Alcohol Service at Events
To describe the conditions under which alcoholic liquor may be served and sold on campus.
All faculty, staff, students and campus visitors of the University of Kansas, Lawrence, (KUL), the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC), and all off-campus units reporting to KUL and KUMC, including venues leased or operated by the University or its controlled corporations.
1. University Policy Statement
Under circumstances permissible by state statutes and regulations of the Kansas Alcoholic Beverage Control, official university units and university-affiliated organizations may serve, sell, or otherwise provide alcoholic liquor or permit consumption of alcoholic liquor in designated non-classroom areas on university campuses in connection with approved official university events, fundraising activities for university programs, and non-university events sponsored by cultural, governmental, or business organizations, or by individuals representing Kansas or university constituents.
The following guidelines shall be observed in serving or selling alcoholic liquor:
1A. The chancellor or designee must approve in advance all events or locations on any university campus at which alcoholic liquor will be served, purchased, or consumed. The campus contacts listed below shall maintain record of their campus designee, if applicable, a list of approved events and locations, and a list of any restrictions on the sale or service of alcohol imposed by the chancellor or designee. Requests for approval should be submitted following the information provided in the campus procedures (see Related Procedures section below).
1B. Alcoholic liquor shall be defined as those beverages containing alcohol, including beer, wine, spirits, etc. Nonalcoholic beverages and food must be available at all events where alcoholic liquor is served.
1C. The KU Memorial Unions (Union) shall hold a liquor license and shall be responsible for all alcoholic liquor sales and service at Lawrence campus-approved locations. The Union’s sale or service of alcohol liquor in its facilities, as part of its retail dining operation, is permitted as an approved university event.
1D. Alcoholic liquor sales and service at all other approved university locations, such as the Edwards Campus and the KUMC campuses, shall be by an external caterer licensed to serve alcohol (external caterer). The Union and external caterers must comply with all university contracts related to pouring rights, including which brands of alcohol may be sold or served.
1E. At all times, the sale or serving of alcoholic liquor on any university campus or in conjunction with any university event must be in compliance with the Kansas Liquor Control Act.
1F. No alcoholic beverages shall be sold or served to individuals under 21 years of age.
1G. The Union or external caterer will adhere to the following definitions and regulations in its capacity as the licensed caterer of alcoholic liquor:
- The length of any pre-event alcoholic beverage service shall be determined by agreement between the sponsoring organization and the Union or external caterer licensed to serve alcohol.
- Alcoholic beverages may not be carried outside the approved area.
1H. The KU Memorial Unions and external caterers shall provide liability insurance and name the University of Kansas, the Board of Regents and the State of Kansas as additional insureds. Such policy shall provide full liquor legal liability insurance coverage up to $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate.
1I. Failure to comply with this policy or any law governing the consumption of alcoholic liquor will result in loss of the privileges granted under this policy.
The chancellor or designee may approve the sale and/or service of alcoholic liquor at athletic events. Requests must be made in writing no later than two weeks prior to the event or season and must specify the area(s) alcoholic beverages will be served and consumed. Requests will not be deemed approved unless written approval is granted prior to the event or season.
2A. Tailgating at Football Games: The following guidelines shall be observed for the private consumption of alcoholic liquor coinciding with home football games (“Tailgating and premium areas”) and Spring game/scrimmage, officially sponsored by Kansas Athletics Inc.:
- Tailgating is permitted three hours preceding kick-off and during half-time. Consumption of alcoholic liquor shall end no later than 30 minutes following kick-off. Consumption during half-time shall end 15 minutes following the second half kick-off; no further consumption is permitted.
- Alcoholic liquor may not be consumed in areas outside those designated by this policy. Tailgating is permitted in designated parking areas and in designated areas on the Campanile Hill. Tailgating is not permitted in the war memorials (Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the WWII Memorial Campanile and surrounding plaza). Consumption of alcoholic liquor is not permitted on city streets, including Mississippi, Fambrough Drive, Maine, and 11th Streets.
- The legal drinking age of 21 years will be enforced, and individuals consuming alcoholic liquor at tailgates will be responsible for their conduct and that of their guests.
- Containers of a capacity in excess of one gallon are not permitted. Food and non-alcoholic beverages must be available at any location where alcoholic liquor is consumed. Cooking is not permitted in the parking garages.
- Remaining alcoholic liquor should be transported off-campus following the end of the football game.
3A. An approved caterer must be used for bar service at the Edwards Campus. A list of approved caterers will be provided by the Edwards Campus events team.
3B. Alcohol may be served at an event once prior approval has been granted. An application for approval must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the event. This application should be sent to either an event coordinator or the conference and events manager.
The following guidelines shall be observed for the service and consumption of alcoholic beverages on The University of Kansas Medical Center campuses (Kansas City, Salina, Wichita).
4A. Beer and wine are the only alcoholic beverages permissible on KUMC campuses when pre-approval has been granted.
4B. Alcoholic beverages at KUMC events must be purchased and served from an external caterer licensed to serve alcohol.
4C. Only persons of legal drinking age may possess, be served, or permitted to consume alcoholic beverages.
4D. An alcoholic beverage pre-approval form for the KUMC campuses must be completed by the requester and subsequently approved by the appropriate campus designee no later than two weeks prior to the event.
Requests made less than two weeks in advance may be denied.
Loss of the privileges outlined in this policy.
Lawrence Campus Contact:
Office of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor - University of Kansas
Strong Hall
1450 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 250
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-4904
Edwards Campus Contact:
Office of the Vice Chancellor
Regnier Hall
12600 Quivira Road
Overland Park, KS 66213
913-897-8400
University of Kansas Medical Center Contact:
Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor - University of Kansas Medical Center
Second Floor, Murphy
3901 Rainbow Blvd.
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-1440
Vice Chancellor for Administration
913-588-1698
KU Salina Campus Contact:
Office of the Dean KU School of Medicine, Salina
138 North Santa Fe
Salina, KS 67401
785-822-0402
KU School of Medicine - Wichita Campus Contact:
Office of the Dean - University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita
1010 North Kansas
Wichita, KS 67214
316-293-2600
10/25/2024: Updated broken links.
07/15/2022: Updated Lawrence and Edwards request form.
02/23/2021: Updated Contact information for Salina.
06/25/2020: Updated Contact information for KU Lawrence Campus Procedures.
11/18/2019: Updated KUMC, Salina and Wichita request forms.
11/08/2019: Updated Athletics, Edwards, and Lawrence online request forms and procedure documents.
10/29/2019: Updated Wichita Campus request form.
08/22/2019: Updated KAI Procedures document.
07/21/2019: Revised to define regulation of alcohol on all University campuses and property.
07/31/2018: Updated KUMC request form link.
06/27/2018: Updated KUMC request form.
06/20/2018: Updated Wichita Campus request form.
04/17/2018: Added Salina Campus request form to Related Forms section and updated I.J.
02/08/2018: Updated sections I. H. and IV. J.
07/21/2017: Updated to make permanent permission for sales by the drink at the Lied Center and Murphy Hall and to allow sales by the drink at other specified locations on a test basis.
06/10/2017: Updated to include Field Goal Club and locations leased by controlled corporations.
08/10/2016: Added the word hour in section VII to read Sales may begin not earlier than one hour.
06/07/2016: Created a section for service at performances.
03/03/2016: Update list of parking lots in which tailgating activity is permitted; deleted lots 33 and 50 as these no longer exist.
07/07/2015: Corrected spelling of a word.
07/06/2015: Created a section for service on the Edwards Campus and added locations for service within Capitol Federal Hall. Updated Edwards Campus contact information.
04/29/2015: Added Bioscience & Technology Business Center to list of approved locations (addition approved by the chancellor on 03/13/15).
04/02/2015: Fixed broken link to Board of Regents Policy and Procedures Manual.
12/16/2014: Fixed broken link to Board of Regents Policy and Procedures Manual.
10/17/2014: Policy formatting cleanup (e.g., bolding, spacing).
10/15/2014: Three places added to the list of approved locations for the KU Medical Center campus (Kansas City): KU Endowment, Conference Room 307 (room 3038), KU Endowment, Conference Room 308 (Room 3033), and Stoland Lounge (Student Center Building). The addition of these locations was reviewed and approved by the Executive Vice Chancellor of the Medical Center and the Chancellor.
10/14/2014: Deleted link to the retired Alcohol Request Form from Related Forms section and replaced it with link to new Alcoholic Beverage and Reimbursement Pre-Approval Request form. Added link to new Reimbursement of Entertainment Expenses policy.
07/10/2014: Replaced the broken link to the Wichita campus Request form with the current one.
07/03/2014: Amended to add 'West Atrium' as an approved location on the Wichita campus: the addition of this location was requested by the Associate Dean at KUMC-Wichita, and reviewed and approved by the Executive Vice Chancellor and the Dean of the KU Medical Center, submitted to the Chancellor for review, and received final approval from the Chancellor. Other changes made to the policy were technical in nature, including formatting updates, addition of contact information for the KUMC-Wichita location, and update of broken links.
03/18/2014: Revised to add section V. on regulations for alcohol service in the DeBruce Center.
12/23/2013: Technical edit to Related Forms section.
11/24/2013: Updated section III.C to clarify the stocking of alcoholic beverages in the Touchdown and Scholarship Suites.
12/07/2012: Revised as an all-university policy and to reflect a change in Kansas Board of Regents policy.
11/26/2012: List of approved locations updated.
03/23/2011: Updated.
09/02/2010: Updated.
07/08/2010: Updated.
03/27/2009: Revised to include guidelines on alcoholic beverage service in the football, baseball, and basketball suites and to prohibit tailgating in the war memorials.
09/04/2008; 08/15/2008; 01/14/2008; 11/07/2007; 05/09/2007; 03/05/2007; 10/09/2006; 06/15/2005; 01/04/2005; 02/04/2004; 06/18/2003; 08/19/2002; 01/08/2002; 08/29/2001; 07/06/2000; 03/22/1999; 11/06/1998; 11/12/1996; 08/31/1994; 11/16/1993; 07/22/1988: Amended.
03/01/1988: Approved by the Chancellor.
