AU Student Government and other campus organizations must pay the Department of Athletics a $1,000 space reservation fee when working with outside organizations to use Bender Arena for events, according to Jordan Tobin, the director of facilities and operations for athletics. Labor and equipment costs are not included in that figure.
"The $1,000 fee is significantly lower than what an outside group would pay," Tobin said.
University Center Senior Director Michael Elmore explained the additional charge for not pre-scheduled events in venues such as Katzen Arts Center facilities, the Greenberg Theatre and Bender Arena is incurred because money is not budgeted beforehand for those events.
"They don't have those resources paid for upfront like we do [in the University Center]" Elmore said. "And to do that would be unpredictable for them. A KPU [Kennedy Political Union] speaker comes along when the opportunity presents itself, rather than every week."
The fee is in part why many events are held in the Tavern and University Club, according to SG Vice President Palak Gosar.
KPU and the Student Union Board do not pay to use those spaces. Additional costs may be incurred for security staff and equipment, according to Elmore, but those are usually negotiated in contracts with performers and speakers.
"Student groups aren't charged extra [to use Tavern] because until midnight, there are always at least two staff members working at the University Center," Gosar said. "That's just covered in the University Center's budget."
Alex Kreger, the director of KPU, said she was comfortable with the arrangement.
"It makes sense," Kreger said. "They [the Department of Athletics] do it very reasonably, and they're fantastic to work with. With every contract he [Tobin] works to make costs as low as possible."
dmitchell@theeagleonline.com
