Student groups may soon find an easier process in hosting off-campus events, according to Columbia College Student Council members.
CCSC passed a resolution Oct. 5 calling on the Division of Student Affairs to permanently approve a list of local restaurants as safe venues for students to host activities. The resolution, members hope, will streamline the Student Affairs approval process and broaden venue possibilities for student group-sponsored events.
Council members felt student groups were constrained by the lack of diversity of spaces available on campus, and hoped the resolution would increase interest and participation in campus organizations and activities. “As a first-year student, off–campus events definitely spark my interest in clubs. They’ve also been a great way to get off campus and explore the neighborhood,” Joe Daly, CC ’12, said.
In order to host an event off-site, the venues must be investigated by and negotiate with the University. But under the new resolution, venues would be approved ahead of time. Columbia would also make permanent legal agreements with sites in terms of fees, so as to eliminate redundant negotiations for each off-campus event.
The resolution suggests a list of local restaurants including Campo, The Heights, and Havana Central to be approved permanently as acceptable venues with safe, responsible business practices. Because spaces will be pre-approved, “hopefully the process for student groups wanting to have events at outside venues will go a lot more quickly,” said Sara Partridge, CC ’11 and sophomore class vice president.
Partridge, along with Columbia College class of 2010 president AJ Pascua, played a principal role in the initiative to draft such a resolution, which was developed after the class of 2010 expressed interest in having a joint event with New York University earlier this semester, but had difficulties circumnavigating Columbia’s event regulations. A past problem in planning off-campus events was that Columbia needed to verify the safety of prospective venues, a process which required a lengthy period of preparation.
But CCSC officials said they found the administrative support they needed to develop the resolution. “Because it was conceptualized with administrators and they also felt the need for it, it was pretty easy,” Partridge said.
