Policies & Procedures

Availability

The dates of availability for 2027 summer camp/conference lodging are Sunday, May 23, 2027 through the night of Friday, August 6, 2027. Meals in the dining halls are available from breakfast on Sunday, May 23, 2027 through lunch on Friday, August 6, 2027. The dining halls may serve brunch and dinner only on and around Independence Day.

Eligibility

The group eligibility requirements for service through the Conference Services office are: 1.) Participants must not be on campus primarily to take UNL summer school classes; 2.) Participants must not be required to be enrolled in UNL summer school classes; 3.) Group must be sponsored by a UNL department or closely related to the University’s mission. Groups who do not meet either of the first two criteria may be able to make arrangements for room and board through the University Housing Assignments office (402-472-3561).

Certificate of Insurance

A certificate of insurance is required for all events not sponsored and paid for by a UNL department. The certificate must be received by Conference Services no later than 30 days prior to the event and then be approved by UNL’s Risk Management Director. The certificate must provide general liability coverage in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate that names the “Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska” as additional insured. For athletic activities, the general liability coverage must include participant liability in the amount of $1,000,000. Failure to provide a valid certificate that meets these requirements by the specified deadline will result in cancellation of group’s services with Conference Services.

Important Deadlines

The priority deadline to submit a Request for Services (RFS) for the summer of 2027 is November 13, 2026. Requests submitted through our webform and received by the priority deadline will be processed in the following order: 

1. Submitted by the priority deadline and requesting same dates for upcoming summer as previous summer. 
2. Submitted by priority deadline and requesting different dates for upcoming summer than previous summer. 
3. Submitted by priority deadline, but did not use our services in previous summer. 
4. Request for Services submitted after priority deadline will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. If a booking is made for your request, a contract will be sent via email.

Two guarantee numbers—one for residential participants and one for commuting participants needing meals—must be submitted at least 10 business days before arrival. Please set your registration deadline accordingly to ensure you can meet this requirement. Requests to exceed the contracted participant count must be submitted in writing or by email. Conference Services will try to accommodate increases but cannot guarantee availability. Long-term groups may submit one adjusted guarantee, which will take effect two weeks after it’s provided. Final guarantees apply to all event nights. Early departures should be reported to Conference Services as soon as possible. The final invoice may be adjusted based on actual attendance and any changes to your group’s circumstances.

Upon providing a guarantee number, a blank roster will be supplied to you for making room assignments. This roster must be completed for all individuals staying in the residence halls and emailed to us 5 business days prior to the earliest scheduled arrival. If the roster is provided fewer than 5 business days prior, a $100 fee will be charged. If the roster is provided fewer than 72 hours prior to the earliest check in, a $250 fee will be charged. It is the policy at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln that youth conference guests will have access to a traditional hall floor/room or suite-style unit consistent with their gender identity. Generally, guests will be placed in a room with persons of the same gender as that identified by the guests on the registration paperwork. If a client or guest has a need for other accommodations, please contact your Conference Services staff liaison for assistance.

Financial Considerations

A consolidated invoice for all charges incurred by the group and its participants will be sent after the event has concluded. Invoices for all May and June events will be created and processed the first week of July. Invoices for all July and August events will be created and processed by the end of August. If the event spans the fiscal year transition from June to July, two invoices will be sent, one for all May/June charges and another for July/August charges.

Payment in full is due within 30 days of the invoice being sent. The invoice can be paid via transfer of funds from a University or state account, or with a check. Those paying via transfer of funds will automatically have the funds debited from the account provided when the Request for Services was submitted. Charges can be split between a maximum of two accounts and only by a percentage of the total. Events requesting tax exempt status may require documentation.

The final invoice will be based on the actual number or the guarantee number, whichever is greater. In the event that this number falls below 80% of the contracted number, Conference Services reserves the right to assess charges for rooms and meals will be added to the bill at the rate of 40% of the difference. Attrition charges will not be applied to groups with a contracted number of fewer than 100 people.

A long term discount is available when the entirety of the same group stays on campus for 21 or more consecutive nights. A 20% discount will be applied to all lodging charges when the group meets this requirement. The long-term discount does not apply to meals or any other service provided.

Counselor Credit

As an incentive to youth groups to provide excellent supervision, we offer a chaperone credit. A chaperone credit is the cost of one double occupancy staff bed for every 15 youth participants in attendance. This credit will be added to the final invoice when the following conditions are met:

1. group complies with the 1:15 chaperone/youth ratio with a minimum of two chaperones;
2. at least one chaperone must be of the same sex as the youths;
3. all chaperones are at least 19 years of age, must live on floors with the youth and cannot be the primary parent/ guardian for a child under 6 years old staying with them in their room;
4. chaperones follow all UNL and University Housing policies and expectations;
5. youth follow UNL and University Housing policies and expectations;
6. all conditions of the UNL Youth Activity Safety Policy are met;
7. there are at least 15 youth participants

Posting

Posting signs, banners and decorations in the residence hall is restricted to bulletin boards and dry erase boards only. Blue or green painter’s tape (dry erase boards) and tacks (bulletin boards) are the only approved mediums for posting on these areas. Please ask Conference Services staff for more information.

Lost & Found

Conference Services will make every effort to return lost or forgotten items to guests. Found items are stored at the Residence Hall front desks and logged by staff. If possible, we will contact the guest or event organizer to help reunite the item with its owner. Items of a high value such as electronics, wallets, credit cards, and medications are handled with extra care and will be turned over to UNL Police if not claimed immediately. Items not claimed within 14 days become the property of the university in accordance with UNL’s surplus property policy.

Camp Store

A camp store may be held in the residence halls if an appropriate space is available and reserved. Groups are responsible for securing all money and merchandise related to the camp store. Conference Services bears no liability for damaged, lost, or stolen property. Please note that groups are prohibited from selling food or beverage items in the residence halls, including the sale of pizzas.

Youth Medical Treatment

UNL’s Youth Activity Safety Policy requires that all events have a plan to provide medical treatment to youth participants. The Lincoln community offers a variety of treatment facilities including urgent care, hospitals, and the University Health Center. Each facility will have its own procedures and policies regarding gaining consent to treat youth. Most importantly, please make sure that each youth has the contact info for their parents/guardians on their person at all times and that the chaperones with the event also have this information readily available.

Accommodations

Conference Services is committed to providing appropriate accommodations to guests with disabilities. In order to ensure that appropriate arrangements can be made, guests with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation must contact the Conference Services staff prior to their scheduled arrival on campus to request reasonable accommodations. 

Parking

A parking permit is required for all vehicles parked in a University lot. Surface lot permits (Area R) are complimentary for participants and staff of residential groups for the duration of their stay. All permits are virtual and use License Plate Recognition, with vehicle license plates serving as permit identification. Any vehicle, trailer or combination thereof that is larger than one parking stall must have a special large vehicle permit determined by the size of vehicle/trailer. These large vehicle permits will also be complimentary and will require parking in a designated lot on campus. Any specially requested permits, commuter permits, or additional non-resident permits can be purchased directly from Conference Services. Conference Services staff must distribute all permits and will not collect parking permit fees from individual guests. As a reminder, UNL employees or students are NOT eligible to use guest parking permits provided through Conference Services. Please contact Parking Services (402-472-1800) to discuss parking permit options for your attendees and staff who are UNL affiliates.

Dining Halls

All group participants staying in all residence halls are required to have a meal plan (exceptions may be possible for adult groups with a qualifying long-term stay). Meal service is available starting with breakfast on Sunday, May 23, 2027 and ends with lunch on Friday, August 7, 2027. To select a meal plan, pick a starting meal on arrival day and an ending meal on departure day. Each group will be assigned a dining hall based on the number of people in the group and the number of other people eating at the dining halls during the group’s stay. The dining halls may elect to serve brunch and dinner only on and around Independence Day (July 4). University Dining Service is the sole provider of food and beverage in all University Housing and Nebraska Union facilities.

A meal barcode will be issued to participants upon check-in. Guests must present their barcode to be scanned upon entering the dining hall and each barcode can only be scanned once per meal. If this is lost, guests should go to the front desk of their assigned residence hall for a replacement. Conference Services will assign the group to dining hall(s) and reserves the right to change this assignment. If anyone from the group eats at a dining hall to which they are not assigned, charges may be incurred at both locations. It is the responsibility of the group sponsor to ensure that everyone from the group is eating in the assigned dining hall.

A commuter meal package can be provided to nonresidential guests who you would like to eat meals in the dining service with residential guests. We can design specific commuter meal packages to meet your group’s needs. To maintain a high level of service, we are not able to pre-order individual meals for nonresidential participants.

We offer single-use meal tickets for an individual meal for a special guest (presenter, keynote speaker, visiting coach, etc.). Groups can request a maximum of 20 meal tickets per week. Groups will be billed for the number of meal tickets used at the regular dining hall rate. Single-use meal tickets should not be used by participants or for those who need to eat meals in the dining hall on a regular basis. More than 20 VIP meal passes per week can be issued, but will be billed at the higher walk-in rate.

A meal exemption from University Dining Service can be selected for any one meal per week. Meal exemptions must be arranged at least 10 business days prior to the requested date. All other meals will be billed at the guarantee number or actual number, whichever is higher.

Only ice cream cones and refilled beverage containers (16 oz. or less) can be taken out of the dining hall.

A pizza party is available as a direct substitute for any lunch or dinner at the same cost as a regular dining hall meal. Pizza, sides, beverages, plates, utensil and napkins are provided.

Catering

Full catering services are also available for your event. Pricing will vary from the standard dining hall rates and is dependent on the selected menu. Special catered events include, but are not limited to: cookouts/barbecues, boxed lunches/dinners, formal banquets, and refreshment breaks. University Dining is the sole provider of dining and catering services in the residence halls and Nebraska Unions. Delivery charges and off-premise fees may apply. For a full menu of catering options, please visit the Catering section of our website or speak with a member of the Conference Services staff.

Special Diets & Allergies

A list of special dietary needs must be submitted along with the roster (5 business days before the event). This list should include any guest who has a medically restricted diet or food allergy, along with the specifics of each case. Please ask for this information on your registration forms. Based on individual circumstances, a meeting with the guest and Dining Service staff may be required upon arrival. Conference Services and Dining Service are not responsible for providing accommodations for special dietary needs when notified less than one week before the start of the event.

Conference Services and UNL Policies

UNL and Conference Services Policies are in place to help ensure the safety and satisfaction of all guests on campus. It is the responsibility of the event sponsor to communicate expectations to all participants. All guests must abide UNL and Conference Services policies, including but not limited to the following:

• All tobacco products (including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and vapor products) are prohibited in all indoor and outdoor areas of campus.
• Possession or consumption of alcohol or drugs is prohibited on campus and in the residence halls.
• Firearms and other weapons are not allowed on campus or in the residence halls.
• Bicycles, skateboards, scooters or anything deemed similar by Conference Services staff cannot be ridden inside any University Housing building. Additionally, the use of hoverboards or other electronic propulsion devices is not permitted in any UNL residence hall, dining facility, or apartment building. Electronic propulsion devices may be stored in a guest room, but must be UL2272 approved. Any device deemed unsafe or being used inside a University Housing building is subject to removal or confiscation.
• Guests may not engage in acts or communications intended to threaten, intimidate, or harass a particular person and to cause that person to fear for their safety.
• Guests are expected to use good judgment with noise and to respond positively to requests made to decrease noise level.
• Guests must wear appropriate clothing (shirt & shoes) in common areas of residence halls and in the dining halls.
• Residential guests will escort visitors at all times while in the residence hall and are responsible for the actions of their visitors.
• Opposite sex visitors are prohibited in guest rooms unless authorized/accompanied by an adult.
• Any damages to residence hall facilities must be reported to the Conference Services staff.
• Guests will comply with all requests made by UNL staff members.
• UNL staff may access residence hall floors 24 hours a day while guests are in residence. Staff may include custodial personnel, Conference Assistants, University Police officers, and other university employees of any gender. Please notify your guests in advance of this arrangement, particularly if they may be surprised or uncomfortable encountering UNL staff on their floor.

Youth Activity Safety Policy

UNL has a Youth Activity Safety Policy by which all activities on campus must abide if they have any participant under the age of

19. UNL has established this policy in order to provide a safe, educational, and enjoyable experience for all participants. This policy provides minimum specific guidelines for activities sponsored by UNL and for activities sponsored by other organizations, but held on UNL’s campus. Completion of a Registration Form is required for all youth events. If an incident occurs involving youth an Incident Reporting Form must be submitted within 24 hours. A copy of the full policy is available here: https://bf.unl.edu/policies/youth-activities/#forms

Appropriate supervision of youth is of utmost importance. All activities with youth must have 1 adult chaperone for every 15 youth guests with a minimum of 2 adult chaperones. Adult chaperones must be at least 19 years old, and one must be the same sex as the youths. The supervision of youth on campus is the responsibility of the group sponsoring the event and should be entrusted to the adult chaperones. In addition to the guidelines contained within the Youth Activity Safety Policy, all youth activities utilizing University Housing facilities must also follow the guidelines listed below.

• Serve as an appropriate role model and example for youth guests at all times.
• Escort and monitor youth guests in the dining hall and residence halls.
• Live on the floors with youth guests, be present, and monitor all youth activity.
• Conduct a nightly check to confirm that all youth are present and accounted for in the hall at curfew.
• Consistently address and eliminate youth guest behaviors that are either inappropriate or unsafe on campus.
• Support any requests or interventions provided by University staff.
• Report problems, accidents, or incidents to Conference Services staff immediately.
• Respond to emergency or crisis situations as needed.

Incident Reporting

UNL is responsible for reporting incidents to on campus to city, state and federal authorities (Title IX and Cleary Act). These reporting requirements apply to incidents involving both youth and adults. Each summer we host around 14,000 people on campus and over 90% of those will be youth. The primary responsibility of looking after youth lies with the adult Activity Workers (chaperone, counselors, staff, coaches, teachers, instructors, supervisors, mentors, volunteers, etc.). Our responsibility to report incidents requires that we are informed, so below is a list of examples of what should be reported. This list is NOT exhaustive, but serves to highlight some of the more important and common types of incidents that could involve youth or adults. 

• Damage or theft of personal property (Report information to Conference Services Staff, University Police may be involved)
• Damage to UNL property (Report information to Conference Services Staff, University Police may be involved)
• Missing attendee or early departing attendee (Report information to Conference Services Staff, University Police may be involved)
• Injury or illness requiring medical attention (Seek medical attention first, report to Conference Services staff second)
• Alcohol (Report information to Conference Services Staff, University Police may be involved)
• Illegal drugs (Report information to Conference Services Staff, University Police may be involved)
• Negative interactions with others on campus (Report information to Conference Services Staff, others may be involved)
• Child abuse or neglect (Report to University Police, inform Conference Services staff second)
• Sexual harassment (Report to University Police, inform Conference Services or Institutional Equity and Compliance staff second)
• Sexual or physical assault (Report to University Police, inform Conference Services or Institutional Equity and Compliance staff second)

Activity Workers for youth should use their best judgement when determining if an incident should be reported. When in doubt, report the incident.

Reporting Requirements Under Nebraska State Statutes

Nebraska statutes require any person who suspects or is aware of any child abuse or neglect, including sexual assault, to report such abuse, neglect, or assault to law enforcement or the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Law enforcement is likewise required to notify DHHS of any such incidents reported to them. All adults are required to notify the University Police Department at 402-472-2222 immediately when these situations are suspected.

If you suspect any child abuse or neglect, including sexual assault:

1. You must report it,
2. You should give as much information about the circumstances as possible,
3. You are immune from liability from any civil or criminal liability if you have reported the information in good faith,
4. If you know of child abuse, neglect or sexual assault but are not reporting it you are breaking the law.

Requests

Many residence halls feature multipurpose spaces and study lounges which may be available for use. Pricing for these spaces is based on half day (fewer than 4 hours) or full day (4 hours or more) usage.

Our campus offers hundreds of meeting spaces in the form of classrooms, lecture halls, formal meeting venues, unique meeting spaces, and a wide variety of indoor and outdoor recreation facilities. If your event is sponsored by UNL, we will make recommendations and provide you with contact information so you can reserve the space and work directly with the venue staff. If your event is external to UNL, we will work with you directly to determine your needs and serve as your one point of contact for all meeting arrangements on campus. Meeting space is subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed for every event or requested date.

Most meeting rooms are equipped with standard technology, often including a computer, projector, and sound system. Individuals with University-issued credentials can log in to the in-room computers. Conference Services is not able to issue credentials to external guests. A limited number of spaces allow guest access to the built-in computer; however, in most cases, external guests will need to bring their own device and connect using HDMI. Conference Services may be able to provide additional technology support or equipment if arrangements are made in advance.

Catering in Meeting Spaces

All events using campus meeting spaces where food is served are required to use the approved, exclusive caterer of University Catering. No outside food, beverages, or potlucks are allowed except for beverages provided through the Pepsi Experience Fund and food brought in for individual/personal consumption.

Any University Department/Organization or Recognized Student Organization may request an exemption to this policy based on cultural, religious, or ethnic menus. Exemption requests must be submitted at least 21 (twenty-one) business days prior to the event date. Requests will be reviewed and approved/denied by the Director of Dining Services. If approved, the food vendor must be on the UNL Approved Food Vendor list. Vendors will not have access to kitchen or prep space in University facilities. Co-Sponsor/Affiliate and Non-University groups are not eligible to apply for the exemption request.

Classrooms

Use of food and drink is prohibited in UNL classrooms.

Events held in classrooms must be conducted in an orderly fashion and within the confines of the assigned classrooms to not disturb the classes and offices located in the surrounding areas. Events involving loud music or physical activities are prohibited in classrooms.

Use of paint or other arts and crafts materials is prohibited in classrooms.

Rooms are to be left in the same orderly fashion in which they are originally found. Furniture may not be removed from classrooms. Equipment is to be turned off, whiteboards and chalk boards cleared, refuse picked up and the furniture returned to its original configuration before leaving the space.

Classrooms remain unlocked at all times, therefore do not leave any personal or departmental articles or belongings unattended in rooms. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln cannot be held responsible if anything is lost, damaged or stolen. Found items may be turned over to Campus Police.

All-in-the-Hall Recycling Program

The All in the Hall program, standardizes waste stations that are placed throughout campus buildings in high-traffic, centralized locations. All waste items deposited within the stations, including landfill and recycling materials, are emptied regularly by Custodial Services staff. In buildings participating in the program, Custodial Services does not provide landfill waste collection in private office spaces and UNL community members are asked to monitor the waste they individually produce on campus and transport items to the nearest conveniently located, centralized station.