Changes, including adding equipment or services, may be made to your reservation through the online reservation system more than ten 10 business days before your event. If changes are necessary to your event less than ten (10) business days prior to the reservation start time, those changes must be communicated with the Hill Student Center Events team via email, phone, or walk-in. Any changes made during this time may not be accommodated.

Within five (5) business days prior to your reservation, should significant changes be made which require new diagrams to be created, additional personnel, or additional equipment to be added, an administrative fee of $50 may be assessed. This fee will also be applied to significant changes on the day of or during the event.

The Hill Student Center reserves the right to change/alter reservations in an effort to maximize usage of space and accommodate as many reservation requests as possible. Reservations may be altered or canceled due to unexpected circumstances including, but not limited to, the following: utility interruptions, construction/renovation, emergency events, severe weather, and threats of imminent danger. Should a reservation be altered/canceled due to an unexpected circumstance, every effort will be made to reschedule or accommodate whenever possible.

The reserving party will be granted access to the space NO SOONER than the reserved booking time. It is the responsibility of the reserving party to ensure the room has been reserved for the full duration in which access to the space is needed. Often additional time is necessary for decorating, event preparation, troubleshooting technology, placing supplies/equipment inside the space, etc. Items are only allowed to be placed in the space during the time in which the room is reserved.

The Hill Student Center reserves the right to add additional time (paid at the hourly rate of the reserved space) to any reservation. Time may be added to accommodate client requests for early access to the space, if the event exceeds the reservation time or if the reserving party has not completely vacated the space by the end of the originally requested time.

Fronting is defined as a reserving party misrepresenting their university affiliation with the intent to reserve on behalf of another organization to circumvent Hill Student Center policy. This is a misrepresentation of party type and is strictly prohibited. All instances of fronting will result in an adjustment of all related fees to the appropriate hourly rate. The reserving party responsible for fronting may be subject to loss of reservation privileges.

Space reservations require considerable resources including personnel for diagram creation, room set-up, audio/visual set-up, facility management and maintenance, and associated administrative tasks. To operate efficiently and provide quality service, it is imperative that any cancellations or event changes be made in accordance with Hill Student Center policy.

Cancellations

Cancellations are accepted via phone, email, walk-in. Cancellation fees or additional charges may apply. Any reservations made with other campus entities (Blazer Catering Co. or contracted vendors, etc.) must be cancelled separately with those entities Reserving parties that cancel a reservation for a HSC reservable space no later than five (5) business days will not incur any adverse ramifications as outlined below. Reservations cancelled less than five (5) business days, but more than 48hrs prior to the start time of the scheduled event will be assessed 50% of the total cost of the reservation amount listed on the completed Reservation Agreement. Any event cancelled during this time frame that includes additional personnel will be assessed the full associated fee. If it is necessary to cancel a rain location, please see the Hill Student Center Rain Location policy for more information.

Reservations cancelled less than 48hrs prior to the start of the scheduled event will be assessed 100% of the cost of the reservation listed on the completed Reservation Agreement.

Late Arrivals

No Shows/Failure to Cancel

Student organizations may receive up to three (3) strikes per semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Actions that may result in a strike:

• No-show or failure to cancel a reserved event or meeting space.
• Bringing outside food into the Hill Student Center and Outdoor Amphitheater without Blazer Catering Co. Exemption.
• Surpassing the booking time as outlined in an event Reservation Agreement.
• Other violations of reservation or facility policies at the discretion of the Hill Student Center Operations Team

Some violations may also result in additional charges.

1. First Strike – Written Warning Email sent to the organization’s leadership and advisor outlining the actions that resulted I the strike.
2. Second Strike – Phone Call A member of the Hill Student Center Events Team will contact the organization's leadership by phone to discuss the policy violation and review reservation expectations.
3. Third Strike – Reservation Hold All future reservation requests for the organization will be placed on hold until the organization's leadership meets with the Hill Student Center Scheduling and Events Coordinator. A signed commitment agreement will be required following the meeting.
4. If the organization fails to schedule or attend the required meeting, any existing reservations may be released, and future reservation privileges may be suspended until the matter is resolved.
5. Subsequent violations – Reservation Privileges Revoked Student Organization reservation privileges will be revoked for the current semester.

Any event taking place within the Hill Student Center which requires access to the facility outside of standard building hours must be discussed with the Scheduling & Events Coordinator at a minimum of ten (10) business days prior to the reservation. Late requests may not be accommodated. Any approved early opening/late closing requests will be assessed an administrative fee of $125 per hour. Depending on the nature of the event and requested time, additional staff and/or security may be required at the expense of the reserving party.

The party reserving the Hill Student Center space will be held financially responsible for any charges related to the reservation or scheduled event, including any additional fees for clean-up, maintenance, or repair, resulting from the reservation as outlined in further policies.

Payment of rental fees for UAB student organizations or department are due no later than twenty (20) business days after receiving the invoice. For your convenience, we accept payment by University account number, check, or credit/debit card. Any party with past due invoices will not be eligible to reserve facilities or equipment until all delinquent amounts are paid in full. Failure to pay in a timely manner may also result in the cancellation of existing reservations.

Student Organizations

Student organizations, in good standing with UAB, may reserve Hill Student Center spaces for events at no cost. However, if the event includes ticket sales, admission fees, or the party is charging money of any kind, the student organizations will be charged the hourly rate for revenue generating events for the space. Exceptions to this policy are at the discretion of the Hill Student Center Director.

University Departments

University Departments will be charged the UAB department rates. For any reservation, a University account number must be provided for payment. Please communicate if you would like to provide another payment method during the reservation process. All reservation fees for space and equipment are due no later than the last day of the month in which the event took place. Additionally, departments may pay by check and are due no later than twenty (20) business days after the event.

External Organization

Any external organization seeking to reserve space at the Hill Student Center must contact the Hill Student Center Events Team through phone, email, or walk-in. An in-person or zoom meeting must occur, prior to reservation of space. External organizations must be aligned with UAB’s academic mission in order to be approved to reserve space.

Entities not sanctioned by the University will be charged the external organization rates. Fifty (50) percent of any associated fees for a reservation must be paid prior to ten (10) business days in advance of the event. The remaining balance must be paid no later than five (5) business days before the event.

Standard reservations within the Hill Student Center are all-inclusive with furnishings and basic A/V provided. Furnishings included with reservations at no additional cost include tables, chairs, staging, easels, podium, coat rack and in room whiteboard. Standard A/V included with reservations at no additional cost can include built-in projector/screen or monitor, built-in audio, HDMI hook-ups, laptop, podium microphone or wireless microphone, Wi-Fi, and all associated cabling. Additional equipment for rent may be requested during the reservation process no later than five (5) business days prior to the event. Any cost to replace missing or damaged items will be billed to the reserving party.

All previously requested furnishings and A/V are setup and tested prior to each standard reservation; however, a staff member is not present throughout the duration of the event. For any additional event support, the Hill Student Center offers Event Specialists for a hourly rate of $25. An event specialist may be reserved no later than ten (10) business days.

The Hill Student Center offers reserving parties additional equipment and services to enhance the needs for a variety of events. A detailed list of equipment and associated costs can be found in the Equipment Rental tab on the Hill Student Center website.

A reserving party may add equipment during the reservation process no later than five (5) business days prior to an event. Additional personnel may be added no later than ten (10) business days prior to an event. If equipment is no longer needed, it can be removed from a reservation no later than one (1) business day prior to the event. Reserving parties will be responsible for any damage or missing equipment incurred during that party’s reservation.

Reserving parties are responsible for any damaged or missing equipment/furnishings. No tape (except blue painter’s tape), nails, glue, glitter/confetti, spray paint, open flame, pyrotechnics, sand, or water pools are to be used withing the Hill Student Center. All decorations must be removed at the close of the event. If the decorations are not removed, the party responsible will be charged a cleanup fee per reserved space. This fee begins at $50 and will be assessed by the Director of the Hill Student Center for each offense. Reserving parties will assume full responsibility for the acts of all persons associated with the reservation and will reimburse the Hill Student Center for any and all damages done to the Hill Student Center property under the reservation agreement.

The Hill Student Center does not provide or validate parking for any events taking place within the facility. It is the sole responsibility of the reserving party to notify attendees of parking options and accommodations. Vehicles of any kind parked outside of designated parking areas may be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense. Reserving parties may contact UAB Parking and Transportation to reserve parking spaces/zones. Complete information concerning parking on campus may be found by visiting the UAB Parking & Transportation website at www.uab.edu/transportation/

Any drop-off/pick-up of event materials before/after an event taking place at the Hill Student Center must be requested and approved by the HSC Operations office. If approved, drop-off/pick-up of items may only be conducted from the loading dock or the street. Vehicles may not be left unattended at any time and should be relocated to an approved parking area immediately following drop-off/pick-up of items. All vehicles not approved for temporary access to the loading dock will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense. Vehicles may only park in designated parking spots and will not impede any deliveries to the loading dock. No vehicles may be driven on sidewalks surrounding the Hill Student Center. The reserving party will be responsible for the full cost of repairs for any damages caused during loading/unloading.

The Hill Student Center reserves the right to cancel a reservation when imminent weather is expected to threaten the safety of guests and staff or when campus has an emergency closure. If an event is to be cancelled due to inclement weather, the reserving party will be reimbursed for associated cost. The Hill Student Center Events Team will attempt to find a later date to hold the cancelled event subject to space availability.

Rain Locations

UAB Campus Dining is the EXCLUSIVE caterer for the Hill Student Center. All food/beverages must be provided through UAB Campus Dining or the Blazer Catering Co. This includes events, luncheons, meetings, etc. taking place within specific HSC office spaces. The HSC prohibits bringing any food or beverage from outside sources into the building for any events.

It is the responsibility of the reserving party to ensure reservations include adequate time for additional setup/take down for any reservation which includes catering. The Hill Student Center reserves the right to add additional time to reservations as necessary to accommodate catering requirements. Any additional time would be charged at the group’s assigned hourly rate for the event space. As the exclusive provider of all food and beverage within Hill Student Center, Campus Dining reserves the “first right of refusal “prohibiting catering being provided by any outside entity without permission from the Director of Catering. In the unlikely event that Campus Dining cannot accommodate the catering needs of a group or organization reserving space within Hill Student Center, a catering exception may be requested utilizing the Catering Exception Form.

The UAB Campus Dining and Blazer Catering Co. offices are located on the 1st floor of the Hill Student Center in suite 125. Standard operating hours are 8am-5pm Monday-Friday. Staff are available during operating hours to answer any questions regarding your catering needs and may be reached by phone at (205) 996-6565 or via email at brian.andrews@sodexo.com .

UAB Campus Dining’s complete catering policies may be viewed at www.uab.edu/students/dining/catering

Violations to Policy

1. First offense: groups will be sent a warning email restating the HSC Catering Policy.
2. Second offense: meeting with group representative to have them sign our policy, acknowledging they will be charged on the next offense.
3. Third offense: $100 fee and no new reservations will be allowed until the fee is paid in full.

Blazer Catering Co. is the exclusive provider for all alcohol service within the Hill Student Center. All procedures for service of alcoholic beverages will be strictly enforced by the Hill Student Center and Blazer Catering Co.

For any private event, alcohol may be served only in accordance with this policy and the applicable state, municipal, federal laws and regulations, and University policies.

1. All state and local laws are in effect and will be enforced for service of alcoholic beverages (including beer, wine, liquor, and hard cider) at the Hill Student Center.
2. Alcoholic beverages may be served during approved private events only and must remain within the space(s) rented- NO ALCOHOL PERMITTED OUTSIDE OF EVENT. Facility staff, reserving party, and alcohol provider shall be jointly responsible for enforcement.
3. The Hill Student Center and Blazer Catering Co. reserve the right to deem it necessary for the reserving party to pay for an off-duty UAB PD to officer to monitor an event.
4. Alcoholic beverages may only be served at events where food of substance is provided.
5. Self-service of alcohol is prohibited. Persons attending the event may not pour their own alcohol or be given direct access to coolers, kegs, bottles or containers containing alcohol. Blazer Catering will handle the distribution of all alcoholic beverages.
6. The Hill Student Center reserves the right to terminate the serving of alcohol at any time during the event.

Best Practices

1. For events lasting more than three (3) hours, alcohol should not be served during the final hour of the event. For events lasting less than three (3) hours, alcohol service should end at least 30 minutes before the scheduled end of the event.
2. Wristbands, stamps or other means of identification should be used to distinguish persons whose age has been verified and are of legal age to consume alcohol.
3. Tickets or other means to limit/monitor the number of alcoholic beverages consumed should be utilized by lessee.
4. Information for alternative, safe means of travel should be provided to guests following the event.

The Hill Student Center reserves the right to add any additional security personnel in the form of UAB Campus Police. If there is a cost associated with additional security, the reserving party will be responsible for this expense. Amplified Sound Due to the close proximity of the meeting spaces and the need for many events to coexist at the same time, it is necessary in certain cases to limit the use of amplified sound. The Hill Student Center requests that ALL parties be sensitive to the noise levels during your event. It is expected that reserving parties be respectful to others and handle noise situations with kindness and respect.

Amplified sound outside of event spaces is prohibited unless an exception is made by the Hill Student Center Director. The Hill Student Center reserves the right to alter or deny usage of amplified sound within any reservable space, as well as public spaces, to ensure a respectable level of noise is maintained.

The Federal Copyright Act (Title 17, United States code, Public Law 94-553, 90 Stat. 2541) governs how copyrighted materials, such as movies, may be utilized publicly. This law restricts the use of films for private showings and prohibits their public performance without prior written consent of the holder of the copyright. A public performance includes, but is not limited to, showing a motion picture in a location open to the public, showing a motion picture to a selected party of people gathered in a location not open to the public (i.e. meeting rooms, lounges or theater), or showing a motion picture by broadcast or transmission.

It is the sole responsibility of the reserving party to ensure all appropriate permissions have been granted concerning any/all copyrighted materials. The Hill Student Center is not liable for copyright violations committed by any party or individual reserving space within the facility. Failure to comply with University, federal, state or local laws may result in cancellation of reservation. For additional information regarding copyrighted material visit www.uab.edu/toolkit/trademarks-licensing.

Wireless Internet access is available throughout the Hill Student Center through the UABSecure network and UABStartHere network. An additional conference network must be requested during the reservation process and communicated to the Scheduling and Events Coordinator for access. If an event requires the use of ethernet connection, a reserving party will need to contact UAB Telecommunications and Hill Student Center Events Team at least ten (10) business days prior to the event. The individual or party will be responsible for all costs associated with the activation of such services.

A lost & found service is located at the Guest Services desk. Any items lost in the Hill Student Center and surrounding areas can be turned in to the Guest Services Lost & Found, located on the 2nd floor. Building patrons must show a valid ID when claiming any lost items, including credit cards, ATM cards, wallets, or other materials. Items of a perceived value of $50 or more, wallets, IDs, and ONE Cards turned into the Lost & Found will be held for 5 days; after 5 days, the above listed items will be turned over to UAB Police or ONE Stop Student Services. All other items will be held onto for at least 30 days, after which time, items will be disposed of.

Under AL HB498, Hill Student Center supports free association and will not deny a student organization space within the Hill Student Center based on expression of the organization. Hill Student Center will not charge security fees for events based on the content of the protected expressive activity of an event or based on the anticipated reaction or opposition to an event. UAB facilities must be used in a safe, orderly manner consistent with UAB’s mission and applicable laws, regulations, and UAB policies. Any use of UAB facilities not authorized herein is prohibited.

Scheduling Priorities

Priority for UAB facilities use is primarily for scheduled functions. Scheduling of UAB facilities is based on the following priorities:

1. . First Priority: Use by UAB departments for UAB activities consistent with the intended purpose and design of the specific space, such as use of classrooms for teaching and instructional programs for academic credit or laboratories and other facilities for research.
2. Second Priority: Use by UAB departments for UAB activities other than education and research, including but not limited to, administration, scholarship, fundraising, training, or departmental programming and outreach.
3. Third Priority: Use by internal organizations that are in good standing with UAB at the time of scheduling and on the date(s) of the event.
4. Fourth Priority: Use by external organizations that have a current contractual relationship with UAB conducting UAB mission-related programs.
5. Fifth Priority: Other non-UAB uses, subject to availability and consistency with UAB’s mission and goals in education, research, and public service.

The President or designee may override scheduling in any UAB facility for response, protection, or management of criminal investigations; critical incidents; unplanned events that may have an impact on UAB operations; or scheduled events (including athletic events) that involve dedicated emergency resources.

The University has a significant interest in protecting the educational experience of its students, in ensuring health, safety, and order on its campus, in regulating competing uses of its facilities and grounds, and in protecting the safety and wellbeing of those with the right to use its facilities and grounds to engage in protected speech, among other significant interests. The University is committed to free and open inquiry and expression for members of its community — including registered student organizations. All registered student organizations are expected to comply with the Freedom of Expression and Use of UAB Facilities Policy.

Outdoor Areas of campus are available for non-amplified spontaneous express activity by registered student organizations at any time without the need for reservations or prior approval, unless the space is already reserved. Registered student organizations are permitted to assemble and engage in spontaneous expressive activity as long as such activity is lawful and does not materially and substantially disrupt the functioning of the University. Although not required, to further the effectiveness of the unscheduled use of outdoor areas of campus, students and registered student organizations are encouraged to contact Office of the Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration and provide notification about the activity. Advance notification enables the University to help ensure that the activity does not conflict with a reserved or scheduled use, takes place in a constructive manner, the event is effective, to safeguard the participants’ safety, and to assist organizers in seeing that the activity does not disrupt the University’s educational activities and essential processes.

The Hill Student Center is committed to ensuring the facility and its events are accessible and inclusive for all guests. Therefore, all events within the Hill Student Center must be made accessible to all participants. UAB event disability accommodations are coordinated directly through the specific hosting department or unit running the event. UAB Disability Support Services is available for consultations and guidance. Requests for assistance with accommodations may be made by contacting the Disability Support Services by calling (205) 934-4205 or emailing dss@uab.edu

Late Reservation Changes

Within five (5) business days prior to your reservation, should significant changes be made which require new diagrams to be created, additional personnel, or additional equipment to be added an administrative fee of $50 may be assessed.

Early Opening/Late Closing

Any event taking place within Hill Student Center which requires access to the facility before or after standard building hours should be discussed with the Scheduling & Events Coordinator at least two (2) weeks prior to the reservation. Late requests will not be accommodated. All requests for early opening or late closing must be approved by the Director of Hill Student Center. Depending on the nature of the event and requested time, additional staff and/or security may be required at the expense of the reserving group. Any approved early opening/late closing will be assessed an administrative fee of $125 per hour.

Event Specialist/AV Technician

All previously requested furnishings and A/V are setup and tested prior to each standard reservation however, a staff member is not present throughout the duration of the event. For added peace of mind and assistance, Hill Student Center offers Event Assistants or A/V Techs for an additional fee of $25/hr.

Event Specialist

Exceptional student staff who can assist in a variety of ways during your event. Responsibilities may include: assist with pre or post event setup/breakdown, minor adjustments of furnishings or A/V during event, assist with event execution (greeter, distribute programs/materials, etc.) and serve as direct point of contact to Hill Student Center support personnel.

Audio/Visual Technician

Exceptional student staff who have received in-depth training on all A/V systems within Hill Student Center. Responsibilities may include: Assistance with audio/visual needs (including PowerPoint presentations, A/V adjustments during event, etc.) and serve as direct point of contact to Hill Student Center support personnel.

Damage/Cleaning

No tape, nails, glue, glitter/confetti, open flame, pyrotechnics, sand or water pools are to be used in any room at any time including any lobby space. All decorations must be removed at the close of the event. If the decorations are not removed, the group responsible will be charged a cleanup fee of $50 per reserved space. Customers hereby assume full responsibility for the acts of all persons associated with reservation and hereby agree to reimburse Hill Student Center for any and all damages done to the Hill Student Center property during the time covered by this agreement. Customers are responsible for any damaged or missing equipment/furnishings.