Policies & Procedures

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to outline the process for students’ peaceful expression and assembly on campus as well as how to request services from the SUNY Broome Community College for the assembly.

Statement of the Procedure

SUNY Broome respects and supports students’ efforts to exercise their rights to free speech and assembly. The Division of Student Development has designated the Office of Student Activities to provide the appropriate support for the successful implementation of these events. Following College procedure will ensure a safe and effective assembly activity. The College will make every effort to respond affirmatively to all requests to engage in assembly activity. However, content-neutral consideration must be given to the time, place, and manner of the assembly activity to ensure the health and safety of the participants and the noninterference with authorized College business, activities, or events.

To help ensure the safety of participants and the protection of the rights of all members of the campus community, the College, upon receiving appropriate requests from recognized students and student organizations, provides services such as location, safety, crowd control, sound equipment (unless prohibited in certain areas as per campus rules), site preparation/cleanup, and/or other such facilities or services it deems necessary (“Services”).

Request for Services

1. For assemblies where the need for Services is reasonably foreseeable, event organizers shall, within 5 business days prior to the planned event, submit a written Request for Services, as follows:
   1. The written request should contain the name of the sponsor/organizer, the proposed location and any other Services sought, the date and time of the planned assembly, and the number of persons expected to participate.
   2. The request should be submitted to Student Activities via The Swarm. If the event is sponsored by a Student Club, the request should be submitted through an Event Request. For students not affiliated with a club, the request should be made by completing the Request for Non-Club Led Assembly Form on The Swarm.
   3. A professional staff member from Student Activities will promptly respond to the request for Services after receipt of the written request but no later than three (3) business days prior to the proposed date of the planned event. All communication regarding the request will be done as discussion on the Event Submission or the Form Submission.
   4. A professional staff member will review the request and work with the sponsor/organizer to accommodate requests and determine a reasonable time, place, and manner for the assembly activity. SUNY Broome designates the following as public areas for the purpose of peaceful and orderly assemblies: Quad; Student Center Foyer; practice field adjacent to Parking Lot 4; and Pavilions (see map).
   5. While every attempt will be made to accommodate all requests, some modifications to the assembly activity request may be required due to the availability of the proposed time and place of the activity. A Student Activities professional staff member will inform the sponsor/organizer of these modifications and provide guidance as the assembly activity is planned.
   6. In the event that the proposed assembly activity is planned in direct response to a current event, Student Activities realizes that it may not be possible to submit a request in advance. In such cases, the event organizer should contact Student Activities as soon as possible in order to promptly coordinate the assembly activity, where reasonably possible.
2. No Services Required: Assemblies requiring no Services, or for which the need for Services is not reasonably foreseeable or necessary as described above, also require the student sponsor/organizer to provide written notification to the Director of Student Activities at least five (5) days in advance of the event to help ensure the safety of the participants and the noninterference with authorized College business, activities, or events. The request should be submitted as an Event Request for club affiliated assemblies, and by completing the Request for Non-Club Led Assembly Form on The Swarm. Conformity with the specific campus rules noted above is required. Event organizers who do not request necessary services that were reasonably foreseeable as being needed may be subject to discipline.

Related Policies (by number)

Freedom of Expression & Assembly Student Policy; Student Code of Conduct

To Whom it Applies

This procedure applies to all registered students and student clubs.

Action