With so many different clubs on campus vying for a meeting space, organizing all the requests can be an ordeal.
The University Union Epicenter, or the Events, Programs, and Ideas Center, handles club activities and requires that clubs submit paperwork, called an E-Plan, two weeks in advance of when they wish to reserve a room.
All chartered Cal Poly clubs must submit an E- Plan to the Epicenter in order to hold an event and clubs must fill out room request forms for their regular meetings.
Some students think that the process should be streamlined.
Inna Treyger, business senior and vice president of Hillel, had difficulties the first time she applied for an E-Plan.
“The procedure wasn’t clear,” she said. “It can be a confusing process for people that are unfamiliar with E-Plans.”
But Misha Davies, psychology senior and president of Cal Poly Brights, hasn’t experienced any problems so far, though she acknowledges she has little experience with it.
“I heard that the people who’d tried to start the club in the past had some issues with filing paperwork,” she said. “But everyone I have talked to has been really helpful.”
The E-Plan is a basic form that explains the rules and regulations of holding events. It asks the club to give specific details about what their event will entail. E-Plans are required for all official club activities held on or off campus and require the signature of the club’s adviser and an officer.
“You need an E-Plan for anything that your club does on campus,” ASI president and political science senior Angela Kramer said. “The primary reason is to keep track of club activities and keep the playing field level.”
Kramer said that some people that are not always happy about having to follow the procedure.
“We have people that aren’t satisfied with the policy and we do the best we can to meet their needs,” she said. “We aren’t in the business of putting up red tape and we want to make the process as easy as possible.”
E-Plans are required to be submitted two weeks in advance and room requests must be submitted one week before the first meeting. Kramer said that space is a big issue for clubs on campus.
“I’ve been involved with a lot of student activities on campus and understand it’s frustrating, especially when trying to plan events,” she said. “But my frustrations didn’t come from that two-week time policy, they came from a lack of space, which is an issue that we are working to improve.”
If a club has an event coming up and can’t submit their E-Plan two weeks before, all may not be lost.
“There are alternative routs that the clubs can go, like through their respective colleges and departments,” Kramer said. “Sometimes they can expedite the process.”
Kramer said that the current system and its policies have been formed over the years.
“We have created a system that has developed and progressed through the years,” Kramer explained. “We re-evaluate every single year.”
The school is working to improve the process. E-Plans are now accessible online at the ASI Web site, and club advisors no longer need to sign a hard copy but can sign the form using an “e-signature.”
“I know that everything I need is online and that I can always run to ASI if I have a question,” Davies said.
The Epicenter is located on the second floor of the University Union and is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.