Middlesex Community College

When planning any activity or event, organizations must first present the proposed idea to their advisor and submit their event through Engage. Once approved, organizations must communicate with OSE staff while planning the activity or event. The Office of Student Engagement seeks to promote an inclusive and open environment for all students and will not support programs that are counter to the mission and values of the Office of Student Engagement and Middlesex Community College.

Organizations must submit event plans through Engage for approval. Student organizations should also prepare a sufficient advertising plan to help make the event successful. Additionally, student organizations are strongly encouraged to collaborate with other student organizations on events and competitions when applicable.

Students and Faculty/Staff Advisors are not legal agents of the college and are not authorized to sign any contract or rider for professional services, entertainment, travel, catering, facilities use, merchant/vendor services, or any other binding agreements that commit college funds or facilities. All contracts must be reviewed by the Director of Student Engagement & Retention or their designee in order to ensure that the terms of the contract are in accordance with College policy.

All vendors and performers must sign a state issued contract even if they have their own. These will be provided by the Office of Student Engagement. Any student or staff member who signs a contract runs the risk of assuming personal liability for the full amount of the contract plus additional expenses. The student may also be subject to disciplinary action by the College.

Use of off-campus facilities by organizations is possible with prior approval of both the organization’s advisor and the Office of Student Engagement. Student organizations agree to accept responsibility for the behavior and actions of members and guests while using off-campus facilities.

Guests of the MCC community are allowed to attend campus events. MCC students are responsible for their guests’ behavior at college functions. Students may be limited to the number of guests accompanying them to an event. The maximum number of guests varies depending upon the nature of the program. Those who are not currently enrolled in classes at MCC are always considered guests and cannot be a member of a club or hold a leadership position.

Student organizations do not have a “Not for Profit” or “Non-Profit” status. Therefore, it should neither be stated nor implied that donations or receipts can be used by the donor for tax deduction purposes.

In addition to a student organization’s annual operating budget allocation, student organizations are encouraged to fundraise throughout the year. When planning a fundraiser, student organizations may need to meet with their OSE liaison to make reservations, as well as arrange logistics for the deposit of funds within 24 hours of obtaining them.

• Full name, student ID, phone number, e-mail address, and age need to be documented at time of purchase (usually through a spreadsheet).
• Person who sold tickets must initial each sale and this employee/student volunteer should be the one to write down the information gathered.  
• Number on ticket must match number on spreadsheet
• Travel waivers need to be signed at time of purchase. (If participant is under 18, they must get their guardian's signature first and then purchase the ticket.)
• All rules must be posted and/or on ticket (i.e. No refunds; Must take transportation provided; One guest per student; etc.).
• Price must be included on ticket along with the phrase “No Refunds.”
• FERPA Statement must be on any/all signup sheets (See MCC Policies at the end of the handbook).

Any organization coordinating a bake sale or other fundraiser in which homemade food goods will be sold for profit must adhere to the following:

• All homemade food goods must be individually wrapped or packaged for sale.
• Food containing allergens must be clearly marked. Allergens may include any of the following ingredients: milk, eggs, nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat
• Allergen sheets can be located in the resources section of this manual and on Engage, and must be used with every bake sale.
• Gloves or serving utensils must be used to ensure that participants do not directly handle any food items that are to be sold to the public. OSE can provide these.
• Sale of food items that need significant cooling or heating requirements should work with OSE to coordinate their event to ensure food is kept at safe temperatures.

• Each ticket must be numbered.
• Tickets must name the sponsoring organization including Middlesex Community College.
• Tickets must include the date and time of drawing.
• Tickets must list prizes to be awarded.
• Tickets must include the phrase “winners need not be present at the time of drawing.”
• All drawings for prizes must be held in a public area.
• Winners must be notified immediately.
• All prize winners will be responsible for any taxes on their winnings, and their social security number and permanent address must be on file in the Office of Student Engagement.
• 5% of the gross revenue on raffles must be sent to the Massachusetts Lottery Commission. The Office of Student Engagement will process all student organization tax reports and required payments to the Massachusetts Lottery Commission.

Film, TV, and Video Copyright Infringement

The federal copyright act governs how copyrighted material (such as movies and TV shows) may be utilized for a public performance. Neither the rental nor the purchase or lending of a DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, or other forms of media carries with it the right to exhibit such a program outside the home, unless the site where the video is used is properly licensed for copyright-compliant exhibition. This applies regardless of whether an admission fee is charged or whether the institution is non-profit.

Student organizations are responsible for clean-up at the close of their program. This includes picking up trash and making sure furniture is returned to its proper place. Students should not move heavy furniture. When necessary, OSE staff may coordinate additional custodial services, and organizations may be charged for their fees.

All organizations are required to submit a Weekly Report on Engage by Thursday night at midnight, to better track programs and attendance, regardless of if a club held a meeting or event or not that week. Weekly reports should include the location, number of participants, and name of event(s) that have taken place that week. Organization funds may be put on hold for delinquent or incomplete reports. Please submit your weekly report even if there were no activities that week.

Failure to submit a weekly report 3 times in a row will result in a warning. After 6 missed reports in a row, the club may be considered inactive and may no longer have access to funds or resources.

Any event may be postponed or cancelled due to inclement weather and/or threat of lightning (i.e. thunder is heard or lightning is visible), for health and/or safety issues, or staffing needs. The decision, as well as the decision to restart a postponed event, is at the discretion of the Office of Student Engagement staff, faculty/staff advisor, or Public Safety.