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Event Planning Resources for Faculty & Staff

COVID-19 Update

Law School events will take place in-person this quarter. Please check individual event pages for more information for attendees. Event planners should review the Law School’s Guidance for 2021-2022 Law School-sponsored Non-Instructional Convenings. This process is subject to change. The Events team kindly asks that you review the guidelines thoroughly and send any questions you may have to lawevents@law.uchicago.edu.

In an effort to ensure the safety of our entire community, before planning an event, please review the University’s COVID-19 event policy. Please note, guidance might change as the quarter progresses. Please check that website for updated guidance as you plan your event.

Preferred Formats

The Law School strongly encourages event organizers to utilize the following formats for events:

  1. In-person events – all speakers/participants and attendees are in the same venue;
  2. remote speaker events – all attendees are in the same venue, speaker(s) participate remotely; or
  3. virtual events – all speakers and attendees participate by Zoom.

* Hybrid events are discouraged due to the complexity of hosting these events and limited information technology resources to support their success.

General Guidelines and Resources

The Law School’s facilities, including the classrooms, event and auditorium space, and indoor and outdoor tabling and reception space, are reserved exclusively for use by the Law School. 

Only UChicago Law faculty, departments, centers, and registered student organizations in good standing may reserve UChicago Law facilities.

During the designated Review Sessions/Reading Period only law school meetings that are exclusively for faculty and/or staff may be scheduled in Law School space.

During the final examinations period no events can be scheduled in the Law School, except those related to the administration of exams.

The Law School may request to move an event from a requested room or reschedule an event under certain circumstances.

If you are a UChicago Law faculty or staff member planning an event, please follow these steps:

UChicago Law Faculty and Staff Event Planning Process

Step 1: Confirm your event date and time

In order to ensure optimal attendance at your event, please check the EMS WebApp and Law School Events Calendar to confirm if other events are scheduled on your desired date/time. It is also useful to check for conflicts against holidays and observances that may fall on your desired date.

The Law School will allow multiple virtual events to occur simultaneously. However, please note the following guidelines for event bookings, which apply to virtual and in-person events:

  1. Up to four Student Organization events may occur simultaneously;
  2. Multiple faculty or staff events may occur simultaneously;
  3. The Law School will place a “Dean’s Hold” on dates with community-wide events or special events, and request that faculty and staff refrain from booking other events in any format where a Dean’s Hold applies. Examples include named lectures or VIP speaker visits.

We ask all faculty and staff to be mindful of event conflicts. Many events have overlapping audiences or content, and some events may be intended to provide important information or programming to students.

If you see a possible conflict with your desired event time and date, please reach out to the event organizer to address the possible conflict. If all parties agree, conflicting events can move forward despite an overlap. If you have any questions about event conflicts, please reach out to the Events Team for further assistance.

Step 2: Consult with the Events Office

Our events management system, EMS, allows you to check for other events occurring on your preferred date and time, log your event details, reserve rooms, request IT or AV support, catering, and other resources for running your event. Log in or view the tutorials. The following types of events must be logged in EMS:

  • All virtual events involving current students, multiple faculty members, or VIP guests;  
  • All events involving VIP speakers or guests which may necessitate a Dean’s Hold on other events;
  • Events taking place in our physical space;
  • Off-campus events which include current students or multiple faculty members.

Please note that EMS will track basic event information, including the event organizer, title, and logistical information. EMS will not disclose event attendees or details about the content of the event.

Step 3: Promote your event

Add it to the Law School web calendar

The Law School web calendar allows you to promote your event. It is also a good option for invitation-only events that would benefit from an online schedule, link to papers, or other information that is easier to share on the web than in an email.

To add your event to the calendar:

  1. Go to the Add Event page. If prompted, log in with your CNetID.
  2. Fill in the fields for Title, date, etc. Under "Event type" please choose a category such as "Academic conference" or "Workshop."
  3. In the field marked "Description," you may enter additional information about the event, such as a speaker's bio.
  4. Click "Save and Create New Draft" to view a private draft, or "Save and Publish" to make it go live.
  5. If you need to edit information on your event, log in, find your event, and click the "Edit" tab that will appear on the page.
  6. If you have any questions or concerns about adding an event to the Law School web calendar, please email communications@law.uchicago.edu.

Weekly Briefs emails

The Communications Office sends out an “Weekly Brief” email with the coming week’s events every Monday morning, to the entire UChicago Law community, including students, faculty, and staff.

Any events that have a Law School room selected from the "Room number" dropdown and are not "by invitation only" will automatically be included in the Weekly Briefs emails. ("Online-only Law School Event" is an option under the "Room number" dropdown and counts as a room for the purposes of the Weekly Briefs.)

New events are added throughout the week, and event details such as time and location may change. Everyone is encouraged to visit the online calendar itself for the latest information.

Other promotional opportunities

For additional questions about event promotion, please contact the Communications Office at communications@law.uchicago.edu.

Virtual Best Practices

  • Check your audio and video in advance.
  • Refer to the recommended equipment for webcasting
  • Use your device to adjust your sound
  • You may dial into the meeting by phone but we encourage you to use a laptop or device with a larger screen. This will allow for a better speaker view and will help when viewing a presentation.
  • Encourage your speakers to use compelling visuals and be engaging without audience feedback.
  • Maximize opportunities for engagement before, during and after your event (see below for examples of how to do this).
  • Handling registration through the meeting platform you’re using ensures attendees automatically receive the connection information.
  • For recorded events, be sure to have your speakers complete a Media Release Form in advance of the presentation and file the forms after the event at https://www.law.uchicago.edu/recording-permission. The form is required for anyone who appears in the recording who is not a UChicago faculty member.
  • You can also post a crowd release virtually on screen
    • “You confirm permission for the recording of this engagement and the University's right to use, distribute, copy and edit the recording, in whole or in part, in any form or media for non-commercial, educational purposes, and to grant rights to third parties to do any of the foregoing. A copy of the recording may be maintained by the University of Chicago library.”
  • Choose a well-lit location, with light shining on your face, not coming from behind or above you.
  • Choose a quiet location.
  • Frame the shot so your head and shoulders fill most of the screen.
  • Make sure the camera is eye level and look directly at the camera.
  • To learn more about Zoom, please visit the Universities Information Technology department Zoom help page.
  • The Office of Communications has also prepared the following as guidance:

Additional Zoom Guidance

University of Chicago Web Conferencing for Staff

  • Claiming a Zoom account
  • Preparing for a Zoom Meeting
  • Join a Practice Session
  • Schedule a Zoom Meeting
  • Starting a Scheduled Zoom Meeting
  • Best Practices for Hosting a Successful Zoom Meeting

Contacts

Office of Events

  • Email: lawevents@law.uchicago.edu
  • Will provide advice for events and help you decide on the best format suited for your audiences.

Communications

Law School IT

  • Email: helpdesk@law.uchicago.edu
  • Will advise you on the best technical tools for your event
  • Will provide training for event organizers to use tools available throughout the University
  • Will provide AV and IT support for events

Student Affairs

Facilities