Steps to Request Club Events & Activities

To ensure club activities are properly approved, supported, and funded, all clubs must submit an Event Request Form for every event, activity, or initiative, even if no club funds will be used. This helps ensure compliance with College of Western Idaho (CWI) policies and allows the Office of Student Engagement to provide the support needed for a successful experience. Events may not be advertised or held until approval has been granted. Failure to submit a request form or proceeding with an unapproved event may result in sanctions and could impact future club activities.

Follow the steps below to plan and request approval for your event:

  1. Verify Available Club Funds
    Prior to submitting an Event Request Form, clubs should review their available funding and determine if they have enough funds to cover the cost of the purchase. If the club does not have sufficient funding, we recommend completing a Funding Request Form. For inquiries regarding club balances, contact clubs@cwi.edu. 
     
  2. Create an Event Budget
    Clubs are responsible for putting together initial estimates/quotes and screenshots of the items with pricing to include in their request. If your club event has no purchases, this step can be skipped. The following is a list of potential event expenses to consider while preparing an event budget and request:
    • Food & Beverage: If your event includes food be sure to include a screenshot of the menu with prices, any applicable delivery costs, and gratuity amount. Events that are open or require pre-registration must have a list of people who will be receiving food that is requested. If the food recipients are undetermined, a sign-in list must be turned into the Office of Student Engagement following the event.
    • Food Allowance Guidelines: Food purchases must comply with Admin 070 – Food & Entertainment. The following guidelines apply but are not limited to:
      • Up to $13.95 per person.
        Event has a duration of three (3) or more hours.
      • Up to $19.25 per person (before 5 p.m.) or $30.25 per person (after 5 p.m.).
        Event has a duration of six (6) or more hours.
      • Note: All gratuities must be included in the Event Request Form and approved in advance. CWI permits gratuities of up to 20%. Gratuities and delivery costs are separate from the allowable food cost per person.
    • Supplies: Common event supplies to consider are decorations, activity-based items, plates, napkins, utensils, drinkware, and/or ice. Be sure to think of everything you would absolutely need for the event as all clubs are responsible for providing/purchasing all materials.
    • Gifts, Prizes, & Awards: If gifts, prizes or awards are being given away the full name, CWI email address, and the student ID number for each recipient is required. If the awardee is not known until the event, club leaders must coordinate with the Office of Student Engagement to collect awardee information and securely submit it following the event. For more information, clubs should refer to the Gifts, Prizes, or Awards section of the Student Club Handbook for additional guidance.
    • Vendors: If your event requires working with a vendor (whether that be to pay for their services, ordering materials, renting equipment), clubs will need to provide the contact information of the vendor. Depending on the purchase, contracts may be required.
    • Security: Events considered large or outside of CWI building hours may require additional security which is required to be covered by the club. For information regarding security, clubs should refer to the Event Security section of the Student Club Handbook for additional guidance.
    • Note: All event budgets should include appropriate links and shipping costs for the items being requested. 
       
  3. Request Space for Event
    Once a space has been determined, whether the event is on campus, off campus, or virtual, clubs will need to request that event space within 25Live. This is to ensure all club events are publicly advertised after approval. For more information, clubs should refer to Request Space for Events section in the Student Club Handbook for additional guidance.
     
  4. Submit an Event Request Form
    All event request forms must be completed by a student in a club officer role. Club should be prepared to show evidence of all event details, any applicable purchases and how the club voted to spend funds. Once submitted, the request will undergo a review process to verify sufficient club funding and to determine the request meets all event request requirements. If all looks good, the club’s event request will be submitted to receive overall budget approval.

    Club Event Request Form

    For timelines for approvals, clubs should refer to the Event Request Approval Timelines section of the Student Club Handbook for additional guidance. All approval timelines will vary as each request is different and may involve additional review and approvals.
     
  5. Market Your Event
    Once the club has received confirmation from the Office of Student Engagement that their event request has been approved, clubs can begin advertising and marketing the event. For guidance around campus marketing guidelines, club should refer to the Posting, Publicity & Branding Guidelines of the Student Club Handbook.
     
  6. Facilitation of Approved Club Event Purchases
    If approved, the Office of Student Engagement will begin the process of purchasing any applicable approved items within the request. It is the responsibility of the club to respond to communication inquiries as relevant to their purchase to ensure no delay. Once items have arrived, clubs will receive an email with instructions for pick-up (if applicable).