Risk Management for Events

If you are thinking about holding an event, please contact conference & events planning. Students should also contact student engagement.

The risk evaluation, insurance, and contract requirements will vary depending on the nature, size, and location of any event. See the event matrix below as a guide to the contract and insurance requirements for common types of events.

Type of Event	Minimum Contract Requirement	Insurance Required from Outside Party
Student activities Bands Guest speakers Panels Food vendors	Use Reed Student Organization Services agreement & Reed Food Vendor contract	Contracts over $1000 or larger/high risk events require review and insurance.
Faculty & staff activities Guest speakers Services Other	Use Reed performance agreement or services agreement. If vendor contract will be used, risk management must review.	Depends on the nature of event; for high risk activities the college may need to be a named insured on the vendor’s insurance.
Vendor providing event and entertainment services	If vendor contract will be used, risk management must review.	Depends on the nature of event; for high risk activities the college may need to be a named insured on the vendor’s insurance.
Conference & educational programs using Reed facilities	CEP office handles and uses Reed standard contract. Facility Rental Agreement Summer Rental Agreement	Yes. Insurance certificate naming Reed as an additional insured with $1 million general liability coverage.* Third party does not have general liability insurance they can purchase insurance for the event.
Educational programs for minors using Reed facilities	CEP office handles and uses Reed standard contract for programs with minors.	Yes. Insurance certificate naming Reed as an additional insured with $1 million general liability* and $1 million Sexual Molestation & Abuse coverage.

*$1 million per occurrence/$2 million in aggregate

Contracts & Insurance

When sponsoring an event involving outside parties, use a formal contract and follow the proper procedure. Reed has several approved contract templates that can be used or tailored for this purpose. Only authorized signatory can sign contracts on behalf of Reed College.

If a third party wants to use their contract form, you must contact the risk management staff.

Do not sign the contract. An authorized signatory must sign all contracts. Please review the list of authorized signatories and the contracting responsibilities.

Waivers

Waivers are often utilized during high risk activities. Consult with Risk Management if you have questions regarding the need for waivers.

General Waiver
Minors Waivers

Alcohol & Security

Alcohol may not be consumed at an academic event, or in any place where an academic activity is occurring.

As per our service contract with Bon Appetit, Reed College has agreed to allow exclusive rights to Bon Appetit to provide and manage all food service programs including catering and summer conference meal service on campus and the exclusive right to sell to students, employees, guests and other persons at Reed food products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Because of this, all events that include alcohol must be catered and managed by Bon Appetit. Please see Reed College's Catering Policy for more details.

Depending on the nature, time, and location of an event it may be necessary to notify Community Safety or have Community Safety present at the location. Please contact student engagement and conference & events planning if you plan to have alcohol at your event.

In an emergency, dial 911 and call Community Safety at 503-788-6666.

Minors

Reed prohibits events that host minors overnight. Any event that may include minors on campus must be vetted by VP/Deans and Risk Management.

The invitation of children and minors might be permitted with the following precautions and limitations, which are intended to protect health and safety, maintain productivity and comply with regulations:

No student or visitor to Reed College shall leave a minor unattended at the College, including in campus buildings, on campus grounds, or in a vehicle.
A minor shall not be left with a College employee unless that minor is enrolled in an authorized program of the College. The College does not supervise children or minors outside of officially sanctioned programs and neither the College nor its employees or students may accept responsibility to do so on behalf of the College.
The College retains the right to revoke visitation permission at any time.
Line of sight supervision of minors by the parent or accompanying adult is required at all times.
Compliance with Reed’s Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting policy
It is the responsibility of the parent/accompanying adult to ensure that minors do not disrupt the educational setting.
Minors are not allowed in the following high-risk areas:
- Science laboratories, some theater facilities (e.g. backstage, scene shop, costume shop, etc), shops, mechanical rooms, power plants, garages, animal facilities, food preparation areas, steam tunnels, high security areas except when part of an organized and supervised experience/event.
- Near grounds equipment, heavy duty or other motorized equipment; and vehicles except those assigned to the employee for commuting from home to campus or as part of a recognized college program;
- Any other high-risk areas (no playing in stairwells or doorways, no access to rooftops, construction zones, etc.).

Outdoor Events and Glass

It is campus policy that glass items (including china and beer/wine containers) are not permitted for events that are held outdoors. You can work with Bon Appetit for alternative solutions to meet your event needs while keeping our community safe.

Catering

Please see Reed College's Catering Policy for information regarding your event. Food safety rules should be followed for your event.

Drones

Operators of drones on campus must have prior approval from Risk Management and Public Affairs. Depending on the nature of the activity the operation of drones may require a remote pilot license, registration with the FAA, and/or completion of UAS Safety Test.

Tree Climbing

Tree climbing is a physically demanding activity with inherent risks. To ensure safety, all tree climbing activities must be managed by a specialized third-party vendor, such as Tree Climbing Planet, and approved by Risk Management and Facilities Services in accordance with the Tree Climbing Protocol.