Follow the link for policies related to alcohol for student organizations: Alcohol Policies

Consider this brief overview or the Alcohol On Campus website before hosting an event with alcohol.

The University of Wisconsin System maintains an academic and work environment free of discrimination, discriminatory harassment, or retaliation for all students and employees, which includes RSOs.

Discrimination or discriminatory harassment that are based upon an individual’s characteristics as protected under state law or federal law (“protected status”) or university policy are prohibited. Individual characteristics include race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, pregnancy, marital or parental status, or any other category protected by law, including physical condition or developmental disability.

Discrimination is conduct that adversely affects any aspect of an individual’s participation in an institution’s activities or programs, or has the effect of denying equal privileges or treatment to an individual on the basis of that individual’s protected status.

Discriminatory Harassment is a form of discrimination consisting of unwelcome verbal, written, graphic or physical conduct that is directed at an individual or group on the basis of actual or perceived protected status.

Retaliation is defined as adverse action taken against an individual in response, motivated by, or in connection with an individual’s complaint of discrimination or discriminatory harassment.

View Regent Policy 14-6 for the complete policy.

Contracts

Goods and Services

• Examples of contracts are:
  • A University Purchase Order
  • A contract offered by the supplier
  • A vendor quotation that has a signature line
  • A University Rider used to modify a Supplier’s Agreement
  • A University Standard Service Agreement
  • A Memorial Union or ASM “Entertainer Agreement”
  • Various other template agreements
• Signing contracts and purchasing goods and services are important parts of program planning.
• You must be cautionary because this involves a financial commitment for your RSO.
• Phone messages, verbal agreements, memorandums, and emails can all create contractual commitments.
  • Organizations or Individuals can be held liable for these contracts, both oral and written.
• The University is not party to any contract made unless it involves university funds or significant sponsorship by the University.  If this occurs:
  • The contract must be referred to the departmental staff person to ensure compliance with the University’s contract requirements for signatures, etc. (see below for more details).
• All contracts should be done in advance of any work to be performed or products to be shipped.
• If it is a University contract, it cannot be signed by a student org.
• All vendors must be approved, see the Risk Management website, and the instructions attached, to find an approved vendor.  Risk Management will also work with you if the vendor is not approved.

University or ASM funds

• If your RSO is receiving funds from a university department, office, or student government to purchase goods or services you must:
  • Make arrangements with their budget person to coordinate the contract process
    • Do this well in advance
  • Depending on your need University Purchasing Services requests as much lead-time as possible since some procurement methods can take up to a month or longer
    • The following website is available for your reference: https://businessservices.wisc.edu/managing-risk/liability/
  • Refer to the Risk Management website for more information (https://businessservices.wisc.edu/managing-risk/liability/certificates-of-insurance/)
• When department or office funds are used:
  • The terms of any contract must comply with various laws and university policies
  • An official university signatory must sign the contract
    • You must make sure you are not transacting business with firms that are ineligible to do business with the state (http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/purch/inel.html).

Non-University Funds

• Contact the provider to secure needed information
• Make sure your facility is reserved for the relevant date and that that facility meets the provider’s needs/specifications
• Make sure all contracts contain all necessary information about the activity including
  • Date, Time, Place, Topic, Fee, Travel Arrangements, Security Arrangements, Cost, etc.
• Keep written records of all contacts, contracts, riders and amendments, as well as a list of all verbal communication and any agreements made
• Read all documents carefully and note any disclaimers, provisions, or language that shifts liability from the contractor to your group.
• Make sure that the details are correct and the document doesn’t contain any blank spaces
• If you want to make a correction to a contract:
  • Cross out and insert your changes if space allows
  • OR use a rider that specifically amends the original
  • Make sure both parties sign the amendment
• Prepare 2 originals of the contract when possible so both parties each have a signed copy
• Returned the signed contract and any riders to the provider and keep a copy of the agreement after it has been signed by both parties, retain copies for the event plus five years.
• RSOs are responsible for their financial commitments
• Contact the university office involved with your program with any questions before agreeing to anything
• Contracts often contain insurance and indemnification clauses which may place an obligation on your organization either to provide insurance, or to waive all responsibility against the other party. The University does not provide insurance for student organizations so make sure you understand these sections of the contract and make sure you can fulfill your obligation before you sign

Dances, Musical Events, Speakers

• Make sure the facility you want is available AND reserved for the day you want
• RSOs holding an event on university property may not invite non-university general public to these events unless sponsored by a university department
• If the event is scheduled in the Wisconsin Union, additional policies apply
• See RSO Large Events for more information or contact Campus Event Services
• Get a contract in writing from the entertainer(s) before starting publicity
• Remember there are charges for using a university facility for revenue producing events
• If tickets are sold ahead of time, they must be printed
• Sales tax will be due on tickets sold

Terminology

• A Professional agency contract is a standard contract used by speakers or performers who use the services of a professional agent for the purpose of scheduling and collecting fees and stating the terms of service.
  • Confirmation letters, contracts or other documents will need to be generated by your organization if you are seeking to employ the services of speakers or performers who do not use a professional agent.
    • The documents you send should specify all necessary information: date, time, topic, travel arrangements, fees, liabilities, security arrangements, time and type of payment, and any other information you deem necessary.
    • It is better to err on the side of having too much information rather than too little.
    • Be specific as to exactly what you ARE and ARE NOT paying for.
• A contractor is the entity providing the goods or services under a contract.
• A contractee is the party receiving the goods or services from the contractor.
• A rider is an attachment to a contract that contains various terms and conditions, spelling out the necessary details of the purchase or service. We may use a rider in a variety of ways such as to amend a contract and to expand the terms of a contract initiated by a professional agency

Although copyright laws are often considered in the context of photocopying sections of books and using the materials for class, there is much more to these laws. Organizations are more vulnerable to violating the copyright law as it applies to the use of videos or music.
The Fair Use Doctrine comprises four elements:

1. The purpose and character of the use of the material, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes.
2. The nature of the copyrighted work.
3. The amount of the work that was used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole.
4. The effect of its use upon the potential market (Kaplin and Lee, 1995.)

Renting a video or using someone’s personal copy of a video and showing it at a club meeting, a residence hall lounge, or at a fraternity house may seem like a harmless, inexpensive form of entertainment. The problem with this scenario, unfortunately, is that it constitutes a public showing of a video, which is illegal; assuming the material included in the video is copyrighted and those exhibiting the video have not purchased a special license. Without an agreement from the copyright holder, no one can show videos in a public forum even if no fees or ticket sales are involved.

Similarly, the use of music is governed by copyright laws. Generally speaking, students cannot make copies of music performances and sell them as a fund-raiser without violating the law (James, 1988).

For additional information and information on licensing copyrighted work, see:

• UW System Frequently Asked Questions on Copyright.
• UW System Administrative Policy 1310 and its’ appendixes
• Office of Legal Affairs Copyright Help Page

The University of Wisconsin–Madison requires faculty, staff, students, contractors, and affiliates seeking to use autonomous vehicles, including unmanned aircraft systems (drones), for UW-related education, research, and non-academic purposes to submit pilot and flight approval applications in ARROW.

ARROW is a research oversight platform that allows researchers to submit and track research related applications and protocols across oversight authorities. All applications are reviewed by the Research Vehicle Safety Oversight (RVSO) Committee. Committee membership includes representation from across stakeholder areas including faculty, pilots, risk management, UWPD, teach and learning, research, marketing, and facilities.

Approved pilot applications are valid for one year and must be resubmitted annually. Flight applications should be submitted two weeks in advance of any proposed flights.

Prohibited activities include flying for recreational or hobbyist uses on campus. In addition, the campus adheres to FAA guidelines and prohibits the following without waivers:

• Flight(s) over people
• Flight(s) beyond the line of sight
• Flight(s) at night
• Flight(s) above 400′
• Flight(s) in controlled airspace (requires authorization)

Registered student organizations and students in connection with UW–Madison course work are eligible to apply for instructional use.

UW–Madison is a challenging environment for drone use of any kind or for any purpose given its location in an urban environment, located just miles from the Dane County Regional Airport and Middleton Municipal Airport, and in close proximity to UW Health’s Med Flight base.

Policy UW-6010: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drone) Hobbyist & Policy UW-4005: Research Vehicle Safety Oversight further outline policy details.

If you have questions about drone use compliance on campus, please contact Heather McFadden, Compliance Manager, heather.mcfadden@wisc.edu.

Policies regarding food can be found in numerous places in the Student Organization Resource & Policy Guide, based on a couple of factors.

Location:

Different buildings on campus have different policies regarding food, so your best bet is first to determine where your event will be held and then to research that location. Here are a few resources to help with that.

Some event locations restrict use of outside food vendors. Generally, the Wisconsin Union and University Housing require that events held in their facilities must purchase food from the Wisconsin Union or University Housing, respectively, with some exceptions for pizza purchased from an off-campus vendor. For any exceptions, including specific cultural foods, contact the Wisconsin Union and University Housing directly. Please check the Space Reservations Policies section for more information on specific regulations based on location.

Industry standards should be followed if they are available. For example, whenever equipment is to be used for an event, your group should follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer on how to use the equipment. In addition, governing bodies, such as the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, are sources of information on how to provide for the safety of participants in various activities.

If people supervising various elements of an event are required to have a certain level of skill, they should be trained in accordance with the industry standards. If an organization is having a swimming event, for example, the lifeguards should be trained to meet Red Cross (or equivalent) standards. Industry standards should never be compromised.

Another way to minimize risk is to purchase insurance, including health and accident insurance as well as liability insurance.

It is important to note that liability coverage available through the State of Wisconsin Self-Funded Liability Program is very limited for student situations. Students and student organizations should be aware—with certain exceptions explained herein—most student organization activities are not covered by the University’s liability programs. Student organizations should be aware of the limits of the coverage and, at times, may need to purchase separate insurance. Review the information on the Business Services Students, Student Organizations, and Liability Coverage page.

The Risk Management Office has a Special Event Insurance Policy available to student organizations to minimize their risk, when using University facilities. More information on Business Services Facility Use and Insurance page.

Insurance

• University Liability Insurance
  • The University is insured through the State of Wisconsin’s self-insurance program
  • Coverage is limited to liability caused by the negligence of University employees and agents of the University while in the course and scope of conducting official university (state) business
  • RSOs are NOT normally covered by this insurance program
  • Students negligent actions may be covered if the activity is supervised by departmental staff and the activities are consistent with the department’s mission – do not count on this unless you have discussed this with the department or Risk Management beforehand
• Special Events Insurance—For events not covered by the University’s liability protection
  • If there is potential risk for injury or property damage to others (not participants), the Office of Risk Management can assist RSOs in obtaining liability insurance for the event only
    • This will protect your org and members from the financial risk of claims being made against them
    • Examples of events where this may be relevant: Animal events, dances, or concerts, pyrotechnics, juggling, chain saws, generally any activity that has the potential to seriously injure people physically or emotionally.
  • There is a charge based on the type of event being held,  the number of days and the anticipated attendance
    • Contact here
• Corporate Sponsor Insurance coverage
  • You may be able to request coverage through a corporate sponsor by asking that your org and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System be added as an additional insured under their liability policy for a specific event
    • Find more information at https://businessservices.wisc.edu/managing-risk/liability/certificates-of-insurance/
  • Contact Risk Management at riskmgmt@bussvc.wisc.edu

Maloney (1988) points to two legal aspects of handling money:

• More than one person should be responsible for financial transactions.
• An organization must follow federal, state, local and university guidelines
• The advisor does not serve as the organization’s treasurer, but should be keeping a careful eye on the legal aspects of how the organization handles its funds.

Use of Marks Requirements for Student Organizations

UW–Madison recognizes that the use of its logos, images, and names fosters a sense of pride and collective identity within the university community.

But it’s also necessary to recognize that the university is a public institution and its logos, images or names must serve a public purpose. Thus, university logos, images, and names cannot be used in a manner that implies a preference for or endorsement of private businesses and non-university organizations and must be used in such a way that the university’s reputation and image are protected.

The following guidelines are intended to help RSOs navigate the use of university marks in RSO names, communications (including web sites and social media), and collateral material such as apparel.

Naming:

You may NOT use any form of UW-Madison as the BEGINNING WORD(S) of the name of your student organization, e.g., UW–Madison, University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin. Instead, list the UW-Madison affiliation at the end of
the name of your organization, followed by a comma or parentheses, i.e., Checkers Club, UW or Checkers Club (UW-Madison). Make sure ALL REFERENCES to your organization (official name, acronym, website, etc) adhere to this requirement.

Example:

• Incorrect: UW-Madison Chess Club
• Correct: Chess Club, UW-Madison

Other UW-Madison trademarks may be used as part of the name of a student organization (eg, Wisco Votes) with permission from the Office of Strategic Communication. Please contact the Office of Strategic Communication to make a request.

You are required to disclose any community, state, national, or international affiliations of your student organization by listing them on the registration application form. Note that the name of your student organization cannot be the same name as the affiliated group. For example, if your group is affiliated with United Way and you wish to use the words United Way as part of your name, then you may name your student organization, e.g., United Way, UW Student Chapter; Friends of United Way; United Way, UW; United Way Student Programming Board.

While an affiliated student organization may adopt the goals of the broader organization, the student organization itself must also relate to student life on the Madison campus, be composed primarily of UW-Madison students, and must be controlled and directed by UW-Madison students. For example, the United Way, UW Student Chapter purpose might be to support the work of United Way, to inform students about working in the nonprofit sector, and for student members to encourage other students to volunteer in United Way agencies.

National Affiliates

Campus chapters of national organizations should check with the national office for specific trademark / licensing guidance.

Special Characters

No RSO name may start with an article or a special character. This includes, but is not limited to: the, a, an, “, #, @, *, any number (other than written out), or any non-Latin alphabet text.

This restriction exists to:

• Ensure consistency across university databases and directories.
• Prevent technical issues when processing applications or creating digital assets (e.g., website URLs, email accounts).
• Avoid confusion with university departments, official initiatives, or external brands.

University Indicia and Trademarks:

What are University Indicia, Trademarks and Logos?

• Licensed indicia are the names, symbols, designs, and colors of the university, including the trademarks, service marks, designs, team names, nicknames, abbreviations, city/state names in the appropriate context, slogans, logographics, mascots, seals, and other symbols associated with or referring to the university.  The university asserts ownership and all rights, title, and interest in and to its indicia, which includes trademarks, service marks, mascots, slogans and any other indicia that is associated with or refers to the university.
• Examples of university indicia include any graphic representation relating to the following list found on the Office of Trademark Licensing website.
• To protect trademarks and promote a consistent visual identity, UW logos, symbols and marks may vary in size, but cannot otherwise be altered, tampered with, modified, incorporated into other marks, or overprinted with other words or design elements. Visit UW’s brand site to learn more about how to use logos in design.
• Please note, the Motion W logo is only approved for use by the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and by University sports club teams as designated by the University Office of Recreation and Wellbeing. 
• Historical or vintage indicia, trademarks and logos are not permitted for use for any RSO.
• RSO’s are permitted to use the official university colors in their products. The Pantone’s of these approved colors can be found on the University’s official logo guide.

How To Use University Indicia/Trademarks for your RSO

Follow these requirements if your organization intends on using university indicia or trademarks on products or marketing/communications materials  

Websites

• RSOs will not be permitted to host websites on their own wisc.edu subdomains (e.g., studentorg.wisc.edu), nor brand their websites using the official UW WordPress theme.    RSOs should instead host information about their organization on the Wisconsin Involvement Network to clearly denote their student-run status. 
• RSOs are not permitted to use university indicia/trademarks in the header area of their websites.
• Unrecognized student organizations are entirely prohibited from hosting web content on the wisc.edu domain or using UW branding in any way. 

Social Media

• RSOs are not permitted to use the university’s official social media avatars, nor use any university indicia/trademarks in their RSO avatar.

Apparel or Hard Goods

• Request approval from the Office of Trademark Licensing via e-mail.  RSO’s are required to have all fundraising requests reviewed and approved prior to activation.
  • Explain how you intend to use the indicia/trademarks on promotional items or material
  • Include an actual design/layout of how the indicia/trademarks will be used (a licensed company can help you create a design/layout for approval)

• Follow these design and layout guidelines
  • The name of the RSO must be listed in close proximity to the university indicia/trademarks
  • The logo of a non-university business or nonprofit organization which is co-sponsoring or contributing to a student organization event or activity may appear on the item, but should be subservient to the UW-Madison indicia/trademark
  • Any university departmental or other registered student organizations that are co-sponsoring an event or activity can be listed as well (see cobranding guidelines here ).

• Understand how royalties work
  1. Royalties are required when: 
     • Item is intended for resale, either to the public or to individual members of a student organization.
     • Item includes a commercial message, sponsor, or endorsement (regardless of size).
     • Item is used as a promotional marketing device for a particular event.
     • (Note: the royalty will be built into the final cost of the product and paid to the university by the licensee).
  2. Royalties are exempt when: 
     • The item (generally clothing) is used as a “uniform.”
     • Distribution of the item is for internal use by a department or an organization.
  3. Please note: There is no royalty exemption for fundraising activities, including those where proceeds benefit a charitable organization. All items intended for resale—regardless of the end beneficiary—are subject to standard royalty requirements.

• Understand who can produce your apparel or hard goods
  1. Only companies that are officially licensed by the university are permitted to produce items using university trademarks 
  2. Purchases must be made from licensed vendors to ensure quality, consistency and appropriateness of design on the goods, as well as adherence to a labor code of conduct.
  3. Two vendors are licensed with appropriate rights for the RSOs to use. RSOs should disclose if they will be reselling merch for a profit or not when they set up their orders. 
     • Ad Madison , (608) 275-7888, info@admadison.com
     • Cal Mazzara, (608) 661-4350, ugpwisc@undergroundshirts.com
• Once you have approval, work with a licensed vendor to produce your items.

For any questions regarding working with university trademarks or licensed vendors, please contact trademarklicensing@wisc.edu 

Other Communications or Marketing Material:

• RSOs are not permitted to use the university’s logo generator to create RSO logos.
• For use of university indicia/trademarks on any other RSO communication/marketing material, please contact the Office of Strategic Communication.

For student organizations planning on participating in political campaign support and/or potentially inviting political candidates to campus, there are a number of university policies and procedures that must be followed. Additional details about these policies can be found on the Political Activity page.

Registered Student Organizations use a variety of ways to get the word out about organization meetings and events.  If your organization would like to put up posters on campus, chalk announcements on campus, or hand out leaflets to students, please check out the Posting, Chalking, and Leafletting page for details.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison strongly values free speech both in the statement of an idea and in the response to that idea. Generating and exploring innovative ideas and realities requires us to permit multiple perspectives and dynamic discourse.

The UW-Madison is a public university and, as a matter of law and institutional values, is dedicated to the principles of free speech and free expression as protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and considers that dedication to be an essential part of its educational mission. Fulfilling the university’s mission requires that UW-Madison robustly protect the opportunity of our community to engage in expressive activity in a variety of ways and locations. We also have the responsibility to ensure that teaching, research, scholarship, service, and university-sponsored events can occur in a safe and orderly manner without disruption and in a manner that is open and welcoming.

UW Policy-6013 Expressive Activity on the UW Policy Library and The Expressive Activity Guide offers additional details.

Follow the link for policies related to reserving and utilizing space on campus: Reserving Space

Registered Student Organization Sponsorship Policies 

 The University of Wisconsin–Madison acknowledges the potential financial and non-financial benefits of sponsorships and promotional activities. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for University Relations oversees the administration of these policies (which RSOs are subject to), handling inquiries and requests related to approvals or deviations. 

 When a RSO acknowledges a sponsor, an association in the mind of the public is created between the sponsor and university entity being sponsored. Thus, when an RSO is considering entering into a sponsorship relationship, it should consider the compatibility between its mission and image and that of the sponsor.   

• It is generally permissible for RSOs to accept external support, or sponsorship, for events, programs, publications or other activities. 

• Acknowledgment of sponsorship is not the same as paid advertising. University Relations strongly recommends pursuing qualified sponsorships rather than advertising. 

• Sponsorship support from tobacco companies is not permitted; sponsorship by alcohol companies or organizations associated with gaming is subject to additional review.  

• Depending on the RSO or event, it may be advisable and is permissible to decline support or sponsorship from a particular company or organization. 

• The support, or sponsorship, may be in the form of a gift of money or a gift-in-kind of goods and/or services. 

• Before entering into a sponsorship agreement, RSOs should consider the standard sponsorship terms and conditions to ensure compliance. Sponsors should be aware of these conditions. 

The entire associated policy can be viewed on the UW-Policy Website: Sponsorship Policy UW-204.  

Facility & Land Use and Sponsorship 

RSOs that host an event with sponsorship in a University-owned space and land, are subject to additional regulations. RSOs receiving sponsorship for programs or events held in university facilities or on university lands may provide an acknowledgment of that support. RSOs holding or publicizing events in university facilities or on university lands shall not make statements or engage in activities that would constitute an endorsement of a particular non-university interest or organization, or its products. Limited exceptions may be granted to RSOs sponsoring events in support of charitable organizations. Find related policy information in the Commercial Use section of UW-6000. Please be sure to make a reservation for the indoor or outdoor space you want to use and adhere to all space related policies.  For more information, visit the Reserving Space page in this guide.

Gifts-In-Kind 

Gifts in Kind are tangible items, goods, or services the University typically would have to otherwise buy if the item, good, or service hadn’t been donated. Gifts-in-kind from all sources must be routed through the Division of Business Services for approval and acceptance.

RSO Eligibility Requirements
In order to meet minimum eligibility as a Registered Student Organization (RSO) a group must be not-for-profit, which means no individual or group may profit from the work/activities of the student organization. This means the sponsorship monies received need to be deposited into the organization’s bank account for programming or to sustain the organization.   

Depositing Sponsorship Funds  

Unless the organization has a bank account through a university department, a sponsorship check would need to be made payable in the student organization’s name and be deposited into the organization’s (outside of the university’s) bank account. 

Student Organization Fair Corporate Sponsor Policy 

Student organizations cannot allow a corporate sponsor to use their table for promoting. This includes raffles, free coupons for services, or actual products. Any organization participating in such an act may be in violation of UW-6000 and could be subject to sanctions through the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. Organizations who are not a RSO who would like to become a sponsor of the Student Organization Fair should reach out to the Office for Student Organizations, Leadership & Involvement directly.

One common way for organizations to attempt to minimize risk is by asking participants to sign waiver forms. The assumption is that by having participants sign the waiver, they are being informed of the inherent risks of the activity they are planning to engage in.  Waivers are not a defense.

The UW-1045 Youth Protection Policy establishes minimum standards for the protection of youth participants in youth activities offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, on and off campus, and in third-party youth activities.

Youth activities, events, operations, or endeavors intended for the participation by minors that are operated by UW-Madison on, or off campus are subject to the UW-1045 Youth Protection Policy. RSOs who seek to host youth activities on UW-Madison property should contact the Office of Youth Protection at least 90 days in advance. RSO youth activities are considered third-party youth activities and must adhere to Addendum A of the UW-1045 Youth Protection Policy. All youth activities must be authorized by a school/college/divisions Youth Protection Designee before entering a facility use contract with UW-Madison. For more information contact youthprotection@wisc.edu or visit the Office of Youth Protection online.