Student Activity Center

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Policy Number:
UW-2021
Responsible Office:
Associated Students of Madison (ASM)

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

This policy governs the use of and access to the Student Activity Center (SAC).

Definitions:
Peak Hours
5:00pm to close, Monday through Saturday; All day, Sunday.
Policy:
  1. Facility Access and Use
    1. Use of the Student Activity Center (SAC), including meeting spaces, public spaces, and office spaces, must be in compliance with applicable university, local, state, and federal policies.
    2. Use of the SAC is limited to:
      1. UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff
      2. Non-UW-Madison visitors escorted and accompanied by a UW-Madison student, faculty, or staff member
    3. Any individual in the SAC may be asked to show UW-Madison identification by a SAC staff member. Failure to provide a Wiscard or other proof of UW-Madison affiliation will result in the individual leaving the SAC.
    4. The SAC, Associated Students of Madison (ASM), Office for Student Organizations, Leadership & Involvement (SOLI), and UW-Madison or any subsidiaries are not responsible for lost and stolen items.
    5. Large Registered Student Organization (RSO) meetings (more than 5 attendees) must be held in a reserved space in the SAC.
    6. The following are prohibited in the SAC, unless a documented exception is provided by the SAC Operations Manager:
      1. Excessive noise
      2. Activities that may be considered hazardous or obstructive
      3. Solicitation
      4. Candles/incense
      5. Glitter
      6. Animals, unless in compliance with UW-145 Service Animals and UW-148 Emotional Support Animals
      7. Bicycles, roller blades, skateboards, scooters, or other similar items
      8. Large items that may adversely affect building operations or may cause damage to the building
      9. Removal or excessive movement of furniture
      10. Appliances (e.g., coffee maker, microwave, rice cooker, toaster, slow cooker, popcorn maker, waffle iron)
      11. Use of the SAC outside posted open hours, except as explicitly stated in this policy
      12. Leafletting
    7. Trash and waste must be disposed of in the proper receptacles.
    8. All food must be disposed of and the space cleaned up and wiped down after use.
    9. All entryways, exits, and hallways in the SAC must be open and unobstructed in case of emergency.
    10. Off-Hours Access
      1. Access to the SAC is limited to posted open hours, unless off-hours access rights are documented as an individual exception by the SAC Operations Manager and upon completion of off-hours access training and assessment.
      2. Off-hours access may be granted for:
        1. Picking up or dropping off materials when the building is closed
        2. Working with people who are residing in other time zones
        3. Working under strict, short deadlines; preparation for a specific event
        4. Other reasons by a two-thirds vote by the SAC Governing Board (SACGB).
      3. Additional considerations for off-hours access:
        1. Any key access will only be granted in circumstances where the individual can demonstrate that their work cannot be completed without the ability to enter and exit the building when closed
        2. Requests for off-hours access limited to specific dates are encouraged
      4. Off-hours access is granted to individuals to work within their respective offices. Individuals only have access to their offices, and not to any other parts of the SAC (e.g., computer lab, vending area, other student organization offices, SAC conference rooms).
      5. Individuals granted off-hours access are responsible for the following:
        1. Ensuring that they do not allow an unauthorized individual into the SAC (guests are not allowed in the SAC outside of posted open hours)
        2. Complying with requests of SAC staff or other university officials (e.g., ASM staff, SOLI staff, University of Wisconsin Police Department [UWPD] staff) acting within the scope of their responsibilities
        3. Reporting their lost or misplaced Wiscard to SAC Operations Manager, so that access may be temporarily de-activated
      6. Off-hours access is only granted through the end of the current academic year. Approved access status must be requested each new academic year.
    11. Permanent Tenant Access:
      1. ASM
        1. Off-hours key access to the SAC shall be granted to the following ASM officials:
          1. Student Council and Student Services Finance Committee (SSFC)
            1. Chair
            2. Vice Chair
            3. Secretary
          2. Student Judiciary and SACGB
            1. Chair
            2. Vice Chair
          3. Outreach Director
          4. Press Office Director
          5. Assistant Press Office Directors
          6. Shared Governance Chair
          7. Equity and Inclusion Chair
          8. Nominations Board Chair
          9. Legislative Affairs Chair
          10. Grant Allocation Chair
          11. Sustainability Chair
        2. Off-hours key access to the SAC shall be granted to the following ASM affiliates. These individuals may also be escorted by an ASM official with off-hours key access who is responsible for their actions while in the building during off-hours and may bring up to two guests with them if they are briefly picking up or dropping off materials:
          1. Student Council representatives
          2. SSFC representatives
          3. Student Judiciary justices
          4. ASM interns
          5. Shared Governance appointments
          6. Nominations Board appointments
      2. WSUM
        1. WSUM shall have the ability to determine which of the organization’s members need off-hours access. The SAC Operations Manager shall have the appropriate permissions to view the WSUM access list.
        2. WSUM members who have been granted off-hours key access to the WSUM office within the SAC may bring in a reasonable number of business-related guests. They will accompany the guests whenever in SAC space and will be responsible for the actions of their guests while they are in the SAC.
        3. WSUM members shall not bring personal guests into the SAC when the building is closed.
        4. A WSUM member who has off-hours key access may bring two guests with them if they are briefly picking up or dropping off materials after the building has closed.
      3. ASM and SOLI Staff
        1. The following individuals determine access levels for the designated staff:
          1. ASM Director - ASM staff
          2. SOLI Director - SOLI staff
          3. SAC Operations Manager - SAC staff
        2. Guests are not allowed in the SAC after the building has closed. An ASM or SOLI staff member who has off-hours key access may bring two guests with them if they are briefly picking up or dropping off materials after hours. The ASM or SOLI staff will be fully responsible for the actions of their guests while they are in the SAC space.
  2. Public Spaces
    1. All common areas must be left in the condition they were found.
    2. Any damage to the SAC or other property shall result in a fine for repairs and a hold on enrollment until said fine is paid.
    3. Posting of ads and other publications is permitted only in designated spaces (e.g., bulletin boards).
  3. Reservations
    1. Reservations more than three days prior to use must be made through the Wisconsin Union Event Services (WUES) reservation system. Reservations closer than three days prior to use must be made with the SAC Front Desk.
    2. Reservation priority will be given to RSOs, to the best ability of WUES and SAC Staff.
    3. Limitations, unless provided a documented exception by the SAC Operations Manager or the SACGB:
      1. Reserved room access is limited to 15 minutes prior to event start time, unless that time is before SAC opening or an immediately preceding reservation holds the time
      2. Single events may not exceed more than four hours
      3. A party is limited to a maximum of two room reservations in a single day
    4. Reservations outside peak hours can be made without restriction provided a reasonable need.
    5. Weekly series reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis.
    6. Timelines
      1. Fall semester reservations can be made beginning the first weekday of August for the immediately following fall semester
      2. Spring semester reservations can be made beginning the first weekday in December for the immediately following spring semester
    7. Reservations may be cancelled if the SAC Staff is unable to contact the contact listed on the reservation to confirm details.
    8. Room setup will be done by SAC staff as indicated on the room reservation agreement.
    9. Meeting rooms should be left in the condition they were found.
    10. Multipurpose Room
      1. During Peak Hours:
        1. May only be reserved for up to four hours
        2. Must maintain minimum occupancy of three people
      2. Additional hours may be reserved up to one week in advance of the event date
    11. Conference Rooms
      1. Physical activities (e.g., dance, martial arts, workouts, performance practice) are prohibited in conference rooms
      2. During peak hours, minimum occupancy is four people
    12. Three-Strike System
      1. Groups will receive a strike for the following reasons:
        1. Failure to show up for a reservation
        2. Failure to cancel a reservation more than 12 hours prior to the start of the reservation, unless cancellation is due to a National Weather Service warning for Madison
        3. Arrival more than 20 minutes after the start of the reservation
        4. Use of a reserved space for more than 15 minutes after the reservation ends or into an immediately following reservation, whichever is earlier
        5. Failure to minimally occupy the reserved space for more than 75% of the reservation time, unless the reservation is less than an hour
        6. Reserving/using a reserved space for personal or group study, unless the reservation is for peer advising/tutoring or designated for that purpose by the SAC staff
        7. Violating minimum or maximum occupancy requirements for a reserved room
        8. Misuse of reserved space (e.g., moving furniture, damage to the room or its contents/systems, failure to appropriately clean up after event)
      2. Three strikes in a semester will result in all remaining reservations for the semester being cancelled and a prohibition on any additional reservations for the remainder of the semester
      3. Revocation of reservation privileges due to strikes may be appealed to the SACGB
  4. Food
    1. Catered food must be in compliance with UW-3049 Catering – On and Off Campus.
    2. Pre-made bought or homemade food may be brought into the SAC for personal needs or by groups with a SAC reservation.
    3. All food and food related items must be appropriately cleaned up and disposed of in proper receptacles.
  5. Registered Student Organization (RSO) Offices
    1. An RSO assigned a SAC office must:
      1. Maintain office space use for the following minimum time weekly, based on category:
        1. Cubby/Garage Office – 10 hours
        2. Midsize – 20 hours
        3. Suite or Semi-suite – 32 hours
      2. Post their office use hours outside their office in a manner that is both visible to the public and compliant with this policy. Any external display such as three-dimensional signs or posters must be approved by the SACGB.
      3. Post contact information, including a phone number and email, which students can use to contact the RSO if they are not present during their posted office use hours.
      4. Update access lists with the front desk in a timely manner.
    2. Office accountability
      1. Accountability will start each academic year on the second Sunday of October.
      2. The Vice Chair will notify tenants a week before accountability starts.
      3. If the RSO is below the minimum hours for their space category, then the RSO will be in violation of their office use agreement.
        1. For the first infraction in an accountability period, the RSO will receive an email that specifies that they were reported to be in violation of their office use agreement and that an additional violation to the office use agreement will result in a hearing in front of the SACGB.
        2. For the second infraction in an accountability period, the RSO will receive an email that specifies that they were reported to be in violation of their office use agreement. In addition, a hearing will be scheduled with the SACGB where the RSO will be subject to a sanction as determined by the SACGB in a viewpoint neutral manner.
  6. Food Pantry
    1. The food pantry is managed by ASM appointed food pantry staff and the space is governed by the SACGB.
    2. The SACGB reserves the right to reallocate the food pantry space if it is determined that the space is not being used adequately or in accordance with this or other university policy.
    3. If physical changes or updates are desired in the food pantry space, the changes must be approved by the SACGB and will be paid for with the ASM budget.
    4. The food pantry may only be open/used during SAC open hours, unless provided a documented exception by the SAC Operations Manager.
    5. Food pantry staff will:
      1. Provide the front desk staff information about their hours, events, and frequently asked questions.
      2. Determine and enforce access requirements for the food pantry.
      3. Manage the food pantry space (e.g., food delivery, donations, supplies).
      4. Conduct, at a minimum, the following cleaning tasks at the conclusion of each set of open hours:
        1. Wipe down all counters
        2. Sweep/vacuum floor
        3. Organize food items and supplies
        4. Discard in appropriate waste locations any non-edible products. This includes any items that are likely to spoil prior to the next open hours.
      5. Be present for any events or activities in the food pantry.
  7. Consequences for Non-Compliance

    Violations of this policy may result in fines, restrictions on use of space, restrictions on access, or referral to other investigatory and disciplinary authorities.

Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

Wisconsin Union Event Services (WUES) reservation system

External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Policy Manager:
Student Activity Center Governing Board Chair
Contact:
Student Activity Center Governing Board Chair -- SAC Governing Board, sacgb@asm.wisc.edu, (708) 642-8437
Revised Dates:

05-12-2023; 10-20-2025

Retrieved:
10-30-2025 05:30:08