Facilities Hire Policy

1. Purpose

1.1 The Facilities Hire Policy (the policy) establishes the process for hiring UTS facilities for internal and external use, including booking rates, conditions of use and hire agreements.

2. Scope

2.1 This policy applies to all staff, students, affiliates and visitors when hiring UTS facilities.

2.2 This policy does not apply to:

1. general room bookings for internal use (refer Room Bookings (SharePoint))
2. bookings for UTS award courses (refer Timetabling Policy)
3. use, allocation and management of space (refer Space Management Policy)
4. the use or hire of UTS property managed by the UTS Union Ltd (trading as ActivateUTS) and UTS student housing, and
5. commercial leases (refer Commercial Activities Policy).

3. Principles

3.1 The use or hire of UTS facilities must not negatively impact the teaching, research and student life activities of the university.

3.2 Visitors to UTS must comply with the law and the behavioural expectations of the university as outlined in relevant policies (for example, the Equity, Inclusion and Respect Policy and the Campus Policy).

3.3 UTS facilities must not be used for:

1. illegal activities
2. activities that are unsafe (refer Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy)
3. activities that are in conflict with the university’s strategy and values, and/or
4. activities that may bring the university’s name into disrepute.

4. Policy statements

Booking UTS facilities

4.1 UTS facilities are available for internal and external use, including:

1. public and private events (refer Campus Policy)
2. short forms of learning
3. filming or photo shoots (refer Campus Policy), and
4. workshops or seminars outside the normal timetabled teaching activities.

4.2 Booking request forms must be completed and submitted to Facilities Hire (refer Buildings: Request hire). Facilities hire bookings must not be requested via the university’s timetabling system or web room bookings.

4.3 Facilities Hire will assess the request to:

1. determine whether there are any accessibility requirements (these will be confirmed with the event organiser as soon as possible in line with the Accessibility and Inclusion Policy)
2. determine whether a risk assessment should be completed as part of the booking to ensure user and campus safety, and
3. notify Security and Emergency Management at least 7 days before any high-risk event (refer Campus Policy).

4.4 Bookings are managed by Facilities Hire. An invoice and hire agreement with conditions of use will be issued to confirm the booking. All bookings will include fees for venue hire and relevant ancillaries (for example, cleaning, furniture hire or removal, security, audiovisual and IT facilities).

4.5 Fees must be paid by the due date to secure the booking. If the fee is not paid by the due date, UTS may cancel the booking with immediate effect. 

4.6 UTS reserves the right to refuse any application to hire a UTS facility. UTS will provide an explanation for refusal of an application where appropriate to the circumstance.

4.7 Any actual, perceived or potential conflicts of interest that arise as part of the approval of facilities hire must be managed in line with the Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Policy.

Allocating UTS facilities for hire

4.8 UTS prioritises bookings as follows:

1. requirements for rooms and facilities to support teaching and research activities take precedence over all other bookings
2. bookings by UTS donors, affiliates and other partners will take precedence over other applicants.

4.9 Booking requests that fall within the Monday to Friday teaching times will not be confirmed until the relevant session’s draft timetable has been completed (refer Timetabling Policy).

4.10 Adjustments to the session timetable to accommodate a facilities hire booking must be approved by the Director, Student Administration as an exception to the Timetabling Policy. The Director, Student Administration will liaise with the relevant parties.

Booking rates

4.11 Each year, the Manager, Facilities Hire is responsible for developing a rental rate schedule for UTS facilities based on market rates for community and for-profit use (refer Definitions). The rental rate schedule is approved by the Senior Asset Manager.

4.12 Staff may request a variation to the rental rate where an event provides equivalent benefit (financial or otherwise) to UTS in return for providing the venue. Facilities Hire can provide further guidance, including a fee waiver application form (email facilities.hire@uts.edu.au).

4.13 The fee waiver application form will include costs to UTS, including venue hire, audio visual, furniture, cleaning and security. Once the fee waiver application form has been approved, a copy of the form will be sent to the relevant areas of the university to provide the required services. Any requests for additional services will need to complete a new form.

4.14 Final approval for any rate variations made through the fee waiver application form must be recommended by a member of the University Leadership Team for approval by the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Conditions of use

4.15 All bookings must comply with the relevant hire agreement and conditions of use.

4.16 Damages or additional cleaning fees (including loss of a deposit where relevant) will apply where conditions of use are not met.

4.17 UTS may cancel a confirmed booking or relocate a confirmed booking, without notice, if extraordinary or unusual circumstances warrant such action. The relevant hire fees will be reimbursed in such instances.

Policy breaches

4.18 The Director, Property is responsible for managing breaches of this policy on behalf of the COO in accordance with the Campus Policy, the Code of Conduct, relevant Enterprise agreement, contract of employment, hire agreement and/or Student Rules as appropriate.

4.19 Breaches that constitute serious wrongdoing must be managed in line with the Whistleblowing and Public Interest Disclosures Policy.

5. Roles and responsibilities

5.1 Policy owner: The Director, Property is responsible for managing policy compliance, ensuring that its principles and statements are observed. The Director, Property is also responsible for the approval of any associated university level procedures and conditions of use and hire agreements for UTS facilities (in consultation with the Office of General Counsel).

5.2 Policy contact: The Manager, Facilities Hire is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of this policy and acts as the primary point of contact for advice on fulfilling its provisions. The Manager, Facilities Hire will also develop a rate schedule and ensure that this policy is fit for purpose.

5.3 Implementation and governance roles: 

The Senior Asset Manager is responsible for approving the rental rate schedule in line with this policy.

The Chief Operating Officer is responsible for approving rental rate variations as recommended by the relevant member of the University Leadership Team.

6. Definitions

The following definitions apply for this policy and all associated procedures. Definitions in the singular also include the plural meaning of the word.

Affiliate is defined in the Code of Conduct.

Campus is defined in the Campus Policy.

Community use for the purposes of this policy means use of UTS facilities by:

1. a non-UTS not-for-profit organisation
2. a UTS faculty or unit where participation fees are charged to attendees (for example, short forms of learning)
3. an event unrelated to teaching or research run by a UTS faculty or unit with external attendees with no participation fee, and/or
4. an ABN registered not-for-profit privately run by UTS staff not directly related to the teaching, research and student life activities of the university.

Donor is defined in the Philanthropic Fundraising Policy.

For-profit use for the purposes of this policy means use of UTS facilities by:

1. a for-profit organisation
2. a UTS faculty or unit hiring UTS facilities jointly with a for-profit organisation, and/or
3. UTS staff running a private for-profit event.

Serious wrongdoing is defined in the Whistleblowing and Public Interest Disclosures Policy.

UTS facility means any university owned or controlled venue (classroom, laboratory, public space or ground) and other associated facility (furniture, equipment, audiovisual and technology) that is available for hire on a fee for service basis through Facilities Hire.