General Information

AWARDS

Awards will be presented to individuals and chapters during Thursday’s Convention Kickoff, Friday’s Recognition Ceremony and Saturday’s Celebration Banquet. Except for Knox and singing-related Awards presented Saturday night, chapters will be able to pick up their hardware at the awards booth where group photographs will be taken upon request. Awards must be claimed by 9:00 p.m. Saturday evening. Please congratulate Beta’s deserving individuals and chapters!

CONDUCT

To ensure the General Convention and Beta Theta Pi continue to maintain a reputation of excellence and high standards, the Fraternity expects all Convention attendees to govern themselves accordingly, respecting the property and rights of the hotels and residence halls, as well as other guests. Please be advised that alcohol is not permitted to be consumed in public areas outside and the laws of the host state apply to all participants. Conduct will be monitored and enforced by off-duty University police officers. If a disturbance or issue is reported, it will be addressed in accordance with Beta’s Convention Standards Procedures:

• First Offense: Individuals will receive a warning and be asked to discontinue the actions of disturbance. Individuals will be given notice of the consequences of a second offense. • Second Offense: Individuals will be asked to return to their assigned room and, if present, all alcohol will be confiscated and discarded. Individuals will be given notice of the consequences of a third offense. Individuals will be asked to meet with the Convention Marshal, Regional Chief, District Chief and Chapter Delegate the next morning. • Third Offense: Individuals will be asked to leave the General Convention and will no longer be allowed to participate in related activities or events. No travel fees or registration fees will be refunded. The General Fraternity will follow up on the incident post-Convention. • Depending on the severity of one’s action(s), the Fraternity reserves the right to utilize good judgment in addressing each situation. Actions of the individual may result in immediate removal from campus and Convention.

SMOKING AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS

The entire campus of Miami University, as well as Beta’s Foundation and Administrative Office, are 100% smoke- and tobacco-free. This includes all buildings and grounds (including the Marcum Center). Guests wanting to use tobacco products must do so in Uptown Oxford (west of Campus Avenue).

EVALUATIONS

An electronic evaluation will be sent to you following the Convention. Your feedback is important. Please take time to complete the evaluation and help the Fraternity improve future Conventions.

NAME TAGS

Name tags should be worn at all times during the General Convention since they serve as one’s admission into all educational sessions, the legislation hall, special events, etc. If you lose your name tag, please visit the Convention registration area to obtain a replacement.

REGISTRATION

The Convention registration areas are located in Marcum Conference Center and Dennison Hall beginning Wednesday. Please see the daily agendas for detailed registration hours.

PARKING

If you drove to Convention, you can get a parking permit by going to beta.org/conventionparking. This permit allows parking on Miami’s campus wherever signs indicate “Parking for Red Permits,” which are most campus parking spaces. This permit does not cover parking meters or garage fees, and it is not valid in the lots behind the Shriver Center and Sesquicentennial Chapel that say “Admission Guest Parking.” It is not necessary to print or display the permit.

TRANSPORTATION & SUNDAY SHUTTLES TO AIRPORT

Should you need transportation while at Convention, please visit the registration desk. Complimentary airport shuttles on Sunday will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Departures start at 3:00 a.m. and run until 10:00 a.m.

QUESTIONS

Questions regarding the Convention and host facilities should be directed to any Convention staff member. They are easily identified by their name tags and red/blue polos.

CONVENTION ATTIRE

Attire for all events is resort casual (polo/collared shirts, shorts or khaki pants for men and comparable for women). Please refrain from wearing T-shirts, jeans or ball caps during official Convention activities and, when worn, please ensure T-shirts reflect positively upon the Fraternity (i.e. no alcohol, void of sexual innuendo, etc.).

MEALS

Convention registrants will be dining on campus at Garden Commons Dining Hall for most every meal. Garden Commons will be open for dinner on Thursday; breakfast, lunch and dinner on Friday; and breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday. Please Note: Your meal card will NOT work at the Armstrong Student Center. Miami is a “cashless campus,” meaning only debit/credit cards are accepted.

WIRELESS INTERNET

Computer access is available in each student room through Ethernet connections. This allows fast connection time and access to the university network and internet. Every residence hall is equipped with wireless connections as well. The wireless network is MU-GUEST.

TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK

The official Twitter hashtag for the 182nd General Convention is #Beta182. Please use this hashtag to share your thoughts, reflections and significant moments regarding your Convention experience. When posting, remember you are representing Beta to thousands of constituents via social media. In addition, should you have feedback or suggestions for improvement, please share those in the evaluation or directly with a Convention staff member.

LOST & FOUND

Please check for and turn in lost items to the Convention registration area. All items not claimed by Sunday at 12:00 p.m. will be held at the Administrative Office for 14 days at which time all unclaimed items will be discarded or become property of the Fraternity.

SECURITY

It is important for you to know that during these times of heightened security, the university is doing everything it can to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable stay. Please do not hesitate to contact university security if you need assistance.

EMERGENCIES AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

If you experience an emergency, please call 9-1-1. For on campus safety concerns, please call the Miami University Police Department (513.529.2222) and/or inform the Miami front-desk staff member located in the lobby of your residence hall. Please report all injuries or illnesses to the Beta Convention staff at beta@convention.org.

CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT

Marcum check-in is at 11:00 a.m. If you are staying at a residence hall, you should be able to check-in anytime after 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Check-out time for both locations is 11:00 a.m. If you would like a late check-out from the Marcum Center, please make arrangements with the front desk. There is no option for a late check-out from a Miami residence hall.

LINEN AND TOWEL EXCHANGE

If you are staying in Miami’s residence hall, your room will come with bed linens, a towel and washcloth. If you need additional towels/linens you can find them in the residence hall’s laundry room.

HOTEL / RESIDENCE HALL BILLS

Student Delegates: Students are exclusively staying in campus housing; no additional charges will be applied. Delegates will receive a travel reimbursement following Convention. Advisors: Advisors who chose to utilize the Miami Inn on campus will incur no additional billing as the room charges are being handled by Beta Theta Pi. Advisors who chose to stay off campus can utilize their $350 travel reimbursement to pay for their room. Beta Theta Pi will not assume additional charges. General Fraternity Officers: GFOs who are staying in the Marcum Center are eligible for room cost reimbursement. After Convention you can submit an expense form for reimbursement. The General Fraternity will only reimburse for the room cost that is available at the Marcum Center. Reimbursements can be sent to austin.dunlop@beta.org.

LOST KEY CARDS

If you lose your Miami University electronic key card (which grants you access to your residence hall and pays for your dining hall meals), you will be assessed a $35 fee. Lost key cards should be reported to the front desk of your residence hall where a replacement card can be issued. An on-call number will be posted on external doors and at the front desk.

UNIVERSITY AND HOTEL FEEDBACK/ISSUES

Should you encounter any issues or have any feedback for the hotel/ residence hall, or if there is anything that can be done to make your stay more comfortable, please contact Convention Coordinator Claire Dixon.

BETA STAFF CONVENTION LEADERSHIP TEAM

Claire Dixon, Coordinator claire.dixon@beta.org Ethan Bell ethan.bell@beta.org Martin Cobb martin.cobb@beta.org Austin Dunlop austin.dunlop@beta.org

Anne Emmerth anne.emmerth@beta.org

Phil Fernandez phil.fernandez@beta.org

Koby Harrington Erin McHale Jeff Rundle Jacob Tidwell koby.harrington@beta.org erin.mchale@beta.org jeff.rundle@beta.org jacob.tidwell@beta.org

Beta Theta Pi Foundation and Administrative Office 800.800.BETA (2382) /// convention@beta.org