Procedures and Regulations for Implementation of the Alcohol Policy for Organizational/Departmental Events on Campus

An addendum to this policy statement provides Procedures and Regulations for the Implementation of the Alcohol Policy. This addendum speaks to faculty/staff, Greek organizations, residence life, student organizations and other related groups and activities. Substantive changes to the General Statement must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

Procedures and Regulations for Implementation of the Alcohol Policy for Organizational/ Departmental/Approved Guest/Group Events On-Campus

  1. Acknowledgment of Responsibility: Prior to registering any organizational/departmental event on campus where alcoholic beverages are to be present and/or served, a responsible member of the hosting organization/department must be knowledgeable about the University of Richmond Alcohol Policy and Virginia ABC laws. This individual is therefore held responsible for compliance with the above named policy and laws. Approved campus guests/groups are also responsible for compliance with University of Richmond Alcohol Policies and Virginia ABC laws and regulations.
  2. Event Responsibility and Supervision: Organizations/departments must designate a host to supervise each sponsored event. The host shall take reasonable steps to enforce and comply with local, state, and federal laws and UR regulations governing the use of alcohol.
  3. The host may be required to use an approved method of legal age verification for all guests at the request of Dining Services or Student Development. All events offering alcohol with 100 guests or more may be required to utilize tickets, wristbands, or hand stamps to provide a method to comply with Virginia ABC guidelines as noted above.
  4. Who May Attend: Attendance at organizational/departmental events at which alcoholic beverages are present shall be open only to members of the UR community and their personally invited guests. The sponsoring organization/department and the attendees may be held responsible financially for damages or other problems created by their guests.
  5. Private, Closed, Open Events-Definitions:
    1. Private--Members only.
    2. Closed--Members and personally invited guests/groups.
    3. Open--Open to University community and invited guests/groups.
  6. Access Control: The sponsoring organization/department is responsible for monitoring the entrance to and exit from the event. Police personnel may be required at the direction of the Vice President for Student Development, the Chief of University Police, the Events Office, the Director of Dining Services, or their representatives.
  7. Alcohol Amount: Sponsoring organizations/departments in planning the amount of alcohol available will take into consideration the number of legal-aged individuals attending the event.
  8. Serving Times: The maximum serving time for any alcoholic beverage is five hours during scheduled serving times for the given date. Service of alcoholic beverages must end 30 minutes prior to the scheduled conclusion of the event, unless the service of alcohol is two hours or less (e.g., receptions). For events more than two hours in length, where a meal is not served, alcohol service must end thirty (30) minutes prior to the scheduled conclusion of the event. Food is required at all alcohol events as noted in number (15), below.
  9. Number of Open, Closed, and Private Functions: An organization/department/approved guest/group may sponsor events that total no more than five hours per day where alcoholic beverages are present, served, or consumed. If an event exceeds two hours and a meal does not follow, no alcohol can be served during the last 30 minutes of the event schedule. Permissions must be granted for additional time or events.
  10. Alcoholic Beverages Permitted at Open Events: At open campus events where individuals are in attendance who are under the legal age for possession and consumption, the only alcoholic beverages that may be present or served to individuals of legal drinking age are beer and wine. Distilled spirits will be limited to events at which those attending are 21 years of age or older (special permission for an exception may be requested through the Student Development Office).
  11. Scheduling for Events: Student-sponsored events where alcohol will be present, served, or consumed, normally will not be scheduled from 2:00 a.m. Sunday through 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Events will not be scheduled the day immediately prior to or on reading days or exam days without special permission. Events with alcohol that are held on Friday and Saturday evenings must be concluded by 2:00 a.m. Requests for an event by groups wishing to use the Cellar will be reviewed on an individual basis.
  12. "Bring Your Own Beer" (BYOB) events are not permitted except at designated locations. These facilities include the University fraternity lodges. All questions regarding this policy should be addressed to the Coordinator of Substance Abuse Education, in the Richmond College Dean's Office or the Director of Dining Services or their representatives.
  13. All alcoholic beverages to be consumed at University-approved events must be supplied by University Dining Services or in conjunction with a University-approved caterer. Virginia ABC laws prohibit the use of donated alcohol. Sponsoring organizations/departments/guests/groups hosting an event with alcohol that is not provided by University Dining Services may be required to obtain an ABC temporary license to serve alcohol.
  14. Non-alcoholic Beverages at Events: One or more types of non-alcoholic beverages (other than water) must be provided in sufficient quantity for the duration of the event/gathering if alcoholic beverages are to be present. Non-alcoholic beverages must be as visible and accessible as the alcoholic beverages that are being served. As of August 1, 2001, the University of Richmond has an exclusive beverage contract in place for carbonated beverages, juices, and water. Please contact University Dining Services regarding your beverage options.
  15. Food at Events: If alcoholic beverages are to be present at an event, food is required in sufficient quantity for the duration of the event. Food items should be substantial (e.g., pizza, cheese, meats, bagels, etc.) and not just heavily salted items such as chips, nuts, and pretzels. Food items are to be as visible and accessible as the alcoholic beverages being served.