The Administrative Regulation on Use of College Facilities authorizes the Vice Chancellor of Business Services to establish guidelines for the use by certain professional organizations of MCCCD facilities. Under Paragraph 1.5.3-2 of the regulation, an MCCCD employee or Governing Board member may use facilities for an event without complying with the rent or insurance requirements of the regulation where the event meets the following limited conditions:
- The employee or Governing Board member actively participates in the event and is responsible for managing it; and
- The event is for a professional organization in which the employee or Governing Board member actively participates, and whose objectives directly relate to the employee's work at MCCCD or to the Governing Board member's MCCCD responsibilities.
These guidelines describe the organizations and circumstances under which Paragraph 1.5.3-2 applies. Note that the exemption applies only to rental fees and insurance requirements. If the event requires MCCCD to incur other costs, for instance, such as the assistance of MCCCD maintenance or technology staff, those charges should be paid by the organization sponsoring the event.
Types of Professional Organizations
The exemption is intended to encompass solely those organizations whose membership consists of persons with the same or similar jobs at other public or higher educational institutions. In other words, the organization’s mission should be directed at increasing the knowledge and skills required for the MCCCD employee-member to perform his or her specific job at MCCCD. It is not intended, for instance, to permit an art instructor who is a member of an Arizona artists society (that is, not an organization of higher-education art instructors) to have an art show or meeting using MCCCD facilities for free.
Qualifying Events
Events that qualify for the exemption must meet two requirements.
- First, the employee-member of the organization must actively participate in the event. That means more than just attending it. The employee must be a key part of the planning and management of the event.
- Additionally, it means generally a one-time small event, and not an entire conference that might require the commitment of several rooms over a period of days. However, short monthly meetings, for instance, of the executive board of an association of governmental accountants so long as the employee-member is on that board and the use of the space doesn't interfere with MCCCD’s need for the space.