WAC 495B-140-020. Limitation of the use of college facilities for school activities

(1) When allocating use of college facilities, the highest priority is always given to activities specifically related to the college's mission. No arrangements will be made that may interfere with or operate to the detriment of, the college's own teaching, research, or public service programs. In particular, college facilities, including those assigned to student programs, are used primarily for:

(a) The regularly established teaching, research, or public service activities of the college and its departments or related agencies;

(b) Cultural, educational, or recreational activities of the students, employees, or contracted partners;

(c) Short courses, conferences, seminars, or similar events, conducted either in the public service or for the advancement of specific departmental professional interests, when arranged under the sponsorship of the college, its departments, associated student body, or contracted partners;

(d) Public events of a cultural or professional nature brought to the campus at the request of college departments or committees and presented with their official sponsorship and active participation;

(e) Activities or programs sponsored by educational institutions, by state or federal agencies, by charitable agencies, civic groups, or community organizations whose activities are of widespread public service and of a character appropriate to the college.

(2) College facilities may be assigned to student organizations for regular business meetings, social functions and for programs open to the public. Any college recognized student organization may invite speakers from outside the college community to speak on campus, subject to the availability of facilities and in compliance with college policies and procedures on the use of college facilities and expressive speech. The appearance of an invited speaker on campus does not represent an endorsement by the college, its students, employees, or the board of trustees, implicitly or explicitly, of the speaker's views.

outside the college community to speak on campus, subject to the availability of facilities and in compliance with college policies and procedures on the use of college facilities and expressive speech. The appearance of an invited speaker on campus does not represent an endorsement by the college, its students, employees, or the board of trustees, implicitly or explicitly, of the speaker's views.

(a) In case of speakers who are candidates for political office, equal opportunities shall be available to opposing candidates if desired by them. Speakers are subject to the normal consideration for law and order and to the specific limitations imposed by the state constitution regarding religious worship, exercise, or instruction on state property.

(b) In order to ensure an atmosphere or open exchange and to ensure that the educational objectives of the college are not obscured, the president, in a case attended by strong emotional feeling, may prescribe conditions for the conduct of the meeting including, but not limited to, the time, the manner, and the place for the conduct of such a meeting. Likewise, the president may require permission for comments and questions from the floor and/or may encourage the appearance of one or more additional speakers at a meeting or at a subsequent meeting so that other points of view may be expressed.

(3) Reasonable conditions may be imposed to regulate the timeliness of requests, to determine the appropriateness of requests, of space assigned, time of use, and to ensure the proper maintenance of the facilities. Subject to the same limitations, individuals or groups within the college community may request use of college facilities. Arrangements by both organizations and individuals must be made through the designated administrative officer as per college policies and procedures.

ermine the appropriateness of requests, of space assigned, time of use, and to ensure the proper maintenance of the facilities. Subject to the same limitations, individuals or groups within the college community may request use of college facilities. Arrangements by both organizations and individuals must be made through the designated administrative officer as per college policies and procedures.

(4) The college may restrict an individual's or group's use of college facilities if that person or group has, in the past, damaged or destroyed college facilities, or through their own or other associated individual's actions which negatively impacted campus operations. Charges may be imposed for any damage, theft, or for any unusual costs for the use of facilities. The individual, group, or organization requesting space will be required to state in advance the general purpose of any meeting.

(5) College facilities will not be used for any commercial solicitation, advertising or promotional activities, except when such activities clearly serve an educational objective including, but not limited to, the display of books of interest to the academic community or the display or demonstration of technical or research equipment and when such commercial activities relate to educational objectives and are conducted under the sponsorship or at the request of the college or the student association if such solicitation does not interfere with or operate to the detriment of the conduct of college affairs or the free flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic. For the purpose of this regulation, the term "commercial activities" does not include handbills, leaflets, newspapers, and similarly related materials as regulated in WAC 495B-140-045 .