What else do I need to know?
Definitions
Alcohol: any beverage containing more than 0.5% ethyl alcohol by weight.
Employee: any person having an employment relationship with the University, including but not limited to classified and unclassified staff, faculty, graduate assistants, and student employees.
Licensed Beverage Handler: the purveyor, licensed and permitted as required, who will be providing and serving alcoholic beverages on behalf of the Sponsor and has provided appropriate proof of insurance for this service.
Official University Event: a subset of University Activities sponsored and attended by the President of the University or the Senior Vice President and Provost, at which attendance is by invitation and the majority of the guests are over 21 years old.
Sponsor: the University recognized organization, administrative unit or academic department, school or college, operating on behalf of the University, hosting the Activity.
University Activity: refers to any act or event sponsored or organized by the University, including its constituent administrative and academic units and recognized organizations, on University property (“on-campus”) or at another location (“off-campus”). Without limitation, “activities” shall include all intercollegiate and intramural athletic events, faculty, staff and student meetings, conferences, field trips, retreats and all other acts or events for which ̽̽ (including student organizations) pays expenses, or provides facilities, services, supplies, or transportation.
University Property: any property owned, leased or operated by the University, including any motorized vehicle or watercraft. For the purpose of this procedure, the private domiciles of non-student employees located on the University campus are not considered University Property; however, University Activities must still adhere to the requirements of this and other policies and procedures regardless of where they are held.
General
The consumption of alcohol by employees on the property of ̽̽ is acceptable only when in conformance with this Operating Procedure. Any other consumption of alcohol on the property of ̽̽ is prohibited and may result in discipline up to and including termination from employment, consistent with the University’s Alcohol, Cannabis, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use – Faculty and Staff Policy.
This Operating Procedure applies to all methods of payment and reimbursement (i.e., purchase order, purchasing card, travel and expense, etc.)
The University does not have a license to sell alcohol. Alcohol may be purchased on campus only at Brennan’s, the authorized venue located in the Davis Center, or at University Activities where a bar has been approved as a component of a catered event. ̽̽ Dining is the vendor responsible for serving alcohol at official University Activities held on campus with the exception of those held at Englesby House, Fleming Museum, LCOM and the University Foundation.
Authorization
Authorization must be obtained from the appropriate Vice President (or their authorized designees) based on the Sponsor’s reporting relationship:
- Provost and Senior Vice President
- Vice President for Finance and Administration (approving for units reporting to the President)
University Activities, either on-campus or off-campus, where alcohol is to be served must have the written authorization of the appropriate Vice President. Alcohol may not be served at any University Activity without such permission. Employees may not represent that an off-campus event where alcohol is to be served is University-sponsored or approved unless prior authorization for serving alcohol has been obtained. If alcohol is to be served, any advertisement through University channels may not indicate, explicitly or implicitly, that the University is sponsoring the event unless prior approval has been obtained. Sponsors retain all responsibility for any liability arising from activities conducted without appropriate approvals or otherwise in contradiction to this Procedure.
Individuals or groups seeking to sponsor off-campus University Activities where alcohol is to be served at licensed locations (i.e., dinners at restaurants) must submit a written proposal to the appropriate Vice President 10 days before the proposed Activity. If it is not possible to seek approval 10 days before the proposed Activity, approval must be sought as soon as possible after the proposed Activity is contemplated. Requests for retroactive approval are discouraged, and approval may not be granted.
Individuals or groups seeking to sponsor on-campus University Activities where alcohol is to be served must submit a written proposal to the appropriate Vice President 21 days before the proposed Activity. If it is not possible to seek approval 21 days before a proposed on-campus Activity, approval must be sought as soon as possible after the proposed Activity is contemplated. It can take up to three weeks to obtain the temporary liquor license required to serve alcohol at any campus event space other than the Waterman Manor and Brennan’s, for which standing licenses are in place. Requests for retroactive approval are discouraged, and approval may not be granted.
Licensed Beverage Handlers
If alcohol is served at University Activities off-campus, it must be served by a Licensed Beverage Handler. Sponsors will not be reimbursed for alcohol purchases unless the purchase has been approved by the appropriate Vice President. All Licensed Beverage Handlers serving alcohol are required to meet the University’s standard insurance requirements and carry $1,000,000 per occurrence in liquor liability insurance. Contracts with Licensed Beverage Handlers must be reviewed and signed by Purchasing Services. Paying Licensed Beverage Handlers with a purchasing card does not exempt the Sponsor from the approval requirements in this Procedure.
Payment for services of a Licensed Beverage Handler for a cash bar (individuals paying for their own beverages) must have prior approval, in writing, of the appropriate Vice President.
No on-campus event may be a “bring your own alcohol” (BYOB) event.
Individual Purchases
University employees will not be reimbursed for alcohol purchased at a liquor store, grocery store, or similar venue.
Guidelines
- Alcohol may not be consumed by employees at any time while teaching or supervising students, regardless of the age of the student(s).
- Alcohol may not be served to, or consumed by, University employees during primary work hours (generally 8:00am and 4:30pm), unless at an Official University Event, as defined herein, where alcohol may be served to employees during primary working hours. In that case, employees shall consume alcohol responsibly at any such Official University Event and consumption of alcohol must not interfere with the performance of duties and responsibilities related to employment.
- Any University Activity offering alcohol must also offer:
- a comparable quantity and quality of non-alcoholic beverages and
- must also offer food.
- Sponsors are responsible for the behavior of those attending the Activity.
- Sponsors must cooperate with the Licensed Beverage Handler to ensure that only individuals of legal age are allowed to consume alcohol.
- Sponsors must assume all financial costs (custodial, police, damages, etc.) associated with any University Activity where alcohol is served.
- In some instances, due to a University Activity’s location, size, or proximity to student traffic, the University may require that security be present (i.e., ̽̽ Police or a private security firm). The Sponsor will be responsible for the cost of these services.
- Attendance at a University Activity where alcohol is served must be limited to persons affiliated with the University and their invited guests.
- University Activities may not center on the consumption of alcohol, nor may alcohol consumption be advertised as a primary reason to attend the University Activity.
- Departments may elect to impose more strict controls over alcohol consumption and expenditures than those required by this Operating Procedure.
Funding
- Alcohol and Licensed Beverage Handler expenses may only be paid for with discretionary gift funds, discretionary endowment funds, or non-student agency funds.
- Alcoholic beverages are never allowable expenses on federal sponsored projects, and are generally unallowable expenses on non-federal awards.
Is there education available?
Training will be provided on an as-needed basis as determined by the Approval Authority or the Responsible Official.