Bringing a Performer or Lecturer to Campus
All students interested in bringing performers, lecturers, or speakers to campus are required to attend the financial manager training held by Student Involvement.
Individuals or student groups may decide to bring artists or lecturers to campus. No matter what funding the student group is using, they must submit a contract request form through WesNest at least 6 weeks before the date of engagement. Wesleyan University does not allow artists or lecturers to come to campus without a completed contract.
Contracts can only be signed by Wesleyan University full-time employees. Even if the guest performer, lecturer, or artist is not being paid, a contract will still need to be in place.
- Concert Committee
Sponsored by the Wesleyan Student Assembly
The Concert Committee oversees the allocation of funds for concerts at Wesleyan and serves as a resource to all students regarding the allocation process and the concert planning process. Concert Committee, along with the Office of Student Involvement is also responsible for the planning and execution of Spring Fling.
The Concert Committee opens a concert proposal form every academic year for any student to submit a proposal to bring a musical artist to campus. Proposals must be submitted at least eight (8) weeks prior to the proposed concert date. Submitting a proposal does not guarantee funding for the artist. The Concert Committee reviews the proposal and reaches out with a decision. If approved, the student who submitted the form will become the event host. The event host is responsible for planning, promoting, and overseeing the event, with support from the Concert Committee.
Official offers will come from a professional staff member of the Office of Student Involvement. DO NOT COMMIT TO AN ARTIST OR PERFORMER IF YOU HAVE NOT YET BEEN GRANTED FUNDS.
- Contract Request Policy
Student Involvement oversees contractual negotiations for WSA student-sponsored events that feature independent contractors. Independent contractors are any visiting artists, speakers, and performers, paid or unpaid, who provide one-time services to the Wesleyan community. All independent contractors who provide services to the University must sign a Wesleyan contract prior to the date of the engagement. Students must request a Wesleyan University Contract through the student organization portal, WesNest. Students can log into their portal and navigate to WesNest to submit a Contract Request Form. All Contract Request Forms should be submitted at least 6 (six) weeks before the date of the engagement.
The following guidelines must be followed to ensure successful completion of the Contract Request Process:-
- No independent contractors may perform or provide services for students on Wesleyan University grounds if a contract has not been signed by the authorized signatory before the engagement date.
- Students cannot act as the authorized signatory representing Wesleyan University for any contracts on campus.
- Students should not agree to or attempt to enter into any agreements, settlements, or arrangements of any kind with independent contractors, whether verbal or written, without consulting an authorized Wesleyan University administrator beforehand.
- Students cannot host or bring independent contractors to Wesleyan University grounds without an authorized contract. If this guideline is not adhered to, the student will be responsible for payment and/or recommended to meet with the Community Standards Board.
- Students must comply with Student Involvement's standard contract request procedures upon receiving funds from the WSA Student Budget Committee (SBC) in order to successfully host activities or events featuring independent contractors. Students must also comply with the policies and procedures of collaborating departments involved in the contract process including, but not limited to, Center for the Arts (CFA), Residential Life office, and the Resource Center.
- The Contract Request Form cannot be submitted until all funding and all venue accommodations have been secured and all negotiations between independent contractor, student, and Wesleyan University have been completed. Negotiations include but are not limited to: securing all outlined items in tech and hospitality riders, agreed upon honorarium, venue adjustments, performance duration, etc.
- Students must stay in contact with the independent contractor who must submit all necessary contract-related documents to the Student Involvement administrator.
- For any contracts less than $5,000, only Wesleyan University standard contracts will be used.
- Retroactive payments will not be made to independent contractors who have neglected to sign a Wesleyan University Contract prior to providing services for the Wesleyan community.
- Independent contractors who are non-Connecticut state residents may be subject to a 6.99% CT Athletes and Entertainers tax.
- Federal Non-Resident Aliens (non-US Citizens) may be subject to a 30% income tax depending on their country of residence’s tax treaty with the United States of America.
- All Federal Non-Resident Alien contractors must fill out the appropriate tax documentation according to the Wesleyan University Finance Office procedures and policies.
Contract Request Dates and Timelines:
Student Involvement must adhere to the timelines of key administrative departments who provide support with tax preparation, payment, and processing of contracts. The contract request guidelines noted above explain the expectations and rules for bringing independent contractors who are sponsored or cosponsored by WSA Student Organizations to Wesleyan’s campus. Adherence to the following dates and deadlines will ensure that all relevant parties have the opportunity to review all uploaded contract documentation, tax forms, and immigration materials, so that payment is made in a timely manner. Failure to follow these deadlines will slow down the contract request process and may prohibit an independent contractor from coming to campus. -
- Inviting Artists, Performers, or Speakers to Campus
If the artist, speaker, or performer you are interested in is not one that would be likely to have an agent, there are a variety of ways you might go about getting in touch with them. You may be able to reach them through their place of employment (e.g. a university) or through an organization they are involved with (e.g. a record label). If it is someone who has been published, you can write or call their publisher. If it is a group that has recorded an album, you can write or call their recording company (though they will probably have an agent if they are popular). Many artists/speakers also have websites.
When discussing an invitation to an artist, performer, or lecturer, only ask for quotes. The state of Connecticut is a verbal contract state, meaning that you can be locked into a verbal contract and held personally responsible for payment if you agree to have the artist, performer, or lecturer come to campus. When reaching out to artists you must be clear that you are reaching out for information purposes only and have yet to secure funding. Please inform them an official offer will come from a University Administrator. By following the contract request steps above, you can avoid being locked in a contract between you as an individual and the artist/performer/lecturer. - Reserving a Venue
Your first step in event planning is to secure a venue. Make sure to reserve your space using WesNest via your group's page. You will need a reservation number in order to submit a Contract Request in WesNest.
- Requesting Funds, Specifically Inviting a Speaker/Performer
Once a student group has a proposed date, time and place for an event, and knows that the artist/speaker is available to come to Wesleyan at that time, the group can apply to the Student Budget Committee (SBC) for funding or can seek alternative sources of funding.
- The SBC needs as much information as possible with regard to your event; you should know the details of your event even before a contract has been made up and signed. When applying for funding, the SBC needs to know all projected costs for the program, including ticketing, public safety charges, custodial services, AV costs, the cost of the speaker or artist, and extraneous charges incurred by the speaker/artist such as transportation, lodging, and food costs. DO NOT COMMIT TO AN ARTIST, SPEAKER OR PERFORMER IF YOU HAVE NOT YET BEEN GRANTED FUNDS FROM THE SBC OR AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE!
- After the group has submitted an application for funding, the SBC discusses it and will inform the group if they have received any allocations. This will happen within a week of meeting with the SBC. Once you have received funding and you begin to negotiate a contract, it is important that you stay in close communication with the SBC, the Fiscal Management Coordinator and/or the Office of Student Involvement administrator. All contracts should be sent directly to the Office of Student Involvement — never to a student box.
- Negotiations
You cannot commit anything until you are guaranteed funding. Otherwise you may be held personally responsible for the artist's payment. Be clear when speaking to artists / agents / managers that you are not a University Administrator and cannot commit to finalizing a date of engagement or finances. Official offers may only come from a university official and you are inquiring for informational purposes only. You should begin negotiations at least six weeks before the event. Please be advised that Wesleyan University's administration MUST supervise any contractual relationship in which the University becomes obligated whether it is from an outside agency or a university contract. You can list your name as the contact person on the contract, but you need a Staff member from Student Involvement listed as the reviewing agent or official signer. Please note: failing to acquire Wesleyan University consent will delay or prevent payment to the artist. We have provided the following questions to assist you with your negotiations.
IMPORTANT CITIZENSHIP INFORMATION: It is important to know an artists/performers/speakers citizenship status during negotiations and prior to signing a contract with them. The easiest way to collect this information is by having the artist complete Wesleyan's W-9. Activity conducted by a Non US Citizen in the US (and subsequent payments made) are highly regulated. Deviation could jeopardize an individual's current visa status and/or future travel to the US, as well as impose immigration and IRS fines and fees on the University.
Regardless of whether the payment is made to an agent or the artist, disclosure of citizenship and corresponding proof of work eligibility of the artist must be submitted to Wesleyan prior to signing a contract. Please contact Christine Rodrigue (x3502) with questions regarding work eligibility requirements for Non US Citizen.
Questions to ask your artist/speaker/performer:
- What is their address and social security number or the federal ID number of the organization they are working with? This information is necessary because of IRS regulations pertaining to Wesleyan as a non-profit institution. You will need this information in order to have a check made out to the artist. Artists or performers who are not US Citizens will need to provide proof of work eligibility prior to signing a contract.
- Will they need to stay overnight?
- How do they plan to get here (car, bus, train, plane)?
- Do they have any special dietary needs/restrictions?
- Does their contract contain any clauses or riders for which you will have to make arrangements ahead of time (such as ordering food, sound or light equipment)?
- Wesleyan Contract Request Process
Per the Contract Request Policy noted above, you must complete the Contract Request Form for any non-Wesleyan artist - even if they are performing for free.
If you have any questions, students are highly encouraged to email involvement@wesleyan.edu. Asking questions before trying to submit a contract is the best way to ensure that your event will not need to be delayed.
Contract Request Guidelines are listed in the Student Handbook for your reference. It is highly recommended that students review this material prior to beginning the contract process.