Policies

Student organizations and governance bodies are important adjuncts to the academic life of the University. Student groups may be formed to engage in activities related to the academic, recreational, and social programs of the University. This policy reviews the recognition of student organizations, requirements, and registration.

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Registration of student organizations is an annual process that must be completed at the beginning of each fall semester and is submitted through the Hub. This process takes five to 10 minutes to complete. Annual registration is an important process as it keeps information on the Hub current and gives student organizations access to Miami University services, BuyWay (financial transactions), and Associated Student Government funding (if eligible).

Steps to Complete Registration

1. Registration must be completed by the current president listed on student organization's Hub roster
2. Log onto the Hub - upper right hand corner of webpage
3. Go to student organization and click on the "Register" button at the top of the page and follow prompts
4. Update student organization's primary contact information
5. Update the “How to Join Organization” information
6. Upload a new profile picture or click “Next”
7. Update names of officers and advisor (it is critical the name of president, treasurer and advisor are updated each academic year)
   
   • Select the position from the drop down menu
   • Enter the email address of the new officers and advisor
   • There will be duplicate officers in each of these positions - be sure to go back to roster once registered and remove old officers (select roster on the left menu, then manage roster, click the edit positions button and “unselect” the officer position to return the member to “member” status or select a new officer position for the individual)
   • Scroll to the bottom of the page to remove any members on roster who have graduated or are no longer members of student organization
   • Click the “Add Member List” tab to upload a list of emails of additional members who should be listed on the roster
     • Once registration is approved, the Hub will automatically send an invitation for person to join the student organization
8. Review and rank the interests that represent the student organization
9. Complete the annual agreements on behalf of the student organization
10. Click the "Submit" button

Note:  Person submitting the registration will receive a confirmation from the Hub once registration has been approved.

This policy applies to all Campus Events hosted by Sponsoring Organizations on campus. For purposes of this policy, a Campus Event is any planned gathering including but not limited to celebrations, dances, lectures, forums, performances, demonstrations, social gatherings, concerts, speaker presentations, and conferences that meet the criteria set forth in this policy. This policy reviews allowable campus events, event registration, and security assessments.

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This insurance agreement for student organization events provides liability and protection for bodily injury and property damage for basic student events. Non-covered activities are detailed on the Event Form on the Hub. Supplemental insurance may be required to be obtained by the student organization. 

Steps to Confirming Insurance Requirements

1. Student organization will register the upcoming event through the Hub. 
2. On the Event Form Risk Assessment page, the student organization will choose the general type of event being held from the dropdown:
   • Aerobics
   • Banquets
   • Basketball
   • Concerts
   • Conferences/Meetings
   • Dances
   • Dodgeball
   • Education Events (no general public)
   • Fundraiser (on campus)
   • Handball
   • Harvest Festivals
   • Picnics (no pool or lake exposure)
   • Proms
   • Speaking Engagements
   • Track and Field (includes 5ks but no Triathlon or Ironman events)
   • Other
3. The student organization will then choose from the list of activities to indicate the types of activities to be held during the event. This information will be used to assess risk beyond the level covered by the Student Event Umbrella policy. The following items are excluded from coverage:
   • Amusement or Mechanical Rides
   • Athletic/Sport Camps or Clinics
   • Aviation
   • Boating
   • Boxing
   • Bungee Jumping
   • Demolition Derbies
   • Hang Gliding
   • Hazing
   • Hot Air Balloon Rides
   • Illegal Web-Based Activities
   • Alcohol
   • Luging
   • Managing/Oversight of Daycare/Preschool
   • Motorsports (ATV/Motorcycle/Auto/Motorboats/Snowmobiles)
   • Parachuting
   • Parasailing
   • Rodeos
   • Snowmobiling
   • Intentional acts, or acts taken outside the customary course and scope of RSO activities
   • Weapons
   • Watersports
4. Once the form is complete and submitted, the Student Activities Administrative Assistant will review the event. Any activities chosen in Step 3 will prompt the Student Activities Administrative Assistant to notify the Assistant Director for Student Organizations. Contact will then be made by the Assistant Director via the Hub to alert the student organization that additional insurance is required for the event. 
   • For items on the above excluded coverage list, a certificate of insurance naming Miami University as an additional insured, or additional insurance will be required. This certificate must carry limits with a minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate. 
   • Any amount under these limits must be approved by the Senior Vice President for Finances’ office.
5. The student organization will be advised to forward the required certificates of insurance to Clarissa Gulley, Manager of Administrative Services and Risk Management in the Vice President For Finance & Business Services.
   • If there is not a certificate of insurance available that meets the required limits, Clarissa Gulley will advise the student organization via Hub or directly regarding the purchase of additional liability insurance.  
6. The Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Services’ office will work with Student Activities and/or the student organization and the Program Administrator to attempt to secure insurance for the student organization. For more information about securing insurance, please email the Vice President for Finance and Business Service Office. 
7. If unsuccessful, or the student organization chooses not to pay the premium associated with the insurance, Miami University will not permit the event to take place and the student organization will work with Student Activities to cancel the event.

This document is intended to help members of the Miami University community determine when they must obtain a public performance license for a campus film screening or when film screenings may fall under one of the educational exemptions included in U.S. copyright law (Title 17, United States Code).

Copyright and Film Screenings Best Practices: Section A

A public performance license is required when:

• The screening is being made purely for entertainment purposes, e.g. a “family night” screening of the movie Frozen, or the screening of the film Premium Rush in celebration of Bike Month.
• The screening will be open to the entire campus, their family and friends, and/or members of the general public, even if the screening is being made for educational purposes.
• The screening is part of a film festival that will be open to the entire campus, their family and friends, and/or members of the general public.

If your screening requires a public performance license, please contact Carla Myers at myersc2@miamioh.edu or 513-529-3935 for assistance in obtaining the license. Please note that it will be the responsibility of the person/group/department hosting the event to pay any applicable licensing fees.

Copyright and Film Screenings Best Practices: Section B

Screenings arranged by Miami University academic departments and/or student clubs registered with the Miami University Office of Student Activities may not need public performance license if the screening falls within the parameters of the educational copyright exemptions found in §110(1) and §107 of U.S. copyright law.

For a campus film screening to qualify under these exemptions, it must:

• Be sponsored by a student club that registered with the Miami University Office of Student Activities and/or a Miami University academic department.    
• Be made for scholarly purposes in conjunction with the educational objectives of the student club and/or academic department, and include scholarly discussions or activities regarding the film as part of the screening.
• Be limited to only those student and faculty members of the student group or affiliated with the academic department.
• The copy of the film being performed must be lawfully obtained, which could include using a copy that was purchased by the University, the student group, the academic department, or one that is obtained through the library. Under no circumstances should a film that has not been lawfully obtained be used. If the group sponsoring a film screening needs assistance obtaining a lawfully acquired copy of a film, they should contact their subject librarian for assistance.

Campus Resources

If you need assistance in determining which category your screening of a film may fall into, please contact Carla Myers, Coordinator of Scholarly Communications for the Miami University Libraries, at myersc2@miamioh.edu or 513-529-3935.

Due to health code requirements and liability issues, student organizations may not sell or distribute any food item that needs to be cooked or refrigerated without obtaining the proper vendor’s license from the Butler County Health Department.Cook-offs and carry-ins for closed events are excluded from this policy.

Student Organizations submitting bake sale fundraisers/events through the Hub will be approved providing the location is available; however, baked goods must be served and packaged properly.

Procedures to Secure a Temporary Food Service License

1. You will need to secure an application for a “License to Conduct a Temporary Food Service Operation” from Butler County Health Department.
2. Finalize your menu; the County Health Board must know of all foods you will be vending.
3. Complete the application for a “License to Conduct a Temporary Food Service Operation” for each time you plan to operate. You must list your specific hours of service, and your finalized menu.
4. Submit a check request through BuyWay for a “License to Conduct a Temporary Food Service Operation.” Student organization’s treasurer will need to upload the application for temporary food service license. Application fee is non-refundable. 
5. Take your applications and check, made payable to the Butler County Health Department, to their office at 301 S. Third St., Hamilton OH 45011. There they will issue you a receipt and a confirmation of your application. 
6. Have disposable gloves, food safe thermometer, method of washing hands, methods to keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold, as well as methods to control your staff’s hair in place prior to the health departments site visit. 
7. On the day(s) of your event, you must pass an on-site health inspection by a county inspector in order to be issued your license and operate your food service. To pass the health inspection, you must be able to show:
   • How you will keep cold foods at or below 40 degrees.
   • How you will keep hot foods at or above 145 degrees.
   • How your staff will be able to sanitize their equipment and hands on site.
   • How you will be able to minimize customer contact with the food prior to sale, by using ready-made techniques, food wraps and bags, sneeze guards, and sanitary bagging for utensils.
   • How you will monitor and record temperatures of food.
   • How you will minimize employee contact with food, through gloves, beard nets, hats, aprons, uniforms, etc.
   • How you will store dry goods eight inches off the ground.
   • How you will separate cash handling employees from good preparation and distribution employees.
   • How you will react to adverse weather conditions and, should you stay in operations, maintain the safety of the food products for customers.

While the University generally supports the fund-raising efforts of its registered student organizations, the legal complexities of definition, methodology, and distribution of monies associated with schemes or games of chance such as raffles, bingo, poker, or other similar activities necessitate the University’s prohibition of such activities in conjunction with its student organizations. A game of chance is any event where a player gives anything of value in hope of gain where the outcome of which is determined largely by chance. For instance, if participants pay an entry fee to play AND prizes of any type are awarded to the players, then this is a game of chance.

Student organizations are prohibited from distributing cash prizes. This includes drawings, "split-the-pot"-type fundraisers, and prizes or awards of any kind for participating in a student organization event, contest, fundraiser, or other function.

Games of chance, including raffles, in exchange for payment are not permitted.

IRS rules require that gifts, prizes, or awards worth $50 or more will be reported as taxable income.

Any student organization giving any gifts, prizes, or awards valued over $50 to any individual must provide the name, social security number, contact phone number, and address of the recipient along with the reason for the gift, prize, or award.

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To ensure members understand and appreciate various risks associated with their travels, please review the Office of General Counsel website.

Travel Form

Student organizations traveling off campus are required to complete the Student Organization Travel Form. The form includes many travel recommendations and best practices for student organization travel. The form must be completed prior to travel.

Charter Buses

Please note the following policy for charter buses: "During passenger pick-up and/or unloading, the charter bus service shall not dwell, stop, or stand in bicycle lanes in accordance with Ohio Revised Code ORC 4511.713 and ORC 4511.68."

While transit bus stops may be available at some locations, the University prefers and suggests that charter services consider loading/unloading at alternate locations such as Ditmer (4945 Oxford-Trenton Rd.), Chestnut Fields (101 W. Chestnut St.), or Millet Hall West (500 E. Sycamore St.) parking lots."

Motor Vehicle Rentals

Miami University, along with the Inter-University Council of Ohio, has entered into a vehicle rental contract with Enterprise/National for business rentals. This contract allows students 18 and older to rent vehicles through Enterprise/National. The full policy and procedure can be found at Travel Management Services Vehicle Rental.

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Sponsoring Organizations may reserve designated University Property for activities, including expressive activities.  In addition to the requirements of this policy, there are special rules for events whose size or complexity requires additional planning and safeguards.  Sponsoring Organizations should also review the Campus Events Policy to determine whether these additional requirements apply.

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