Plan Your Program

Need some planning and logistical resources to make your event a success?

• Space Reservations/Event Services
  • Deadlines
• Transportation
  • Vans/Cars
  • Shuttles/Busses
  • Baltimore City Bus Passes
  • Charm City Circulator
• Funding
  • Residence Life & Housing Grant
  • Education for Life Grant
  • Purchasing Options
  • Buying Gift Cards
  • Charging for Events (Discouraged but possible depending on circumstance)
• Central Residence Life & Housing Supplies/Equipment
• RA Resource Room Supplies
• Programming Resource Request Form

Space Reservations/Event Services

Holding an event outside of your room/apartment? Reserve the space by selecting "Event Services - Space/Room Reservation/Technology/Rentals" on the second page of your Bridge Event Creation Form.  (Event Services will review your request in the Bridge and approve or deny the request.) Pretty much any space on campus is reservable; whether it’s the Thea Bowman Multi-Purpose Room (Bowman 230), the Starbucks Atrium, or the Newman Basketball Courts, it’s a good idea to reserve the space! It ensures that doors are unlocked and the space is prepped.

Speaking of event services, they can provide many more resources than just the room.

• For some spaces, you can request tables, chairs, lighting, speakers, staging, microphones, etc. Most services are free, but some supplies need to be rented from outside companies and have a small fee attached.
• Are you doing a larger program with a larger budget? Interested in doing a casino night or bubble soccer? Want to get Inflatables, a popcorn machine, a dunk tank, or an outdoor inflatable movie screen? Event services works with a wide array of outside contractors that are approved to work with Loyola. With enough notice, event services can rent on your behalf, meet the vendor on the day of the event, and make sure everything is set up so you can focus on all the other pieces of your program.

Request Deadlines for Events

Request	Deadline
If you are working with any outside companies/vendors (performers, rental agencies, etc.)	Submit no later than 14 business days before your event
If your event does not involve outside companies, but you will require Loyola resources (catering, chairs/tables/technology not currently in the room, etc.)	Submit no later than 10 business days before your event
If your request is only for the space as is	Submit no later than 5 business days before your event

When submitting a space request, the Event form will ask for the following:

• Title for the Event
• Date
• Start Time and End Time of the event
• Which specific spaces you would like to request (if any)
• Will there be food?
• Do you need any technology not currently in your preferred room?
• Do you require any additional furniture setup?
• Do you need to rent any supplies from an outside vendor?
• Is there a contract or rider for this event (will a performer or speaker be coming to campus?)
• Are you expecting off campus guests (Are you marketing this event to non-Loyola students?)
• Is paid admission required to attend?

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Transportation

Going off campus? There are plenty of ways to get your residents out and about in Baltimore.

Motorpool

Have a group of 4-13 residents attending? R.A.s and GRCs can register to become motorpool certified, allowing them to borrow Loyola cars or vans. Once certified, staff members can request vans/cars through the Bridge when they create their event. Requests must be submitted 10 business days in advance. Review all the Residence Life & Housing Motorpool Policies before submitting your first request.

Driver clearance must be renewed each year. This includes reading the Motor Fleet Safety Policy and completing the User Registration form in Fleet Commander. (When asked to enter your “supervisor", please enter Neil Andrito).

Shuttles/Buses

Shuttles and buses should only be used for events with a large number of people travelling more than 30 minutes away. If you believe that a shuttle/bus will be needed for your event, please email Neil Andrito at nfandrito@loyola.edu to discuss options. Shuttles/buses need to be reserved at least 14 days ahead of the event. Please contact Neil with plenty of notice.

Baltimore City Bus Passes

Help your residents get acquainted with BaltimoreLink. Request one-day bus passes for everyone in your group when you create your event in the Bridge.

Charm City Circulator

Pick up the Purple Line at JHU or at Penn Station. The Circulator is a free public bus that can connect you to a wide variety of neighborhoods around the harbor.

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Funding

What’s your budget for this event? Chat with your GRC or A.D. to explore additional ways to increase your funding sources. Consider partnering with SGA or another office on campus. Or, consider applying for a grant through Residence Life & Housing (available to request when you create your event in the Bridge). 

Loyola’s Education for Life Committee.

Are you doing a Late Night event? Learn more about how you can request Late Night funding from the Office of Student Engagement.

Residence Life & Housing Grant Funding

The Office of Residence Life & Housing supports the holistic development of the student body by empowering students to create safe, civil, and inclusive living and learning environments.

To meet this mission, funding is set aside annually to support student-led initiatives both within the residence halls and the campus community at large. Specifically, available funds will be allocated to initiatives that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Promotes the creation of a just and inclusive community with increased attention to the sense of belonging for students of color, LGBTQPIA+ students, and students who do not identify as Catholic
• Helps create an active and engaged community on campus between the hours of 9pm-midnight on Friday or Saturday nights
• Assists in the retention of first year students
• Increases student interaction with faculty members outside of the classroom

Apply for funding when you create your event in the Bridge. Be prepared to include the following:

• A brief description of how your event or initiative meets one or more of the criteria listed above
• A specific amount you are requesting (typical grants awarded for RA programs range between $50-$250 depending on the size and scope of the event.)
• A brief breakdown of how these specific funds would be used (i.e. how much would be used for food, supplies, rentals, giveaways, etc.)
• If additional funding was available beyond your request, how would you use them to enhance your event or initiative (if applicable)
• Are any other offices, clubs, or organizations co-sponsoring this event/initiative?

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Education for Life Grant

The Education for Life committee (EFL) allocates funds to support educational and diversity programming outside of the classroom. EFL also provides partial support for professional development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and for student conference attendance.

Programs must reflect the division of student development's commitment to: (a) cultivating educational partnerships, (b) addressing the development needs of students, (c) promoting a positive climate of learning, (d) promoting the values inherent in diversity, and (e) enhancing the sense of community on campus.

Programs must have central focus on student learning. Special consideration will be given to those events that are sponsored by students and those that enable students to interact directly with faculty and invited guests (e.g., small group discussions, receptions).

Review the Ed for Life website for additional criteria and to learn how to submit a proposal.

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Purchasing Options/Policies

"I have my budget. How do I actually buy things?"

Once your A.D. (or GRC) has approved your event in the Bridge, you can purchase your supplies in a few ways:

Reimbursement

Buy anything you need (up to $150 per person, per day) and save your receipts. Bring your receipts to the main office during business hours. Let them know you are doing a reimbursement and you are hoping to speak with the Residence Life & Housing program assistant or an Associate Director. You will acquire and complete a “Green Form” in the main office. The program assistant will help you fill out this form and sign your form after verifying your event is approved in the Bridge. Use the Residence Life & Housing copy card to make a copy of all receipts as well as the Green Form and give all copies to the program assistant. You are then all set to take the Green Form with original receipts to SAS in Maryland Hall 140 to get your cash!

Note: R.A.s can only purchase gift cards through their A.D. Please see “Gift Cards” in the next section.

Cash Advance

Come to the main office and acquire a Green Form and Cash Advance Return Envelope from the main office. The program assistant will help you fill out the green form and sign your form after verifying your approved spending on the Bridge. Use the Residence Life & Housing copy card to make a copy of the Green Form and give the copy to the program assistant. Bring your original green form to SAS in Maryland Hall 140 to obtain your funds. You can receive up to $150 per person, per day as a cash advance. Purchase what you need, save all of your receipts and change, and put those receipts, any change, and any paperwork SAS gives you in the white Cash Advance Return Envelope. Bring this envelope to the main office during regular business hours and give to the program assistant. Please DO NOT return receipts or change directly to SAS.

Note: R.A.s can only purchase gift cards through their A.D. Please see “Gift Cards” in the next section.

"P-Card" (A.D. credit card)

Need to buy something over $150? Looking to get gift cards? Talk to your A.D. about purchasing the items for you. This is a particularly good option if the purchases are online sales or if your vendor takes credit card payment over the phone. Make sure you turn all receipts in to your A.D.

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Gift Cards and Prizes

If you are interested in using gift cards or other prizes for any of your programs, please consult with your A.D. Any gift cards MUST be purchased by your A.D. Please do not use cash advance funds to purchase gift cards. If you purchase gift cards on your own, we will not be able to reimburse you. The distribution of gift cards or other prizes to students or campus visitors must be accompanied by the Gift Recipient Form, which requires recipient signatures. Ask your A.D. for this form before you give out any gift cards!

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Creating Events that Charge Admission

While our ultimate goal is to provide programs to your residents that are completely free of charge, you may on occasion plan an event that requires residents to pay for a portion of the cost.

When that’s the case, you can create tickets within your event on the Bridge that allow residents to pay using a credit or debit card.  Please consult with Neil Andrito, nfandrito@loyola.edu, to ensure everything is set up appropriately in the Bridge to accept payments for your event.  

RAs should not collect cash or other forms of payment from residents.

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Central Residence Life & Housing Supplies/Equipment

Residence Life & Housing owns additional equipment and supplies accessible through the main office. This includes supplies left over from previous programs that can be used again. Below is a partial list of some of the items that we currently have access to. Chat with your GRC or AD to request any of them. And, if you have any suggestions for equipment or reusable supplies the office should purchase for R.A. programs, please email Neil Andrito.

• (4) Outdoor charcoal grills stored in various locations on campus
• Grills come with foil, grilling supplies, and lighter.  (RAs must supply charcoal using their programming funds)
• 1.25” Button Maker with supplies for buttons, magnets, and keychains
• (15) nylon “parachute” beach/grass blankets
• (200) multi-color plastic “ball pit” balls
• 8.5 x 11 laminator (RA must supply laminating pouches using their programming funds)
• Outdoor dry-erase sandwich board

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R.A. Resource Room Supplies

R.A.s have access to two resource rooms using their I.D. card. Located in Dorothy Day 103 and Hammerman 100, these resource rooms are typically stocked with butcher block paper, construction paper, the Cricut machines, and Die-Cuts along with other general supplies. If anything is running low or if there are any supplies that would better help you create engaging resources or events for your residents, please let us know by emailing Neil Andrito.

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