Academic Space | Classrooms

Policies and Procedures
Please note these are only scheduling guidelines as each venue may have additional policies and procedures for its particular area.

Who Schedules the Events in Academic Spaces
Event Management is responsible for scheduling all events held in academic space. Until after census (approximately the 12th class day of each fall and spring semester), events may only be scheduled in academic space on weekends or after 4:00 p.m. Refer to the Room Assignment Priority for Events below for additional guidance. 

Who can Request an Event in Academic Space
Any University department may request space through Astra.  Student organization registered with Student Engagement may submit their requests through Patriots Engage.

Most academic spaces are not classified as a special-use facilities and therefore cannot be reserved by community organizations unless there is a jointly sponsorship by a UT Tyler department or entity.

Events Allowed vs. Not Allowed in Academic Space
Classrooms are intended for class instruction, study, and similar academic activities.  Events scheduled in academic spaces must be compatible with the academic purpose of the classrooms and the surrounding areas.  Non‑class events are permitted; however, they must not adversely impact the classroom, its furnishings, equipment, or nearby academic activities.

Activities that are not compatible with academic space include amplified music, dances, dinners, parties, or any event requiring the re‑furnishing of rooms or removal of equipment. Non‑compatible events also include any activity that disrupts classroom use directly or interferes with research, study, or other academic pursuits in adjacent areas.

Other campus venues are available to support events that are not well suited for academic space.

How and When to Submit an Event Request
Because courses have priority in academic spaces and course schedules are not finalized until after census, event requests for Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 3:59 p.m. will not be scheduled in academic spaces until after the census date. Additionally, academic‑space reservations are only scheduled for the current semester.

Upon receipt of a request, Event Management will send an email with acknowledgment that the request has been received. This acknowledgment does not constitute confirmation.

• If the request is denied, an email notification stating the reason will be sent to the event contact.
• Most faculty and staff event requests will remain in a pending status. The event contact will receive an email indicating this status along with a link to the Event Management Coordination (EMC) form, which must be completed. This form provides Event Management with additional details about the event. The event will not be approved or scheduled until the EMC form has been submitted and approved by Facilities, Environmental Health & Safety, and the UT Tyler Police Department.
• Additional approvals may be needed, depending upon the event details.
• If the request is scheduled, a confirmation email is sent to the event contact. This confirmation should be used to verify details, resources, and the approved use of the room. Room requests are not considered approved until the event, room, and resource confirmations are issued. Inquiries should be sent to Event Management.

Fall and Spring Room Assignment Priority*
Below is the scheduling priority for academic space. Event requests will be processed in the order in which they are received. Weekend requests and requests after 4:00 p.m. can be scheduled prior to the fall and spring semesters' census dates (12th class day). 

1. Registrar’s Office will Open Course Scheduling
   1. Academic Courses
   2. Academic Success: SI Sessions, PASS Tutorials
2. Approximately Two (2) Weeks Prior to the Start of School
   1. Student organizations
   2. Only weekends and weekdays after 4:00 p.m. are scheduled
3. After Census Date
   1. General-use meetings and other events (departments, student organizations, etc.)
   2. Joint-sponsored events
4. Final Exams Week
   1. No general meetings, weekly tutorials, etc. will be scheduled for final exams week until the Registrar’s Office has completed the final exam schedule.
   2. Events will be held to a minimum with only tutorials, SI Sessions, etc. being scheduled.

Summer Room Assignment Priority*
If a course MUST have a particular room (supplies stored in closet, etc.) and that room is already scheduled for a large event, please contact Event Management.

1. Summer camps
2. Joint-sponsored events
3. General-use meetings and other events
4. Courses 

*There are no “guaranteed” spaces except for credited academic courses and their final exams. Requests for specific rooms or spaces will be honored when possible. If a specific room is no longer available, Scheduling & Conference Services reserves the right to reassign space when necessary and to identify suitable alternative space for the original reservation.

Emergency Closure
If the University experiences an emergency closing due to weather, utility failure, or other unforeseen disaster, the event is considered canceled. Events will not be scheduled on official University holidays.

Event Sponsor/Contact Responsibility
The sponsoring registered student organization, university department/school/college, or community organization is responsible to provide the information needed. When making a reservation, a designated contact person responsible for the proper conduct of the event is required.

The type of activity(ies) at the event may not be changed from that requested without prior written approval from the Scheduling & Conference Services.

• A reservation does not provide event support services such as catering or security. These items are examples of extra services that may be arranged on a fee-for-service basis.
• The event sponsor/ contact is responsible for the planning and coordination of all event-related arrangements.
• Under no circumstances is furniture or other property to be removed from the room or removed from other rooms.
• The sponsor is responsible for any extra cleanup fees or damages to the facility incurred during the course of the event or during the event set-up and take-down.
• Any items brought in for the event should be removed promptly and the room returned to its original arrangement.
• Failure to adhere to these policies may subject the event sponsor to pay for damages and/or restriction of space usage privileges. 

Expectations
All users of academic space are expected to leave the space and its equipment in good order – tables and chairs straightened, electronic equipment shut off, and taking away or disposing of everything one came in with, such as soda/food containers, newspapers, etc. Users are also expected to take extra care that no damage is done to the academic space, furniture, or equipment and that the room is returned to a class-ready condition. If possible, the room needs to be locked upon leaving.

Decorations
Items may not be affixed to walls, windows, floor or ceiling or other surfaces of the facility with tape, sticky adhesive or any material that will damage the surface or leave markings. Banners or posters are not allowed to be hung on the outside of the building. Prohibited items include but are not limited to confetti, glitter, silly string, and rice. The use of these items will result in an additional cleaning fee. 

Facilities Information
Rooms are provided in "as is" condition. If furniture is rearranged, it must be placed back in its default setting.

There are several lobbies available in Astra to reserve. Setup of tables in these public spaces is provided by UT Tyler Facilities and must be requested on the Event Request Form. Any use of hallways should not restrict the access to the classroom or interfere with any other areas.

If the temperature in the room is uncomfortable, the Physical Plant can be contacted at 903.566.7030.

Classroom Equipment and Features
The scheduled use of the room includes seating space and use of any lectern-mounted microphone, accessible projectors, and other accessible equipment. Each classroom has Zoom video conferencing capabilities. 

All classrooms have technology and support equipment permanently installed. Existing technology or systems may not be opened or modified in any way. Use of the room does not include access to locked equipment. Classroom storage, equipment rooms, and projection booths are not included in the reservation and entry into these areas is not authorized. Teaching assistants and graduate students who have access to the locked equipment for course usage and support are not authorized to access the locked areas for event usage.

Laptops/notebooks or other computing devices connected to University networks must adhere to UT Tyler IT Policies and Procedures.

Web Conferencing
Teams and Zoom offer video conferencing. They work across desktop, tablet, mobile and room systems.

Blocked Parking
For the first two (2) weeks of each fall and spring semesters, NO blocked parking requests will be approved by Parking and Transportation. Parking spaces on Tuesdays and Thursdays are extremely limited and may not be approved depending upon the number of spaces requested.

Blocked parking can be requested Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Requests after 2:00 p.m. and weekends will not be approved.

If a large number of spaces are needed, a "waive citations" resource may be placed to the event record.  This notifies the UT Tyler Police Department to refrain from issuing parking citations in a designated lot during a specific timeframe.

Food Service/Catering
Sodexo is UT Tyler’s on-campus food service provider. Refer to Sodexo's Catering Website.  If academic space is not left as it was found, food and beverage use may be subject to additional cleanup/custodial charges by Facilities.

Alcohol
If alcohol is being served at the event, it is mandatory Vicky Bond be contacted. Permission via the Event Management Coordination (EMC) form must be received in order for alcohol to be served at the event, and UT Tyler Police Department (UTPD) is required to be onsite (additional charge to client). All other requirements found in Section 10 of the Event Procedure Manual must be followed.

Smoking
As of August 2016, the University of Texas at Tyler will be a smoke- and tobacco-free campus. All students, staff, faculty, and visitors are prohibited from smoking and using, selling, free distributing, and advertising tobacco products and electronic cigarettes in all facilities and on all University properties. For more information, please refer to UT Tyler - Tobacco-Free Campus.

Campus Carry Policy
Please refer to UT Tyler’s Concealed Handgun Policy.

Porter Service and Excessive Cleaning
At no additional cost, the Facilities department will provide a porter service for all internal events serving food or for large events. Extraordinary cleanup, or any damage incurred from event usage, will be billed to the department. 

Additional Information For Registered Student Organizations 

Only registered student organizations are allowed to request space on campus. Please refer to the Student Organization Guidelines for additional details. There is a 14-day lead time for requests through Patriots Engage.

Publicity, Signs and Flyers
All signs, posters, and flyers must be approved by Student Engagement unless they are posted on a bulletin board or other designated location that is occupied and controlled by an academic or administrative unit per chapter 6, section 6-506. Please refer to UT Tyler's Student Organization Handbook for bulletin board posting locations.

Posting Guidelines
To determine if a registered student organization’s sign/flyer/poster or banner is ready 
for approval, review the Posting Guidelines. 

Porter Service and Excessive Cleaning
Extraordinary cleanup or any damage incurred from event usage will be billed directly to the student organization responsible. Additionally, the organization may be referred to Student Engagement for potential disciplinary review. Event Management and Student Engagement reserve the right to deny future use of this venue based on these circumstances. 

Insurance
Questions regarding student organization insurance should be addressed to Student Success
903.566.7018.

Additional Information For Community Members

As outlined in the UT Tyler Handbook of Operations, only facilities designated as “Special Use Facilities” by the President are available for public use. Therefore, academic space cannot be requested by external clients.