Event Approval Process

In addition to enhanced funding and event planning guidelines, the Office of Student Life is rolling out an event approval process for all student-run events sponsored by UMass Chan Medical School! Our UMass Chan community has over 70 recognized student groups on campus, and each group hosts multiple events per year. As the hub for Student Activities, the Office of Student Life will work with you to get each event approved and advertised.

Effective starting academic year 2019-2020, the Event Request Form will need to be completed for every event organized by students from any of the three schools. This encompasses all events, on or off the Medical School campus, and includes student groups, journal clubs, optional enrichment electives, learning communities, etc. Students must submit their event request at least 2 weeks prior to the event date if it qualifies as a Tier 1 event. Events that fall under Tier 2 must be requested at least 4 weeks prior to the event date. Events that fall under Tier 3 must be requested at least 6 weeks prior to the event date.

Due to COVID-19, the advanced notice outlined for off-campus events has been reduced to two weeks. We recognize that most events will be safely taking place outdoors/off-campus during this time. If your event includes contracts, alcohol, or complex planning items that generally require advanced lead time, please do your best to notify our team as soon as possible so that we can support you in squaring away those items.

The Event Request Form will be reviewed by a member of the Student Life team. From there, we will notify you of an approval or follow up with questions. This form will be hosted on the Student Life website, along with event planning resources and school-specific funding guidelines. Students who do not adhere to this process will put their group in danger of losing funding and the ability to host future events.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Office of Student Life directly if you have any questions. We welcome your ongoing feedback on the event approval process. We look forward to seeing your events take place this year!

Guidelines for All Student Events, On or Off Campus:

1. All student groups must submit an Event Approval Form at least 2 weeks prior to any and all planned student-sponsored events.
2. ALL ATTENDEES MUST BE FULLY VACCINATED (14 days or more after one dose of Johnson and Johnson or second dose of Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine).
3. It is recommended student events take place outdoors, weather-permitting.
4. Mask wearing is required for on campus student events. Mask wearing is highly recommended for off campus student events.
5. We strongly recommend all UMass Chan students (clinical or non-clinical) obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of a scheduled student event, and again 3 to 5 days after the student event. 
   1. For those who are not able to get to the school testing site, we accept any commercial COVID-19 PCR tests performed within 72 hours of the event or commercial COVID-19 antigen tests performed within 48 hours of the event.
   2. Free COVID-19 testing is available at Stop the Spread sites:
      1. Worcester: https://www.ummhealth.org/coronavirus-resources/free-covid-19-testing-worcester
      2. Framingham, Lynn, New Bedford, Revere: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/regional-express-covid-19-testing-sites-in-massachusetts
      3. Ashland, Holyoke, Lawrence, and more: https://transformativehc.com/stop-the-spread/
   3. As a last resort, a time-stamped photo of a negative home test such as Abbot BinaxNOW (available for purchase at pharmacies) performed within 24 hours is acceptable for those without access to other tests.
   4. Please keep in mind rapid antigen tests are less sensitive than PCR in detecting infection in individuals who are asymptomatic. COVID-19 antibody tests are not accepted.
   5. Anyone who has had documented COVID-19 in the 90 days prior to the event may not need to test unless they are immune compromised.
   6. For testing related questions, please contact theresa.kane@umassmed.edu
6. Students who develop symptoms after a student event should contact Student Health Services at 508-334-2818. Students who develop symptoms of COVID-19 while on campus or within 48 hours of the student event and ultimately be diagnosed with COVID-19 or are without symptoms and have a positive COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the student event must contact the Infection Control Officer, sharone.green@umassmed.edu. Guests who meet these criteria should inform the student point of contact, who should then notify UMass Chan Infection Control immediately.
7. Anyone who has had close COVID-19 contact in the 14 days prior to the student event (less than 6 feet for 15 minutes over 24 hours without a mask on) should not attend a student event.
8. If you are traveling outside of Massachusetts, be sure to register your travel using the student travel form. Anyone who returns from any international or domestic travel within the prior 14 days are recommended to test 3 – 5 days after arrival in MA as per the UMass Chan Travel Policy: https://www.umassmed.edu/globalassets/coronavirus-new/generic-blocks/umms-travel-policy_04_16_2021.pdf

 Additional Guidelines for On Campus Student Events:

1. Food at on campus student events are only permitted in a grab-and-go fashion, and we strongly discourage students from clustering together if choosing to eat in designated on campus locations.
1. Student events involving food are inherently higher risk due to the need to remove masks. UMass Chan Medical School has seen transmission of COVID-19 among vaccinated employees and students.
2. The safest student events are those held remotely, followed by those held outdoors or indoor student events without food (no mask removal).
2. Any outside guests who attend on-campus student events must be vaccinated and registered in the SV3 visitor management system. In addition, the group sponsoring the student event must gather guests’ addresses and phone numbers in case contact tracing becomes necessary.

 Additional Guidelines for Off Campus Student Events:

1. Any student group seeking to host an off campus student event must ensure all attendees have proof of vaccination and collect attendees’ addresses and phone numbers in case contact tracing becomes necessary.
2. To maximize safety, it is recommended off campus student events be held at an outdoor venue, when possible, that tables be spaced, and that pre- and post-event COVID-19 testing of all attendees be conducted as above.
3. Off campus student events may not be as safe as on-campus events, so NO ONE should attend if they are immune suppressed or have other medical vulnerabilities.

This policy is subject to change by Infection Control based upon changes in rates of community and school transmission. Please direct policy questions to sharone.green@umassmed.edu.

Comprehensive guidance and resources, including travel guidance, campus alert status, the surveillance testing dashboard, and more are available on the UMass Chan COVID-19 website. Any questions about student events should be directed to the Office of Student life at studentlife@umassmed.edu.

Thank you so much for your continued flexibility. We appreciate you and your efforts to help keep UMass Chan safe!

Submit Event Request Here