen’s University
Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy