Policy for the use of bookable spaces by Student Societies

Student societies are usually allowed free use of bookable spaces, but this is not a right and bookings are confirmed at the discretion of CTS staff. The following rules apply.

1. The Society must be affiliated to DUSA, or awaiting this, with appropriately appointed officers (such as President, Secretary, Treasurer).
2. Only those appointed Officers may make booking requests on behalf of the Society, and they will be responsible for the conduct of the event being arranged, and the behaviour of the attending members and guests.
3. Booking requests should be submitted using Resource Booker.
4. Bookings depend on room availability and the requirements of mainstream UoD users.
5. Bookings are for meetings of Society members. Societies may not make bookings on behalf of external organisations in order to take advantage of free use.
6. Generally, meetings should not be open to the public. Non-UoD parties may be participants in meetings as guests, but those meetings should primarily be for members, who form the majority of the attendees.
7. If the meeting is to be open to all students / staff, the Society should notify CTS, along with the subject matter and the identity of any external speaker via Resource Booker or roombooking@dundee.ac.uk
8. If the meeting is to be open to the public, the request should be submitted at least two weeks in advance, detailing the subject matter, the identity of any external speaker and the means of advertising the event. The advance notice will not be waived unless special circumstances apply.
9. The Society is liable for any costs incurred by their booking (for example, for out of hours events needing additional security cover; for excess cleaning or damage repair after the event). This may mean the Society Officer is held personally liable.
10. The Society will follow instructions relating to their booking from on-duty janitors / security staff, who have the right to terminate the event if a situation is deemed to warrant this action.
11. Use of public areas close to the booked room cannot be assumed to be usable; they must also be booked through the appropriate office.
12. Flat-floor bookable spaces have default furniture layouts. There is no facility for having these changed on demand. If furniture is moved it must be carefully restored to its default layout (displayed in the room) at the end of the event. On no account should furniture be moved out of the room.
13. Film screenings

•  Societies are responsible for ensuring that they are not breaching copyright when showing a film. Student Societies are not exempt from copyright restrictions through being members of an educational institution. Only teaching is exempt, and the film shown must be identified as part of a specific course.
• For documentaries or privately made films, Societies can acquire permission directly from the maker; or public display may be implicit in the terms of distribution.
• To show commercially made DVDs for educational purposes, confirmation is required from a course leader that the film is part of a specific course.
•  To show commercially made DVDs for entertainment purposes, a licence is required: either the institution must have a Public Video Screening Licence (PVSL) which covers all film showings, or the Society requires a Single Title Screening Licence (STSL) for each film shown. Under a PVSL no charge is made for membership of the Film Club, or for viewing the film; it may only be shown to staff and students. At this point the University does not have a PVSL. Under a STSL, charging for admission to a film screening is not permitted; however members of a film club may pay an annual subscription or membership fee to the club. It should also be noted that advertising the screening outside the institution or on a publicly accessible website is not permitted, though advertising on a members’ only, password-protected website is allowed.

14. Student Sports Clubs

• The above rules also apply to Sports Societies wishing to book a room. These should only be for meetings, not for practice: teaching rooms are generally not suitable for the latter. The ISE has purpose-built facilities, full support and first aiders available for practice events. These facilities have a cost, and clubs seeking to avoid paying fees by using free teaching accommodation are acting to the detriment of sports facilities.