Special Events, Risk Assessment, & Heat Illness Prevention

If your organization is planning on showing a movie either on or off-campus, it will first need to provide proof of viewing rights and attach it to the Event Registration Form before the event can take place.  

Federal copyright statutes prohibit the showing of movies that have been rented or purchased for personal use, including subscriptions to paid streaming services, for anything other than private home viewing without written permission of the copyright holder. Fees are determined by such factors as the number of times a particular movie will be shown, how large the audience will be, etc. Proof of viewing rights can be obtained through the following sources: 

• Swank Motion Pictures, Inc - swank.com 
• Criterion Picture USA, Inc – criterionpicusa.com 
• Motion Picture Licensing Corp – mplc.com 
• Written communication (either letter or email) from the owner(s) of the actual film/movie granting permission to show the movie/film. 

A student organization must have a public performance license or proof of permission from the copyright owner to show the work publicly on-campus. Ownership, rental of a film/video, or subscription to an online streaming service such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc does not constitute public performance rights. 

There is often confusion regarding fair use laws. There are a set of very strict criteria to determine if a screening falls under the fair use law, or “face to face teaching exemption.” This exemption is for a specialized classroom situation with a movie shown during class time, for one class, with an educational purpose pertinent to the class and which is part of the professor’s written syllabus. Movies that are shown outside of the class in conjunction with a speaker, to bring up a particular topic on campus etcc do NOT fall under this exemption. Charging admission is irrelevant to the necessity of a license. 

The University Bookstore, operated by Barnes and Noble College Bookstores, Inc. is contracted by University Auxiliary Services as the exclusive textbook vendor at Cal State LA. The University Bookstore is also the exclusive on-campus seller of other items typically sold in college bookstores, such as general books, educational supplies, notebooks, stationery, desk and room accessories, gift items, class and alumni rings, jewelry, and clothing, including any and all such items bearing a Cal State LA emblem, logo, insignia or other identifying marks. Student groups should consult with the General Manager of the University Bookstore before engaging in the sale of any merchandise for the purpose of fund-raising. Such consultation will ensure that there are no violations of the contract with the University Bookstore and University Auxiliary Services. 

If your organization is planning on a conference, convention, or workshop, there are a few things that you want to make sure you have on your checklist.  As with any special event, remember to submit your Event Registration Form at least 10 business days before the event.  Submitting the form a few months in advance will allow your organization ample time to confirm reservations, begin publicity, and plan for the particular event.  You may want to consider what arrangements your organization will make for parking, refreshments, hospitality to guest speakers, etc. For more information on planning such events, or assistance, please drop by CSI. 

All those who are interested in staying in Summer Conference/Guest Housing will be required to fill out a request for conference space.  If an organization would like to reserve guest housing for someone outside the group, do so by completing the Request for Conference Space form.  Submit the completed Request for Conference Space Form to the Housing and Residence Life office at least 15 business days prior to the request date.  Last minute requests may not be granted. Requests for Conference Space will be reviewed on a first come, first serve basis and are subject to available space.  If approved, a 10% non-refundable deposit is required to confirm the reservation. Conference/Guest Space is only available in the summer. For more information please visit the Housing and Residence Life. 

A General Release Waiver will be required for all participants to complete prior to participation if your organization’s events will include any of the following elements: 

• Sports Activity/Competition 
• Beach Cleanup 
• Beach Bonfire 
• Forest/Park Cleanup 
• Indoor/Outdoor Cooking 
• Animals 
• Construction/building 
• Hiking 
• Domestic/International Travel 

The General Release Form can be downloaded here.  

The general release form must be uploaded to the event registration for review. If the waivers or not available upon registration, CSI will conditionally approve event registrations and follow up to ensure all general release waivers have been completed by participating students. 

Organizations can hold events at off-campus venues where alcohol is available but is not a component of their event. The event contact/planner should initial on the Event Registration Form indicating that NO guest/member attending the event will consume alcohol regardless of their age/ability to do so since they are participating in an organizational event.  All organization event guests and participants must comply and abide by this acknowledgment during the entire duration of the event. Examples of these venues and events include but are not limited to: 

• Fundraisers at restaurants/venues that serve alcohol where organizations receive a percentage off of food sales 
• Banquets or ceremonies at restaurants where alcohol is available but will not be served  

These events will also require TiPS training requirement (see below).   

Student organization events at venues where alcohol is available or events that have been approved to serve alcohol will require at least two student organization members to attend a University-led Training for Intervention ProcedureS training and to receive TiPS certification prior to the scheduled event date. Both certified members should be in attendance for the full duration of the event and must pass the certification test. Previous TIPS certification will be recognized while valid. TIPS trainings will be scheduled throughout the semester.  Events that meet these criteria are subject to cancellation pending the successful completion of the training requirement.  

For more information on TIPS and to RSVP for a training please contact CSI at 323-343-5110. 

Specific events your organization may be planning may require additional risk management assessment and support.  These generally include but are not limited to events that: 

• Meet the Ticket Procedures requirement    
• Have an anticipated attendance size of 100 or more or who may exceed the event space's capacity 
• Invite off-campus and/or community guests to participate on campus 
• Request to serve alcohol through the Request to Serve Alcoholic Beverages Form  
• Occur at venues where alcohol is available (but is not a part of the event) 
• Invite off-campus media to cover the event on campus 
• Require Special Event Insurance  

Events with one or more of these conditions must be planned in advance (beyond the minimum 10 business days) in order to adequately allow CSI to assist your organization with risk assessment, connect your organization to other campus departments, and help develop logistics that address any and all of these aspects of event planning.  You may be required to attend planning meetings with CSI to further discuss steps your organization will need to take prior to your event taking place.  Ultimately these steps are designed to support your organization as it plans its events so that they are put on successfully and safely.  Should you have any questions please contact CSI at 323-343-5110. 

To access the CSU-Student Activities Heat Illness Prevention training, log into your MyCalStateLA portal. Then look for the button that is labeled CSU Bridge. Click on that button.

A new window will open up with a search bar at the top. Type CSU heat illness in that search box and press the hourglass to conduct the search:

The search will open a new window. Look for the button labeled Custom and click on it.

The CSU-Student Activities Heat Illness Prevention course option will now appear on your screen. Click on Launch to access the training.

A new window will open up and you can press Begin to start your training.

For more information Heat Illness Preventaion please refer to the CSU Student Activities Heat Illness Prevention Resource Guide.