Conferences and youth programs that have guests who stay overnight in the residence halls are expected to follow all policies and procedures below. Disciplinary action and sanctions— including revoking a guest's or conference staff's privileges within University Housing—may be imposed by the university against any conference or youth program guest or group found guilty of committing, attempting to commit, or intentionally assisting in the commission of any of the following prohibited forms of conduct. If a guest's stay in a residence hall is revoked, the conference organizer will need to find adequate housing for the guest if the guest remains registered for the remainder of the conference or youth program.

Youth Program Counselor Requirements

Updated from American Camp Association November 2022

UO Conference Services expects the following from counselors and organizers:

• Hosting entity must provide staff training equal to or greater than the UO’s Youth Programs: Protecting Minors training.
• Hosting entity must complete background checks for all staff members who are part of a youth program.
• Enforce youth program policies to ensure the safety and security of youth participants and the university community.
• Enforce youth program policies to ensure the safety and security of youth participants and the university community.
• Assist in check-in and checkout.
• Accompany youth participants to the dining venue and supervise dining venue behavior.
• Be a positive role model for youth participants through appropriate personal behavior. Specifically prohibited is the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.
• Youth participants must be supervised at all times, which includes when youth are in the community areas of their groups’ hall or lounge, the dining venue, in and around the residence hall as well as through campus. The exception to this is when the youth participant is in their own private residence hall room.
• Report any incidents that occur to the youth program/conference organizer as well as UO Conference and Events Services (e.g., youth participant leaving early, damages, unauthorized persons or feeling/showing symptoms of illness).
• Monitor building security; make sure that individuals in their group are not propping open or unlocking exterior doors. There are fees and fines that will be issued by UO Conferences and Events Services for propped open or unlocked exterior security doors.
• Monitor building security; make sure exterior doors are locked and not propped open.
• Youth program counselors are to be eighteen years of age or older.
• Youth program organizer stays in residence halls.
• Youth program counselors meet with UO Conference Services staff.
• Maintain mutual cooperation and respect with all staff.

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Alcohol, Drugs and Smoking

• The UO campus is smoke- and tobacco-free.
• Possessing, consuming, or furnishing alcoholic beverages is prohibited in public areas on campus unless at university-catered events or licensed facilities. All state and federal alcohol laws are in effect.
• Illegal use, possession, or furnishing of controlled substances or drug paraphernalia on university-owned or -controlled property or at university-sponsored or -supervised activities is prohibited. Any controlled substance or drug paraphernalia found will be confiscated and destroyed by the University of Oregon Police Department.
• Narcotics and dangerous drugs shall be defined in accordance with the statutes of the State of Oregon and the Student Conduct Code.
• No alcohol is allowed to be consumed in the residence halls by guests 21 or younger, nor may it be consumed in residence hall public or community spaces such as lounges, classrooms, meeting spaces, etc. A guest who is 21 or older may consume alchohol in the privacy and security of their room.

Youth Programs

• No alcohol allowed in residence halls for youth or counselors, even if the counselor is of legal drinking age.
• Detectable intoxication by guests under the age of 21 within the residence halls is prohibited. If a guest under 21 is found in possession of alcohol or is determined to be intoxicated, UO Conferences and Events Services will report the behavior and incident to the conference or program organizer and the UO Police Department, as well as following UO policies and regarding conduct. The guest’s stay may be revoked at the discretion of UO Conference and Events Services. The conference organizer will be responsible for finding adequate housing for the guest if the guest remains registered for the remainder of the conference or youth program.

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Conduct

• Disciplinary sanctions, as serious as eviction from University Housing with concomitant risks of financial loss may be imposed against any guest found responsible for committing, attempting to commit, or intentionally assisting in the commission of any of the offenses listed in these policies.
• Any guest’s behavior to self or to other guests (including disorderly conduct) that results in unreasonable noise, that disrupts the community, or that demonstrates an unwillingness to live in a group setting is prohibited. Courtesy for neighbors in the conference community prevails and noise will be kept to a minimum at all times.
• University of Oregon residence halls are subject to the City of Eugene ordinance regarding excessive noise.
• Physical abuse or conduct that threatens imminent physical harm or endangers the health or safety of any person, including lewd or indecent conduct or hazing on University of Oregon property or at university-sponsored or -supervised activities is prohibited.
• Disorderly conduct (including that resulting from drunkenness), unreasonable noise, or behavior that results in unreasonable annoyance is prohibited.

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Harassment

• Harassment on University of Oregon property or at university-sponsored or supervised activities, because of another person’s race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation, or for other reasons accomplished by (1) intentionally subjecting another person to offensive physical contact other than self-defense, or (2) specifically insulting another person in his or her immediate presence with abusive words or gestures when a reasonable person would expect that such act would cause emotional distress or provoke a violent response is prohibited.
• Conference and youth program organizers will communicate the policy on harassment to their staff.
• Any type of harassing behavior is not tolerated and is grounds for immediate dismissal from all university facilities. In addition, a written statement will be sent to the main organization describing the guest’s behavior.
• The conference or youth program organizer and staff are to act immediately upon any report of harassing behavior.

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Keys and ID Cards

Keys Issued

• Youth participants: room key only (counselors must let youth participants into halls)
• Adults: room and exterior door key

Key Policies

• Return at time of checkout
• Conference or youth program will be charged for keys not returned at checkout
• All residence hall keys, key cards, and meal cards remain the property of the university and may not be duplicated.
• Conference or youth program guests are not allowed to loan, sell, or transfer a university key, residence hall key, key card, or student identification to any person.
• Conference or youth program guests must report lost or stolen keys immediately to their conference assistant or conference or youth program organizer.
• Conference or youth program guests may not exchange or trade rooms/keys without the approval and confirmation by UO Conference and Events Services.
• Conference or youth program chaperones may not provide exterior building access by loaning or giving their keys to a youth participant or minor.

Room Keys and Outside Doors
Each room door is locked with a room key that is issued to each guest at check-in. The exterior and basement doors are keyed to an outside door key for each building. UO Conference Services recommends that people attending adult conferences be issued a key to their individual rooms and the outside doors. There are times when a group may want to have the outside doors to the hall they are occupying unlocked. Examples include times during check-in, checkout, or during meal breaks. The organizer can develop a schedule to have exterior doors unlocked with the conference assistant before the conference begins.

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Access to Facilities

• Damage, destruction, theft, or unauthorized use of personal property located on the University of Oregon campus or property owned or controlled by the university is prohibited.
• Unauthorized entry or use of University of Oregon property is prohibited. The conference or youth program organizer is  responsible for participants’ activities. In case of violations, the conference or youth program will be charged the appropriate costs for assessing and repairing damages to the property.
• The presence of any guest of the residence hall not authorized by University Housing constitutes a trespass. Those trespassing on the premises of the University of Oregon residence halls may be arrested under the ordinances of the City of Eugene and the Student Conduct Code.
• Conference or youth program guests are not allowed on roofs, not allowed to climb up the sides of buildings, and cannot be on the ledges of the buildings. Nothing is to be placed, stored, or exhibited on the ledges of the buildings. Windows are to remain in their tracks. Conference and youth program guests are not allowed to sit on windowsills or extend any part of their body outside the windowsills. Removal of any window screen is prohibited. Nothing is to be thrown, dropped, or spilled from the roofs, ledges, or windows.
• Authorized personnel may enter a conference or youth program guest’s room for purposes of maintenance, routine inspections, cleaning, or in response to emergencies.
• Bathroom facilities may not be used while being serviced by custodial and maintenance staff.
• To protect public health and safety, the university does not permit animals in its buildings with the exception of service or support animals. Unattended or unleashed domestic animals are not permitted on the property of the university.

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Security and Safety

We require guests to keep their room doors locked at all times. Doors should never be propped open. Interior doors with automatic closers are intended to reduce the chance of fire spreading through a building and propping them open is a violation of local fire code. Should an intruder be discovered in your hall, call the University of Oregon Police Department (UOPD) immediately. The number for UOPD is 541-346-2919 or for emergency response dial 9-1-1. The building evacuation plan for each building is posted on every floor and should be reviewed by each person. Every alarm must be treated as an emergency and all persons must evacuate the building immediately.

Due to safety, the following are not allowed in the residence halls:

• No pets (except for service animals)
• No sleeping bags
• No candles or incense
• No hot plates
• No microwaves
• No portable air conditioning units
• No hoverboards / similar types of electronic skateboards
• No smoking

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Dangerous Devices

• Possession, use, or threatened use of firearms (including but not limited to BB guns, air guns, water pistols, and paint guns), ammunition, explosives, dangerous chemicals, or any other objects as weapons on university property except as expressly authorized by law or university regulations, is prohibited.
• Possession of knives with a blade longer than four inches is prohibited.
• Brandishing weapons is prohibited.
• Misuse of personal defensive devices (e.g., pepper spray, etc.) is prohibited. The owner is responsible and accountable for any misuse of these devices.

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Fire Safety

• No hot plates, microwaves, or portable air conditioning units allowed in residence hall rooms.
• The evacuation plan for each building is posted on every floor and should be reviewed by each person. Every alarm must be treated as an emergency and all persons must evacuate the building immediately. Possession, displaying, or burning flammable materials including, but not limited to, candles, incense, sage, gasoline, and kerosene lamps is hazardous to the health and safety of guests and is prohibited inside the residence halls.
• Hanging any items over or covering the smoke detector or sprinkler pipes is prohibited.
• Immediate eviction and/or a fine will be imposed for activating false alarms in residence halls, propping open fire doors, creating a fire hazard, malicious burning, or tampering with any fire equipment.
• Conference or youth program guests are not to deface, modify, or remove green emergency safety stickers placed on the inside of every residence hall room door.

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Interruption of Service

University Housing is not responsible for the continuation of food, mail, custodial, linen, heating, maintenance, or security service at normal levels in the event of a natural disaster, strike, or lockout of public employees or suppliers’ employees, power-water-sewer interruptions from on- or off-campus sources, or in the event of other causal events wholly beyond the control or reasonable anticipation of University Housing.

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Insurance

Conferences or youth programs that are not sponsored by a University of Oregon department shall provide a certificate of insurance 30 days prior to the conference or youth program. This general liability certificate shall list the State of Oregon, acting by and through the State Board of Higher Education, on behalf of the University of Oregon and their officers and employees as “additional insured,” with minimum policy limits of $1,000,000. The term of such coverage will coincide with the arrival and departure dates of the conference or youth program. Conferences or youth programs that are sponsored by a University of Oregon department are not exempt from insurance regulations, but the university may waive the insurance requirement if official sponsorship has been received from the appropriate dean or department head in writing to University of Oregon Conference Services.

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Liability

• University Housing is not liable for loss or damage to personal property in guest rooms, public areas, laundry, or storage rooms.
• It is the conference or youth program guests’ responsibility to keep their rooms locked at all times.
• The conference or youth program is responsible for paying for damages to the residence halls and lounges willfully or negligently caused by their conference or youth program guests.
• The conference or youth program will be assessed for missing or damaged furniture or equipment.
• Conference or youth program guests are not permitted to make or contract for painting or repairs; University Housing will make all repairs.
• Propping open residence hall entrance doors and fire doors is prohibited.
• Conference or youth program guests are prohibited from allowing anyone who is not their guest into any residence hall building, and are responsible for reporting suspicious activities to the University of Oregon Police Department (UOPD) or conference staff, and for locking residence hall room doors at night when asleep or out of the room.
• UO Conference Services will not give out the location of any youth participant’s or guest’s room. In an emergency, the conference services director, conference assistant, or UOPD will contact the conference or youth program organizer to establish contact with the guest. For messages, faxes, and mail, the Housing Service Center staff will contact the conference organizer to arrange delivery.

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