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Contact us

Email:
StudentOrgs​@nau.edu
Call:
928-523-1145
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Planning a student organization event

Ensure a successful event for your group

Events are a fun way to engage your club and the rest of campus. To help you plan an effective event we are here to support you. See the full event approval process here.

  • All club events must be pre-approved by the Student Life Office and Campus Events Operations and Support.
  • Event requests must be submitted no later than 7 days prior to the event.
    • Note: events involving insurance or contracts can take several weeks to process
  • Event request forms can be accessed through True Blue Connects.

 

Before submitting the event request form

Prior to submitting the form, begin with the end in mind. What do you want your event to look like? Who will attend? What type of venue are you looking for? How will people find out about the event? If you need help brainstorming please feel free to set-up an individual consultation with the Student Organization Development team by emailing us at StudentOrgs@nau.edu.

Steps of the event approval process

Get your advisor’s approval Accordion Closed

Your faculty or staff advisor needs to give their approval for the event. The Unions and Student Activities staff member you work with will contact your advisor by email or phone for approval.

Submit an event form Accordion Closed

To start the process, you can fill out and submit an event form online through True Blue Connects by following these steps:

a) Go to nau.edu/trueblueconnects and log in using the blue button at the top.

b) Click on the name of your organization under “My Memberships” on the main page.

c) Click the “Manage Organization” button at the top right of the screen.

d) You will see the name of your organization on the top left with a menu icon (three horizontal bars) next to it. Click the menu icon and then choose “Events” from the left menu that will pop up.

e) Click the blue button that says “Create Event” on the top right to fill out the form and submit your request.

d) You must be listed on the roster and designated as an officer in order to submit the form—if you are not, you will need to talk with your President to get the roster fixed or contact the Student Organization Development team if the President is not up to date. Advisors cannot submit event forms.

e) Student Unions and Activities staff will call you to schedule a meeting to go over the details of your event. If you have not heard from them within 48 hours, please feel free to call them and follow-up.

Reserve a location for your event Accordion Closed

Campus Events Operations and Support staff has access to the reservation system for many of the meeting rooms and large event spaces on campus. If they cannot reserve it directly, they typically know who to call and can help facilitate that contact. If you are not sure where you would like to hold your event, they can also provide information about different spaces including capacity and costs.

Campus Events Operations and Support also reserves tabling space inside and outside the Union, DuBois Center, and HLC using the same event request form detailed above. Spaces require at least one week advance notice for reservations and large spaces like ballrooms or auditoriums can require two weeks or more.

Decide if you want to serve food at your event Accordion Closed

Northern Arizona University Campus Dining has an exclusive contract for food service on the Flagstaff campus. If you are planning an event where food will be served you must contract with Campus Dining to prepare and provide the food. You can view the catering menu and place your order online. You may want to check out the “No Frills Catering” menu which is designed to be budget friendly. Catering should be ordered at least a week before your event.

If you have a special need or request or there are special circumstances such as food is being donated for your event, you should work with Campus Events Operations and Support staff to request a waiver of the food service requirement. Waivers may be granted if the food to be served is pre-packaged and sealed, if there is no charge to attend the event, and if food will not be sold to participants. Waivers will not be granted if the food to be served is to be prepared at home or needs to maintain a certain temperature.

Review contract and insurance requirements for any outside speakers, performers, or equipment Accordion Closed

If you are bringing any guest speakers, musicians, or performers to campus or if you are renting any equipment from an outside vendor, Campus Events Operations and Support staff will review your event to determine if contracts or insurance will be needed.
You should be prepared to provide the name and contact information for speakers or vendors when you meet with Campus Events Operations and Support. Staff will then work with the speaker or vendor and our own university risk management staff to meet contract and insurance needs. The contract and insurance process can take at least 30 days so please plan ahead and allow plenty of time for approval.
There are only a few people who have the authority to enter Northern Arizona University into a contract. Student organization officers, members, and/or advisors should not sign any contracts.

Plan for any additional event needs Accordion Closed

Campus Events Operations and Support staff will talk with you about additional requirements for your specific event. You may need to contact other offices or provide additional paperwork to verify that these have been taken care of. Some examples include:

  • If the event involves physical risk or the potential for injury, participants may need to fill out and sign a release form; completed forms are returned to Campus Events Operations and Support after the event.
  • Some types of events may need review and approval from the NAU Police Department.
  • If you are showing a movie you will need a public performance license.
  • Equipment such as tables and chairs can be rented from Facility Services.
  • If you plan to sell tickets for the event you may need to do so through the Central Ticket Office.

Consider how you will pay for the event Accordion Closed

An important step in event planning is deciding how your group will cover any costs associated with your event. If you plan to apply for funding from sources such as ASNAU, STAC, or Sodexo make sure to complete those applications well in advance of your event. Student Unions and Activities may not approve large or expensive events if they cannot verify that your organization has funds available to cover the whole cost. You should not rely on ticket sales to cover the cost of an event since sales can be unpredictable.

Turn in all paperwork or documentation to Unions and Student Activities Accordion Closed

Once Campus Events Operations and Support has received all of the paperwork or documentation related to your event, staff will notify you of the final approval for your event.
Dean of Students
Location
Room 104 Building 30
University Union
1050 S Knoles Dr.
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 6015
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Email
DeanofStudents@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-5181
Fax
928-523-1425
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