Office manages all events for students

The wide array of events that happen on campus, compounded by a lack of communication between student groups and a limited number of venues, make coordinating the College’s events a challenge. The Event Management Office takes on that challenge and is responsible for organizing and coordinating every event that happens on campus.

Recently, the structure of the Event Management Office has changed, absorbing roles previously carried out by different offices.

“We’ve been reshaping our office over the past year and a half in conjunction with the changes with the staffing structure of the College,” said Director of Event Management Lisa Ayers. “We’ve had a role in consolidating that.

Event Management began to reorganize after the catering department closed as a result of staffing restructures brought on by the economic downturn. Catering Coordinator Mary Reed and Student Events Coordinator Tammy Grant, formerly of the Center for Campus Activities and Leadership (CCAL), both joined Events Management. At CCAL Grant was in charge of planning all student events; now she works in the Event Management office in the same capacity.

Students are likely familiar with the events pamphlets available in dining halls, which Grant creates.

“We’re responsible for the production of the events calendar that’s on the web,” added Ayers. Students are encouraged to visit the office’s web site (go/eventplan) to check out the calendar or to fill out the event reservation request form to set the event planning process in motion.

In the past year, the Event Management Office has taken on the important role of planning Commencement and Language Schools events.

“We’ve absorbed the work of the Commencement coordinator, so we’re now in charge of all the Commencement events as well as Convocation in the fall and Phi Beta Kappa,” said Ayers.

While this coming summer will mark the first year the Event Management Office has full control of Language School events, they are experienced in working with the Language Schools during planning.

“In the past, the Language Schools took over with the process in the summer that had been run by us all year, so now there is more continuity,” Ayers said. “The advantage we see in planning the Language Schools is we are able to do the facilitating and planning all year. It frees people up over there to dedicate themselves to other areas of the school and lets things work more smoothly.”

Aside from these special events, the office works with students year-round to reserve spaces and work with service providers to make their events happen.

“Even students who aren’t necessarily part of an organization on campus can work with us to find out ways to make an event happen,” said Grant.

Both Grant and Ayers stressed the office’s open door policy and willingness to serve as a liaison between students and event service providers such as Dining Services, the Public Safety Office and Venue Management.

“We just really want to let students know that we’re here and that our doors are open,” said Ayers. “Whatever we can do, we want to help.”