Virtual Event Management System (Virtual EMS) is an online resource that allows all faculty and staff to search for, view, request or reserve (or both) college facilities on each CCA campus.

EMS is designed to easily allow faculty and staff to quickly reserve spaces as needed and to be able to do so without the possibility of double booking a space or impeding upon another class or event.

Events where attendance is expected to exceed 100 persons or events where multiple facilities will be used (e.g., the Nave, Timken Lecture Hall, and classrooms) should be coordinated directly with the scheduling manager.

Contact the Scheduling Manager

Please contact the scheduling manager at least two weeks prior to the event date to secure space:

Rebekah Eisenberg or 415.551.9206

How to Use Virtual EMS

Logging into and using Virtual EMS requires faculty and staff to have a valid CCA email address and password (issued by ETS). Contact ETS if you currently do not have a CCA email address.

Helpful Info
Room-scheduling policy (see also below)
How to reserve a room
How to search for a room
How to view/edit your requests

Scheduling Policies (Room & Event)

Facilities Scheduling Policy
The primary mission of CCA is academic in nature and as such academic activities (classes) have precedence for room scheduling. Many of the college facilities are available to the campus community for college related uses. All CCA faculty and staff who are scheduling or planning an event in any college facility or outdoor space must submit an online request using Virtual EMS (Event Management System) and wait for approval.

The Academic Planning Calendar prioritizes the scheduling of all college facilities.

Academic courses take priority over all other events. Events might be “bumped” from their location, during the planning stage, to accommodate academics. Should an event be bumped, the scheduling manager will notify the event planner and work with the event planner to find an alternate location.

Mission Critical events also take priority over general events. The Scheduling Manager has the responsibility to prioritize events when necessary in consultation with Administration.

Once the Academic Course Schedule is entered into EMS for a given semester, the Advance Scheduling Period begins. Approval for nonacademic events will begin in the following order.

Advanced Scheduling Period

The advanced scheduling period is designed to give priority to our core mission-related events and to provide a structure to aid event planning and to reduce scheduling conflicts. The timeline for event scheduling is coordinated with the academic planning calendar.

Each February the process of advance event scheduling for the next academic year begins. Whenever possible advanced planning is recommended. The advanced scheduling period is designed to get a jump start to start building the upcoming year calendar.

Group A Events

Events defined by the Senior Cabinet as fundamental to the core mission and function of the college are Group A Events. The main focus of these events is specifically designed to benefit the immediate college community as a whole and must be one of the following:

• Admissions-related events
• Advancement/Development-related events
• Office of the President (and Provost) events
• shared-mission events.

Group A Events take priority over all other events (with the exception of academics). Non-Group A events might be “bumped” from their location to accommodate a Group A event. Should an event be bumped, the scheduling manager will notify the event planner and will work with the event planner to find an alternative location.

Examples of Group A Events

• Annual Scholarship Dinner
• Commencement (and related events)
• End-of-year exhibitions
• Portfolio Day
• Preview Days
• Orientation (faculty/students)
• Board of Trustee meetings
• President’s state-of-the-college address

Note: Requests for the forthcoming year's events can be requested as early as February of the current year. So events that will take place in the 2012-13 academic year can be scheduled in February 2012. (Such events may also be scheduled years in advance.)

Group B Events

Planned college events that are essential to the function or operation of a department/program are characterized by any of the following:

• large in size (typically 50-130 attendees)
• resource intensive
• intended audience is the general public

Examples

• CCA public lecture series events
• symposia, forums, or round-table or panel-discussion events
• film screenings

Such events are typically supported by the Media Center, Facilities, Public Safety, or Communications and have as their primary venue the Nave, Nahl Hall, Timken Lecture Hall, or other outdoor on-campus spaces. (Note: Advanced scheduling for Group B events begins the preceding March.)

Events that are considered to be categorized as non-Group B might be “bumped” to accommodate an identifiable Group B event. Should an event be bumped, the scheduling manager notifies the event planner(s) and works to find an alternative location.

Group C Events (college events/meetings):

These are events held by faculty, staff, or students primarily for members of the college community. These events are not typically open to the public. (Note: Requests may be submitted the preceding April.)

Examples

• class-related visiting artist/designer/scholar lecture or talk
• standing committee meetings such as Academic Cabinet, Graduate Council, Faculty Senate, Academic Planning Committee, and program chair meetings

Group D Events -- External Organizations & Groups
Non-CCA events must be cosponsored by a CCA department or program and coordinated by a staff member. CCA does not rent its facilities to outside organizations; therefore, any cosponsored event with an external organization must pertain to the mission of the college. The scheduling manager must provide special approval. (Note: Requests may be submitted the preceding May.)

Upon the close of the Advance Scheduling period, events may be scheduled on an ongoing basis throughout the academic year. Event requests are prioritized according to the CCA Scheduling & Event Policy.

All events -- with the exception of a basic room request that requires no additional support -- must be submitted through Virtual EMS at least two weeks in advance. All events are subject to the approval of the scheduling manager, the Media Center(s), and Facilities.

At times the scheduling manager may need to meet with an event planner prior to scheduling an event. This occurs when large-scale events (e.g., those with large attendance, complicated resource requests, or that span multiple dates or locations as well as events that take place during non-CCA hours) are being planned.

If you foresee such a scenario, contact the scheduling manager to arrange a planning meeting.

Blacked-Out Policy

Certain times of the year have been designated by the college as periods when campus facilities are deemed unavailable and cannot be reserved. Consequently, scheduling of events during blacked-out periods is not possible.

Generally, these are periods when standing events occur that take priority over ad hoc events; the college is closed for holidays; staff is unavailable to support events because of workload; or staff is unavailable to support events because of planned downtime.

Blacked-out periods

Scheduling of on-campus events is prohibited for all groups -- both college and noncollege groups. Small college meetings and department/program meetings that do not require support other than a room are permitted.

Fixed blacked-out periods:

• Thanksgiving holiday(s)
• Winter holiday break
• End-of-semester exhibitions (and related activities) period
• All listed college holidays on the Academic Calendar

Grayed-Out Periods

Scheduling of noncollege events or events by noncollege groups is strictly prohibited. Scheduling of on-campus college events by college groups is allowed (if support services are available).

Fixed grayed-out periods:

• Fall orientation days
• Spring orientation days
• Spring break

Additionally, there may be special one-time-only college celebrations or commemorative events that will be designated as a blacked-out period.

The scheduling manager maintains the list of specific dates for all blacked-out and grayed-out periods each academic year.

350 Kansas

Events scheduled at 350 Kansas are defined as fundamental to the core mission and function of the college. Event coordinators should follow the advanced scheduling period when planning and submitting event requests.

Events at 350 Kansas must be sponsored by one of the following areas of the college:

• Enrollment Services
• Advancement
• Office of the President (or Provost)
• Wattis Institute

350 Kansas is neither intended to serve as a regularly scheduled classroom nor an exhibition space. (Note: 350 Kansas is an unstaffed facility and support must be coordinated for each event. Departments will be charged for support if the event requires media services, public safety or janitorial support.)

If you would like to propose an appropriate event, contact CCA Scheduling Manager Rebekah Eisenberg at reisenberg@cca.edu to schedule a preliminary discussion. Events at 350 Kansas often require substantial planning, so submit your request as early as possible.