Online Room Reservation & Policies

Space Usage Policy

The University Religious Center (URC) was constructed by the denominations currently housed in it – American Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, and those that constitute United Ministry. The facility was given to the University of Southern California (USC), which leased it back to the aforementioned groups. The URC is a unique facility on campus in that the University does not fully control the allocation of the building's space. That responsibility is entrusted to the Governing Board, which consists of the Ecumenical Mission and the Dean of Religious Life.

In order to be helpful and hospitable, the following URC areas are made available to individuals and groups from outside the Center.

  • Common Areas: Fishbowl Chapel, Patio, Room (108), Kitchen, Room 205
    By special permission:  Conference room 106, Kilgore Chapel
  • Little Chapel of Silence (off-site near Town & Gown)
  • By special arrangement, the following are sometimes made available: Individual Lounge Areas: 103, 202, 203, 204.  Contact Tim Conley at the ORL Front Desk for further information (213) 740-6110.

 

Reservation Guidelines

  • The group must be recognized by USC and/or have the approval of the Governing Board (groups must be compatible with the goals of the denominations/departments housed in the URC).
  • Student religious organizations and organizations that are affiliated with the denominations and departments in the URC have priority.
  • University courses may not be conducted in the URC on a regular basis.
  • No one-time reservations are to be made in the Religious Center on Football Saturdays.
  • The Dean of Religious Life and the Ecumenical Mission reserve the right to deny reservation of their individual areas to any organization and to cancel or modify existing reservations at any time.
  • A donation is solicited from groups that reserve space (except for the Fishbowl ) at the URC. The donation is negotiable and voluntary. Please see the donation information sheet.
  • All transactions should be conducted through the Office of Religious Life (ORL). If you are unsure who the check should be made payable to, please ask. Cash, personal checks, and departmental checks are the only acceptable forms of payment.
  • Liability issues require that use of the kitchen by groups outside the URC is limited to refrigerator use, microwave use, and heating items in the oven. Stovetop cooking and barbecuing or the use of electrical appliances for frying is not acceptable. In some circumstances, exceptions may be approved.
  • Each group is permitted to have no more than 3 hours of semester reservation time per week.
  • Failure to show up for a scheduled reservation shall result in the following penalties:
        1st Offense:   Warning
        2nd Offense (one time reservations):  NO more reservations for the semester
        3rd Offense (Semester Reservations):  Cancellation of Reservation for the semester

 

Process for Reserving URC Areas

  1. Read and understand the URC Space Usage Policy (rev. 7/2007)
  2. Complete the URC Space Usage Request Form and submit it to ORL in URC 106 no later than one week prior to the event. The earlier you turn in the request,the better your chances are of having it approved.
  3. You will receive a reply via email or phone within three business days (may be longer for reply by campus mail)

 

URC Key Policy

  • If a key is required, ORL staff will issue you one during business hours (9am-5pm, Mon.-Fri.) immediately prior to your event. A $20 cash deposit is required to receive the key. If the key is lost or stolen, the deposit will not be refunded and you will be required to pay an additional $30. The key must be returned on the appointed day (usually the business day following the last day of your event). A daily $10 late fee is charged for overdue keys. Semester key loans adhere to the same fee schedule and are available for groups with a semester reservation.

     

    Rules for Reserved Area Usage

    Organizations must obey the following rules while using their reserved space unless otherwise instructed.

    • All furnishings must be returned to their original order.
    • All trash must be disposed of properly (large trash should go in the large trash cans in the patio). The room should be left clean.
    • Food may not be kept in the refrigerator overnight. Anything left more than 24 hours in the kitchen will be discarded.
    • Food and drink (except water) are not allowed in the Fishbowl.
    • Re-heating ONLY, is allowed in the kitchen. No major cooking, frying or barbequing.
    • If any part of the area is damaged, and can not be immediately cleaned or repaired, please notify the ORL in person (or, if not during business hours, via email or voice mail). Your group may be fined for facility damage.
    • Groups may serve alcohol only after obtaining permission from the Front Desk Coordinator.
    • Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the URC.
    • Absolutely no groups m,ay move the large table that is located in the Fishbowl at any time.
    • There are six tables located in Room 108 which fold down and may be moved outside with the permission of the group that has room 108 reserved.
    • Any tables moved from a room, must be returned to that same room before the end of a groups reservation time.
    • A TV/DVD/VCR player are available for use by organizations with reservations in the URC.  If you wish to reserve these, you must obtain special permission and keys from the ORL.

     

    If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Front Desk Coordinator (URC 106) at orl@usc.edu. If your concern is urgent, call the Office of Religious Life at (213) 740-6110.

     

    URC Space Usage Request Form (9/2009)

    Name of Organization:
    No acronyms, please...
    Contact Person:
    Position in Organization:
    Student ID# or USC Dept.:
    Telephone #:
    Email:
    Address or Mail Code:
    How would you like to receive your reply? Email
    Telephone
    Campus Mail
    Date(s) Requested:
      No more than one day or semester request for online application.
    Time(s) Requested:
    Please indicate both starting and ending times. Include set-up, clean-up.
    Space(s) Requested: Fishbowl Chapel
    Patio
    Dining room 108
    Kitchen
    Room 205
    Conference room 106
    Kilgore Chapel
    Description of Event:

    By typing my name below, I acknowledge that I have read the University Religious Center Space Usage Policy (rev. 2/2000) and, on behalf of my organization, agree to its terms and conditions.

    By placing my initials in the box below, I certify that I understand the regulations and fees associated with borrowing a key as stated in the aforementioned URC Space Usage Policy.