CVTI 205 Kent Hall Community Space Policy 2026-27

School of General Studies, Columbia University  |  October 2026

Requesting and Using the CVTI Community Space, 205 Kent Hall

1. Purpose

The CVTI Community Space in 205 Kent Hall is a home base for Columbia's veteran and military connected community. This policy explains how student groups, individual students, staff, faculty, and campus partners request and use the space for events. Its aim is a process that is clear and fair for requestors, and that keeps the space safe for the people who gather and work there.

2. Guiding Principles

This policy follows a student affairs approach, which is an administrative step and also a chance for students to practice planning, leadership, and accountability with support from staff who advise them.

• Students hear from us once the staff side is settled. Internal questions, especially staffing coverage, are worked out between staff, without student involvement.
• Shared responsibility. CVTI operates the space. The Advisor advises student groups, including GS Student Life, and grants final approval of events. Requestors steward the space during the event.
• Learning. Advisors and CVTI staff treat the request, the Event Review, and any policy concern as moments for student learning and growth.
• Transparency and consistency. Every request is reviewed against the same published criteria, and every outcome is communicated in plain language.
• Safety and stewardship. 205 Kent Hall is a working office and not a designated student space. Its use as an event space depends on care for the people and property within it.
• Shared commitment. CVTI and GS Student Life are partners in serving students in the CVTI space, as well as all other Advisors. If staff take issue with any of the following policies, it will be resolved between staff without student involvement.

3. Scope

This policy applies to anyone requesting or using 205 Kent Hall for an event or gathering, including:

• Registered student groups
• Individual students, if approved and sponsored by CVTI or CU affiliate
• Columbia staff and faculty
• External partners sponsored by a Columbia affiliate

Throughout this policy, "CVTI" refers to the Center for Veteran Transition and Integration and its staff, and "GS Student Life" refers to the Student Life staff of the School of General Studies, including student group advisors. Both are part of GS.

4. About the Space and Why Events Must Be Staffed

205 Kent Hall is a GS office space that can be requested for student use. It is not a lounge or a designated student event space. Business hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday; all other times are after hours. Several conditions shape how the space can be used:

1. Kent Hall is an office building, and the CVTI office requires swipe access at all times.
2. After hours, the outside Kent Hall doors lock, no reception desk monitors entry to Kent Hall, there is no known Public Safety patrol on the second floor, and 205 Kent Hall does not appear on the UEM space request site.
3. The office holds GS property. Cubicle offices can be reached over the cubicle walls, one side of the space is made entirely of glass, and the break room and storage room doors do not fully close or lock.

For these reasons, the space must be staffed whenever it is in use for an event. Coverage is provided by a CVTI work study student or by full/part time CVTI staff or other GS staff, depending on the time and nature of the event (see Section 5).

5. Key Terms

1. Requestor. The student group, individual, office, or partner that submits a space request and is responsible for the event.
2. Student Group Advisor. The staff member who advises a student group. Per University policy, the advisor must review and approve all student group events.
3. CVTI Events Committee. CVTI's internal committee that evaluates every space request.
4. Staffing coverage. For after hours events of 30 or fewer attendees, a scheduled CVTI work study student. For any event with more than 30 attendees, or with the potential to attract more than 30 (to be determined during CVTI Events Committee Evaluation), a full time CVTI or GS Student Life staff member, per CVTI policy.
5. Event Review. A planning meeting among the requestor, the Student Group Advisor (for student group events), and the CVTI Events Assistant staff required for any event with a policy trigger (Section 6, Step 2:4.b; then Section 6, Step 3).

6. University Special Event Review. A planning meeting among the requestor, the Student Group Advisor (for student group events), CVTI Events Assistant staff, and other USL, ULife, and events support staff - i.e. Public Safety, UEM, etc. required for any event with a policy trigger (Section 6, Step 2:4.c).

    

6. Request and Approval Procedure

Step 1. Submit a Request

Requestors submit the CVTI Space Request Form.

1. Requests must be submitted at least 14 days before the event.
2. Requests submitted fewer than 14 days before the event may receive special consideration from the CVTI Events Committee, but approval is not guaranteed.
3. Requests that have a policy trigger, require an Event Review, and are submitted fewer than 14 days before the event will not be considered, unless special consideration.
4. . At which time, the event must be evaluated and approved at least 5 days in advance, enough time to request, confirm, and submit facilities cleaning.
5. For student group events, the Student Group Advisor is copied on all communication with student leaders.

Step 2. CVTI Events Committee Evaluation (CVTI Staff)

The CVTI Events Committee evaluates each request against the following criteria. No outcome is sent to the requestor until every item has been assessed.

1. Affiliation. The event is veteran or military connected: the requestor is a veteran or military connected student group, student, staff member, or faculty member, or the event addresses a veteran or military connected topic or theme.
2. Availability. The space is open at the requested time, and it does not conflict with other events (2 events in the same day, changing layouts, etc).
3. Appropriate use. The event fits the capacity and purpose of an office space. Examples of requests that do not fit include a concert, a wrestling event, or a political rally.
4. Policy triggers. The committee checks for any of the following.
   1. Level A (may not require an Event Review):
      1. Between 30 and 50 attendees expected, or the potential to attract more than 30 attendees.
   2. Level B (requires Event Review)
      1. Any element that conflicts with the CVTI Community Space Guidelines or with University and GS student group policies.
      2. Over 50 attendees (space capacity is 60, with hallway use capacity is 100) or the potential to go over 50.
      3. Any criterion for a University Special Event taken in consideration cumulatively: presence of press or media (invited or otherwise); advertising beyond Columbia's campus; high attendance or capacity; presence of alcohol; potential for significant disruption; or security concerns. Per University policy, "the presence of any one of these criteria may not necessarily elevate the event to a Special Event status, however, these factors should be considered cumulatively."
   3. Level C (University Special Event Review) 
      1. If it rises to the level of Special Event, then a University Special Event Review is necessary, which could include Public Safety, UEM, Public Affairs, and other campus stakeholders. This will be organized and guided by the Student Group Advisor with CVTI staff involvement.
5. Staffing.
   1. Work study staffing coverage. For an after hours event of 30 or fewer with no other trigger, the committee confirms that a CVTI work study student is scheduled.
   2. GS/CVTI Staffing coverage needed, confirmed among staff first. For an after hours event of 30 or more, or the potential to reach 30, CVTI and GS Student Life confirm staffing coverage over email or during their weekly coordination meeting.
   3. Staffing for a University Special Event. GS Student Life staffs any student group event designated a University Special Event
   4. If no staff is available. CVTI notifies the requestor that the event cannot proceed as planned and invites them to adjust it, for example by moving it into business hours, a different day, or holding attendance to 30, or to submit a new request.

Step 2a. Event Staffing Coordination (CVTI Staff and Student Life Advisor)

1. CVTI and the Student Group Advisor coordinate staff coverage, beyond work study staff
   1. This is coordinated between the CVTI Events Committee and the Student Group Advisor during recurring weekly meetings.
   2. Staffing support is provided by CVTI staff and/or GS Student Life/Student Group Advising Office
   3. Once staff is coordinated, CVTI will respond to the requestor whether the event is approved or not.

The CVTI Events Committee then sends one of four outcomes:

Step 3. Event Review (CVTI Staff/Student Group Advisor/Requestor)

The Event Review is a planning conversation that helps the requestor shape a safe, successful event and helps staff understand what the event needs. Whenever possible, before submitting a space request, the student group requestor should consult with their advisor to determine whether the event will require an Event Review. If it will, the advisor schedules the Event Review in advance, so the request can proceed without delay.

1. Scheduling. The Student Group Advisor schedules the Event Review with the student group (for student group events) and CVTI. It must take place at least 10 days before the event.
2. Meeting topics. Event goals and audience, expected attendance, promotion, food, alcohol, security, guest speakers, setup and cleanup, timeline, and other required forms.
3. Outcomes. The event is approved (with the advisor's approval required for student group events), approved with modifications, or not approved as planned.

Step 4. Confirmation and Coordination

Once an event is approved, CVTI notifies the requestor and sends the CVTI Event Space Request Policies and Protocol so they can coordinate the details.

Depending on the event, the requestor in coordination with their student group advisor, completes:

• An alcohol permit request, when alcohol has been approved.
• Facilities Request Form. Events involving food service beyond individual meals or snacks require a cleaning request through the Facilities Request Form (typically 75–100). The requestor must forward official confirmation from Facilities to Zahira Aragon at [[email protected]] at least two (2) business days before the event. Failure to provide confirmation by the deadline may result in cancellation of the event at CVTI's discretion. In such cases, CVTI will notify both the requestor and their advisor.

7. Expectations for Use

Requestors agree to the following:

1. Follow the CVTI Community Space Guidelines
2. Set up and clean the space. CVTI staff and work study students are not responsible for setup or cleanup beyond moving CVTI furniture and supplies and resetting the space to its default arrangement, as outlined on the website and space request form.
3. Stay within the approved number of attendees.
4. Serve alcohol only when approved and permitted.
5. Manage food responsibly. Organizers must remove all food, unless arranged with the CVTI staff managing the space.
6. Respect the office setting, including staff workstations, property, and records.

7. See Crisis and Emergency Response, Section 11

    

8. Accountability and Educational Response

When a policy is not followed (for example, a group books the space for 30 attendees and 40 attend, food is left after the event, or alcohol is served without permission), CVTI responds with an emphasis on learning and repair.

1.  CVTI notifies the requestor of the concern.
2.  For student groups, the group may not book CVTI space for one month and until the Student Group Advisor holds a conversation with the group to review policies. Policy violations may also be submitted to the Columbia Student Group Accountability Review Board (SGARB) (https://cssi.columbia.edu/content/student-group-accountability-review-board) 
3.  For requestors who are not student groups, CVTI follows up with the requestor and, where relevant, their sponsoring office.

9. Policy Review

CVTI and GS Student Life review this policy together each summer, before the new academic year, and update the Community Space Guidelines as needed.

10. Message Templates

Consistent and concise language helps students understand exactly where their request stands. Staff may adapt these messages to each request.

Outcome C. 

Space available, pending advisor approval. Thank you for your request to use the CVTI Community Space on [date]. The space is open for your event. We just need approval from your student group advisor, who is copied here, before you proceed. Once your advisor approves, we will send next steps.

Outcome D. 

Event Review required. Thank you for your request to use the CVTI Community Space on [date]. Because of [reason], this event requires an Event Review before proceeding. Please schedule a meeting with your advisor and CVTI at least 10 days before the event. We look forward to planning it with you.

Event cannot proceed as planned. Thank you for working with us on [event]. We are not able to host the event as planned on [date]. We would be glad to help you adjust it, for example by moving it into business hours or holding attendance to 30, or you are welcome to submit a new request.