• On Campus Events
  • If you are planning an event on campus, please use Event Management homepage to get more resources about how best to book on campus spaces including deadlines and requirements.
• If your (Inter)National Risk Management Policy is stricter, it is expected that you follow that policy/expectation.
• If co-sponsoring with another group, organizations must follow the strictest policy available.
• The fraternity or sorority that is hosting or co-sponsoring must meet all accreditation standards set forth by FSL.
• Every fraternity and sorority must be fully registered, in partnership with Student Life Annual Registration policies, through the FSL Accreditation Process.
• The chapter must have adequate insurance coverage in place (1 million dollars of primary liability coverage for each occurrence).

In any activity or event sponsored or endorsed by the organization, including those that occur on or off organizational premises: 

For more information on what the university deems as “sponsored or endorsed by…” please visit the Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Practice.

1. The organization, members, and guests must comply with all federal, state, provincial, and local laws regarding alcohol. No person under the legal drinking age may possess, consume, provide, sell or be provided alcoholic beverages.
2. Organizations, members, and guests must follow the federal law regarding illegal drugs and controlled substances. No person may possess, use, provide, distribute, sell, and/or manufacture illegal drugs or other controlled substances while on organizational premises or at any activity or event sponsored or endorsed by the organization.
3. Alcoholic beverages must either be: (1) provided and sold on a per-drink basis by a licensed and insured third-party vendor (e.g., restaurant, bar, caterer, etc.); or (2) brought by individual members and guests through a bring your own beverage (“BYOB”) system.
4. The presence of alcohol products above 15% alcohol by volume (“ABV”) is prohibited on any organizational premises or at any event, except when served at an event by a licensed and insured third-party vendor. 
5. Common sources of alcohol, including bulk quantities, which are not being served by a licensed and insured third party vendor, are prohibited (i.e., amounts of alcohol greater than what a reasonable person should consume over the duration of an event).
6. Alcoholic beverages must not be purchased with organizational funds or funds pooled by members or guests (e.g., admission fees, cover fees, collecting funds through digital apps, etc.).
7. An organization must not co-host or cosponsor, or in any way participate in, an activity or event with another group or entity that purchases or provides alcohol, illegal drugs or controlled substances.
8. An organization must not co-host or cosponsor, or in any way participate in, an activity or event with another group or entity that does not have $1,000,000 of general liability insurance coverage.
9. An organization must not co-host or cosponsor an event with a bar, event promoter, or alcohol distributor; however, an organization may rent a bar, restaurant, or other licensed and insured third-party vendor to host an event.
10. Attendance by non-members at any event where alcohol is present must be by invitation only, and the organization must utilize a guest list system. Attendance at events with alcohol must not exceed local fire or building code capacity of the organizational premises or host venue and follow the policy of your national/international organization.
11. Any event or activity related to the new member joining process (e.g., recruitment, intake, rush, etc.) must be substance free. No alcohol or drugs may be present if the event or activity is related to new member activities, meetings, or initiation into an organization, including but not limited to “bid night,” “Big/Little” events or activities, “family” events or activities, and any ritual or ceremony. Any activity with alcohol must begin on the next calendar day after a new member event as described in the policy above.
12. Organizations, members, or guests must not permit, encourage, coerce, glorify or participate in any activities involving the rapid consumption of alcohol, such as drinking games.
13. Event Monitors are required for all events, which will include one elected officer.  

All events (with or without alcohol) must be registered via BeInvolved at least 3 business days BEFORE the day of the event (https://cglink.me/2hS/s94740)

Per Harrisonburg City Ordinance, all events that have over 100 people OR have noise amplification equipment must submit a physical, signed Mass Gathering Permit Application 14 calendar days before any event of that kind (with or without alcohol). For a complete list of rules, regulations, policies, and the application, please visit https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/social-gatherings

Step 1.  REVIEW THE POLICY

Before submitting an Event Notification Form (ENF), please review the policies, procedures, and requirements. 

JMU Student Handbook- Specific policies to review for events are: alcohol, damage or attemped damage of property, disruptive conduct, drugs, endangerment, failure to comply with an outcome, falsification of information, fire safety, harassment, hazing, littering, noncompliance, obscene conduct, physical force or attempted physical force, prohibited conduct, responsibility for guests, sexual misconduct, theft, attempted theft, or possession of stolen items, Title IX sexual harrassment, trespassing, and weapons.

JMU Student Organization Manual- This will give you information about annual registration and how to access resources at JMU for help.

STEP 2:  REVIEW EVENT PLANNING RESOURCES

All event planning resources are provided by Holmes Murphy Fraternal Practice free of charge. Please review them before any event that the chapter is hosting (with or without alcohol). All resources can be found here:

Holmes Murphy Fraternal Practice Resources for Fraternities & Sororities - Holmes Murphy

Download the Holmes Murphy Event Planner at the App Store.

STEP 3:  SOCIAL EVENT COACHING

If you have any questions about event policy or planning, please contact the FSL office at fsl@jmu.edu.

STEP 4:  COMPLETE THE “EVENT NOTIFICATION FORM”

Host Chapter Name:                  Select the organization that is filling out this form.

Category of event you will be hosting.

• BYOB
• Third Party Vendor
• Chapter Meeting (Only Complete Once a Semester)
• Recruitment
• New Member Events or Education
• Philanthropic Event
• Other events without alcohol 

Members planning the event:

Submitter’s Full Name               Submitter’s Phone Number                   Submitter’s Email Address

Event Details: 

Is this a co-sponsored event?                 Yes                   No

Who is (are) the co-sponsoring organization(s) Please identify any and all organizations that are co-sponsoring the event

If the event has a name, please list it below.       Open Ended

Date of event:               Open Ended

Time of the Event. (Include AM and PM times, as well as start and end times)     Open Ended

Location name and address of the event.           Open Ended

General event description         Open Ended

For Mass Gatherings (all events that have over 100 people OR have noise amplification equipment), have you submitted the Mass Gathering Permit 14 calendar days prior?                                          Yes       No

Do you need wristbands?          Yes       No

How many do you need?           Open Ended

Event Contact Information:

Social Chair Full Name               Social Chair Phone Number                   Social Chair Email Address

Event Point of Contact Name     Event Point of Contact Phone Number   Event Point of Contact Email

By submitting this form, you agree to that the information is factual and truthful.  In the case of an event violation and an inquiry and/or investigation occurs, you may be asked to submit your guest list, event plans, and/or event contracts. 

• If you or someone you know has either hazed or been hazed, please submit a hazing report here.
• For any instances of sexual assualt, harrassment, or misconduct, you can find any resources and reporting processes here.
• To report any discrimination or harrassment, you may find all resources and reporting here.
• If you believe that there is an issue with a current social event, you may report the misconduct to the FSL office through this form.
• If you wish to work directly with the police and not contact any JMU offices you may do so by communicating with JMUPD, HPD, or the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office.

While it is preferable that the organizations self-govern and hold individuals and themselves accountable, we understand the need to have procedures in place to hold organizations accountable through university processes.

There are two ways that the organization can be held accountable:

• Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices (OSARP) Organizational Accountability Process (OAP)- This process handles all cases that stem from a violation of the Student Handbook. These include, but aren't limited to, major alcohol violations, hazing, sexual misconduct, and noncompliance. Please visit the link above for full details of this process.
• Fraternity and Sorority Life Accountability Process- This process has three different steps including a formal process for policy violations not covered by OSARP's OAP, Event Administration Violations, and Noise/Nuisance Violations. Please visit the link above for full details of each process.