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Facilities and Event Planning

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18.1 Requesting Services and Support

The Law School Building Manager, Josh Cutler (cutler@wisc.edu or 608-262-3138) can arrange support for building systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) as well as other services such as moving office furniture, procuring furniture and storage.

18.2 Sign Posting

18.2.1 Permanent Signage

The Building Manager must approve design and placement of permanent signage. If necessary, approved signs will be ordered from the UW Paint Shop.

18.2.2 Departmental and Student Organization Bulletin Boards

Law school departments and student organizations that maintain their own designated bulletin boards may use their discretion in posting signs on those boards. There are no duration limits to postings on departmental and student organization bulletin boards. Departments and organizations must police their own boards to ensure that unauthorized signage is removed.

18.2.3 General Postings

"Postings" are temporary signs advertising a University-related event, organization, or service. Please drop off a copy of your posting at the Main Office (5110) so that general inquires can be answered.Postings are restricted to approved locations. Currently, approved locations include:

• Bulletin boards that are not designated for exclusive departmental or organization use
• Clips ("Grip-a-Strips") on classroom room signs
• Plastic sign holders on columns in the Atrium1
• Easels
• Postings may not be taped or otherwise affixed to painted or wooden surfaces, doors,
doorframes, glass, or to any surface not included in the above list.

Postings should be of the minimum necessary quantity and size to effectively serve their intended purposes.If appropriate, postings should include the date(s) of the event they advertise (avoid using relative terms such as "today" or "tomorrow") and the name of the person(s) or organization(s) sponsoring the event.

Postings that do not refer to an event scheduled on a particular date must include a visible "date-to-remove" somewhere on their surface. The date-to-remove must be less than 1 month from the date the sign is posted. Signs that need to be posted for longer than 1 month need approval from the Building Manager (see "Permanent Signage" above).

The party who posts a sign is requested to remove the sign shortly after the event date or the indicated date-to-remove has passed. If the event advertised has passed, the date-to-remove has passed, or if the sign contains no date information, it will be removed. Signs posted in unapproved locations will be removed and discarded.
The Building Manager must approve exceptions to this policy.

18.2.4 Alternatives to Sign Posting

Organizations are encouraged to make use of the following alternatives to sign posting to advertise their events and services:

The Law School Newsletter: Items may be submitted using the form found on http://law.wisc.edu/newsletter/admin/. You will need to login using your NetId.

The Law School On-line Events Calendar: Submit via e-mail to events@law.wisc.edu. Each week, events listed on the calendar will be posted on the “This week in the Law School” notice.

18.3 Temporary Food Sales

(Excerpted from the UW Student Organization Office's Student Organization Handbook, Chapter 7. The full handbook is on-line at http://cfli.wisc.edu/handbook/08-09/fundraising.html#temp_sales

Food sales can be profitable, but there are three things to remember: (1) get permission for the campus location (2) purchase an Environmental Health permit and (3) the sale of home-baked goods is not permitted.

Location: Any outdoor campus location needs to be reserved with Central Reservations Office/Meeting Services, 608-262-2511. Indoor locations require permission from the Building Manager of the facility desired. [Contact Josh Cutler, the Law School's Building Manager, at cutler@wisc.edu or (608)262-3138]

Permit: To sell food and/or beverages, obtain a Temporary Food Stand Permit from the University Health Services, Environmental Health Program, 333 East Campus Mall, (608)262-1809. Permits are issued at the University Health Services 8th floor Budget and Finance Office from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. The cost of the permit is approximately $10.00, and it is valid for up to five days of operation per semester at a specific site.

Note: Sale of food/beverage is limited to periods of 5 days or less per semester per student organization. Simply changing applicants’ names or slightly altering locations to avoid this restriction is not permitted.

Food: Obtain food from the Wisconsin Union, University Housing Residence Halls or a state licensed vendor (their permit will be displayed at their store). Doughnuts, cookies and other bakery goods must be obtained from a licensed bakery. Home-prepared foods are not permitted. For additional information, contact the Environmental Health Program office or call 608/262-1809.

18.4 After-Hours Building Access

Law students are permitted in the Law Building (including the Law Library) only during official building hours. For Spring and Fall semesters, building hours are:

• Monday - Thursday 6:30 AM - Midnight
• Friday 6:30 AM - 9:00 PM
• Saturday 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
• Sunday 9:00 AM - Midnight

Building hours vary on holidays, final exam periods, and summer semesters. Law Building hours typically follow Law Library Hours except that the building is opened earlier in the morning on Monday - Friday. Law Library hours are posted on-line at library.law.wisc.edu/information/hours/index.htm


Campus security will escort any unauthorized person out of the building after building hours and will send a permit violation report to the Law School Building Manager. Violators may be referred to the UW police department, if necessary.

Law Library Administration manages access to the Law Library. Permits for late access to the Law Library are extremely limited and only issued under very special circumstances.

18.5 Event Planning Guide

This guide is intended to help you plan an event in the Law School. Please review the following items and contact the appropriate staff members to make necessary arrangements. In all cases, please make all arrangements at least 2 weeks prior to the date of your event. Student organizations and individual students need to obtain permission from the Dean of Students before hosting an event in the Law School or on Law School grounds.

18.5.1 A/V & Tech Services

For videotaping, TV/VCR, microphones, computer/projector, overflow rooms, etc., request services on-line at www.law.wisc.edu/help/media/equipreq.htm for questions see Technology Services staff in room 6113 (608-262-5242, help@law.wisc.edu).

18.5.2 Building Access

The Law Building is generally open during the open hours for the Law Library (see library.law.wisc.edu/information/hours/index.htm for details). Sometimes, the building opens before the Law Library does, but we can not assure this, since opening and closing depend on campus security and custodial staff. If your event is scheduled at a time when the building is closed, you must contact Josh Cutler, the Law School's Building Manager, at cutler@wisc.edu or 608-262-3138) to make special arrangements.

18.5.3 Clean Up

You are responsible for disposing of food, putting away tables, straightening tables/chairs, etc. after your event. You can either find staff or student volunteers or hire UW Maintenance to provide clean up services (the charge is $72/day.) Contact Josh Cutler at cutler@wisc.edu or 608-262-3138 for details.

18.5.4 Events Calendar

The Law School’s on-line events calendar is at www.law.wisc.edu/events. Provide event details (date, time, contact information, description, room) to the Main Office (5110) 608-262-2240.

18.5.5 Facilities Services

See Josh Cutler in room 5101 (cutler@wisc.edu, 608-262-3138) to request extra seating, tables, furniture arrangements, maintenance, heating/cooling, etc. NOTE: If your event is scheduled on a weekend, you will have to make arrangements for heating/cooling. See also "Clean Up" (section 18.5.3).

18.5.6 Food and Beverage Service

  • If the event or meeting is on property owned or leased by the University and food will be served, a university caterer must be used. Contact University Housing Catering at 262-5577 or Memorial Union Catering at 262-2511 (you will need a UW Requisition Number drawn from the fund you've been approved to use).

  • Requests for WLAA funding of student events must be made in advance of the event to Jini Rabas, director of the WLAA and alumni relations. Jini’s e-mail is jmrabas@wisc.edu and phone is 608-263-7906.

  • If neither University Union nor University Housing is available to provide the catering, then you have approval to contact a catering vendor for the event. You must be able to provide documentation that verifies both the Union and Housing are not available to provide the service. All vendors who perform catering services on campus must have a City of Madison Catering License and provide, prior to the event, a current insurance certificate with high-risk insurance limits, which must be forwarded to Risk Management for approval.
Catering does NOT include:

  • Food purchased and prepared by University staff or prepared food (prepackaged box lunches, sandwiches, cheese trays, pizza, cookies, fruit or similar items) purchased from a licensed restaurant and/or catering operation. Prepared food may be delivered by the vendor or picked up at the vendor's site.

NOTE: Alcoholic beverage service on University property requires a separate permit. See Main Office (5110) for permit forms.

18.5.7 Newsletter Announcement

The Law School’s newsletter is on-line at www.law.wisc.edu/current. Provide an announcement via web at http://www.law.wisc.edu/newsletter/admin/.

18.5.8 Parking

See Theresa Dougherty in the Dean's Office to make arrangements (tmdoughe@wisc.edu, 608-262-0618). Please note that parking is very limited and may not be available.

18.5.9 Printing/Duplication

See Tom Veith in the Copy Shop (copyshop@law.wisc.edu, 608-262-0668) for copying of flyers, signs, brochures, name cards, etc. The design of original materials is up to you.

18.5.10 Publicity

For possible media coverage of a talk or a symposium that is open to the public, or a possible news item on the Law School home page at www.law.wisc.edu, e-mail all relevant information to Dianne Sattinger (Law School Communications Coordinator) at dlsattinger@wisc.edu.

18.5.11 Classroom Reservations

To request a classroom for an informal Law School event, please e-mail roomreservations@law.wisc.edu. Please include:

  • Organization name
  • Event title
  • Date
  • Start and end times
  • Number of people expected
  • Should the event be included on the Events Calendar

Law School classes and functions may pre-empt any reservations.

18.5.12 Atrium Reservations

To reserve the Atrium and Lubar Commons for activities, contact Sue Sawatske (Room 5211, 608-262-0618 or sawatske@wisc.edu). Please note the restrictions on sales of food items in 18.3.