This policy governs decisions that Stanford TAPS makes in regards to fire safety, flame, and smoking on stage.

Smoking and flame on our stages are governed by the State of California, the County of Santa Clara and Stanford University. Smoking and flame, real or otherwise, on our stages are managed by the Department’s Technical Director. Under no circumstances shall open flame be permitted in our Roble or Nitery facilities.

FIRE SAFETY

• All fabrics or combustible materials onstage must be treated with a flame retardant chemical and pass the NFPA 705 Field Test in order to be approved by the Department of Theater & Performance Studies.
• All drapery that is associated with a space must come with a flame certificate and pass the NFPA 705 field test. You must arrange with the department’s technical staff, who will conduct the testing.
• All flame certificates must be filed, in advance of installation, with the department’s Technical Director.
• All drapery and other fabric used on stage must be tested and recorded each year for flame resistance using the NFPA 705 Field Test.

SMOKING IN PRODUCTIONS

Real lit cigars or cigarettes are not permitted on our stages for issues related to fire safety and second-hand smoke. Electronic simulated cigarettes may be used in productions; permission must be obtained before using simulated cigarettes in any of our productions.

FLAME ON STAGE

Open flame, other than a match or lighter to simulate lighting a cigarette, is not permitted in our productions at any time. (TAPS recommends using a fluidless lighter, which gives the visual effect of a spark without actual flame.) If a lighter or match is necessary for lighting a simulated cigarette, permission must be obtained in advance and special procedures must be followed.

Under no circumstances will lit candles be permitted in any of our spaces at any time. TAPS has a selection of very effective electronic candles that we can make available for your use.

FIRE WATCH

• A fire watch plan must be drawn up and presented to the technical director in advance of technical rehearsals.
• A “Fire Watch” person must be appointed, understand these procedures, and be approved by the Department’s Technical Director before any lighters or matches are introduced onto the stage.
  •      They must not have any other responsibilities when there is an open flame on stage.
  •       They will watch for any falling ash or embers. If ash falls onto the stage,t hey will mop down the floor with a wet towel as soon as the performance permits.
• All scenery, drapes, and costumes must be treated to resist flame prior to permitting a lighter or match to be used.
• All matches extinguished onstage must be extinguished in an ashtray filled with aloe‐vera gel.
• All matches extinguished offstage must be extinguished in a metal “Fire Bucket” that contains enough aloe‐vera gel to completely cover the materials placed within it.
• Ashtrays that have been onstage must immediately be emptied into the Fire Bucket once they come offstage.
• A clear and consistent chain of custody must be established for all lighters and matches from actor to crew member to the final disposal in the Fire Bucket.
• Matches may not be put out by dropping them to the floor and stepping them out. A significant fire hazard is presented by this action due to the construction of our stage floors.
• At the end of the rehearsal or performance, all combustible items that have been lit through the course of the rehearsal or performance must be accounted for and placed in the Fire Bucket.

STAGE COMBAT

Staged combat or choreographed violence may not be used in any production without first having been discussed with your faculty production advisor. Typically, a professional trained in stage combat must be brought in to supervise your work. The expense of the professional is the responsibility of your production.

STAGE WEAPONS

Weapons of any variety may not be used in any production without permission from your faculty production advisor and the department’s Technical Director. It is advised to contact the Technical Director very early in the production process. A complete proposal, review of the procedures, and safety training must be submitted before written permission will be given.

Real guns may not be used at any time. Guns designed for stage use or toy guns may be authorized. Blanks or “caps” may not be used without authorization, and it is recommended that sound effects be used instead. If a blank or cap is absolutely necessary, how the weapon is used and the proximity of other people during the production will be considered by the Technical Director before granting authorization.

No knives or swords may be used on stage unless they have been made safe by dulling and blunting.

Any weapons must always be considered extremely dangerous either by effect or by appearance.

The Department assumes great responsibility when inviting minors to work in productions. To that end, TAPS must thoroughly prepare the department and the parents/guardians with the production details and expectations from the underage person. This document provides guidelines for the use of children participating as volunteers in the Department of Theater & Performance Studies. This applies to all persons under the age of 18.

UNIVERSITY SOURCES

Any minor being utilized in any project associated with Stanford is subject to the rules and regulations governed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). For state and federal rules and regulations, please visit their website.

DEPARTMENT POLICIES

• Producers, with the help and approval of their advisors, must submit a “Parent Agreement” form (https://humansubjects.stanford.edu/consents/ParentLAR.doc) to the IRB. It is then up to the producers to contact the parents/guardians with the document, answer any questions, and obtain signatures. The signed document must be completed and submitted to your advisor before the minor can begin work. Contents of the document include:

• Minors must work within the hours of 10am and 10pm.
• Minors must have a 10 minute break every hour.
• Minor’s parent/guardian must be allowed into rehearsals, performances, and events that the minor is involved in without questions or charge.
• If changes in schedule or program for the Minor are needed, the parent/guardian and Department must be informed before the changes go into effect.

UNIVERSITY POLICY

REHEARSAL HOURS

The basic rehearsal period for TAPS projects is between 7pm and 11pm on weekdays and between 10am and 6pm on weekends. Once technical rehearsals begin, rehearsals may extend beyond 11:00pm, but only if production staff is present. When a production or rehearsal is in Roble Gym, at no time may a rehearsal extend beyond the posted building hours unless a production staff member is present.

Actors and production managers must be given at least a five‐minute break during each two hours of rehearsal. Rehearsals should not be scheduled regularly during the academic day (Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm) with the exception of special rehearsals for individual actors. If the director feels it necessary to schedule regular daytime rehearsals, she or he must petition the production manager and that exception must be approved prior to the publication of the schedule. Except for regular classroom activities, rehearsals and performances may not be scheduled during dead week.

STUDENT EMPLOYMENT ON CAMPUS

From Administrative Guide Memo 24 Stanford University

Hours Per Week — Many students on financial aid have an academic‐year earnings expectation as part of their financial aid package. Most students will be able to meet the earnings expectation if they work seven to ten hours per week. Students are encouraged to limit their hours of work, so that they may devote sufficient attention to their studies. Therefore, the jobs listed for undergraduates should not require more than 15 hours per week of work.

UNITS OF CREDIT

From the Stanford Bulletin, published by the Registrar

One credit represents approximately three hours of actual work per week for the average student. For example, for 1 unit of credit, one hour per week may be allotted to classroom lecture or discussion and two hours for preparation or subsequent reading and study.

UNIVERSITY POLICY

The End‐Quarter Period is a time of reduced social and extracurricular activity preceding final examinations. Its purpose is to permit students to concentrate on academic work and to prepare for final examinations.

In Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters, End‐Quarter starts seven full days (to begin at 12:01 a.m.) prior to the first day of final exams. In Spring Quarter, final examinations begin on Friday; no classes are held on Thursday, the day before. In Summer Quarter, this consists of the weekend and the four class days preceding the final examinations, which take place on Friday and Saturday of the eighth week. (See the Time Schedule for dates.)

During the End‐Quarter Period, classes are regularly scheduled and assignments made; this regular class time is used by instructors in whatever way seems best suited to the completion and summation of course material. Instructors should neither make extraordinary assignments nor announce additional course meetings in order to “catch up” in course presentations that have fallen behind. They are free, however, and even encouraged to conduct optional review sessions and to suggest other activities that might seem appropriate for students preparing for final examinations.

No graded homework assignments, mandatory quizzes, or examinations should be given during the End‐Quarter Period except:

• in classes where graded homework assignments or quizzes are routine parts of the instruction process.
• in classes with laboratories where the final examination will not test the laboratory component. In such a case, the laboratory session(s) during the End‐Quarter Period may be used to examine students on that aspect of the course.
• major papers or projects about which the student has had reasonable notice may be called due in the End‐Quarter Period.

Take‐home final examinations, given in place of the officially scheduled in‐class examination, may be distributed in the End‐Quarter Period. Although the instructor may ask students to return take‐home examinations early in the final examination period, the instructor may not call them due until the end of the regularly scheduled examination time for that course. Such a policy respects the principle that students’ final examinations are to be scheduled over a period of several days.

End‐quarter examinations may not be held during this period. This policy preserves the instruction time for courses and protects the students’ opportunities for extensive review and synthesis of their courses.

During the End‐Quarter Period, no musical, dramatic, or athletic events involving compulsory student participation may be scheduled, unless approved as exceptions by the Committee on Undergraduate Standards and Policy (C‐USP), nor may routine committee meetings be scheduled (such as those of the ASSU, the Senate of the Academic Council, or the committees of the President of the University) when such meetings normally would involve student participation.

UNIVERSITY POLICY

As a general rule, pets are not permitted in Stanford University buildings, except:

• animals used in approved teaching, research, and clinical activities
• assistive animals for persons with disabilities, or those being trained for such a purpose.
• police dogs on duty

Although there may be emergency situations when a pet may be present on a one‐time, short‐term basis, the supervisor must be informed in advance and, if she or he approves, adequate steps must be taken to prevent injury or disruption to others at work, including immediate removal of the pet in the event of legitimate concerns or complaints.

This restriction recognizes that pets or other animals pose potential issues of disruption (interrupting other employees at work), health (transmission of allergens, danders, odors, etc.), safety (risk of aggression, animal bites, scratches), and hygiene (pest infestation, etc.)

Please call your local human resource officer or Health & Safety Office if any clarification is needed.

UNIVERSITY POLICY

Posters, flyers, or signs may not be attached to any official traffic control device, traffic guidepost, traffic signpost, or historical marker with lawful authority (CA Vehicle Code: 21464).

Signs may not be placed on building walls, trees, windows, trash receptacles, sidewalks, bollards or other locations of a similar nature.

Do not post on painted walls.

Do not post on doors or on the glass of doors.

Do not post on any permanent university directional signs or department title signs.

Do not obstruct signs already posted.

Do not remove other signs before their teardown date.

You may remove:

• signs with no teardown date
• a duplicated sign
• a sign obstructing another sign
• OFF-CAMPUS POSTERING SUGGESTIONS

Ask business employees before you post anywhere on private property. It’s advisable to put up posters yourself. Bring tape and tacks with you for this purpose. Do not depend upon the shopkeeper to hang your poster.