Non-college guests will be allowed to attend Ball State University's Late Nite Saturday because officials decided the university's Open Events Policy does not apply to the program.
Since the second Late Nite, the university has barred visitors who did not have college IDs, Kay Bales, dean of the division for student affairs, said. The policy, created about six years ago amid student concerns about security, allowed only students from Ball State and other colleges to attend student events lasting later than 11 p.m.
"We had the policy and realized that we had not applied it to Late Nite, so we thought since it was a student event that we should really do it," Bales said.
University Program Board's Late Nite, however, falls into a different category because it is an institutionally sponsored event, while the Open Events Policy applies specifically to student organizations, Bales said.
Students complained about not being able to invite their usual guests to Late Nite, sparking a discussion Wednesday among university officials who decided to revert to Late Nite's original admission policy. Visitors pay $5 to enter, while Ball State students need only an ID for admission.
"Some international students may have a spouse and if the spouse is not a college student, the spouse may not be allowed to come in, and we didn't think that was right," Bales said. "So we decided that Late Nite should revert back to the original policy, and that's what they're going to do."
Misty Cramer, UPB communications director, said Late Nite staff had to turn away about 10 people per Late Nite this semester.
"Just talking with my friends, I think it's crazy we have to let people down, because they could go to party elsewhere when that's the purpose of our program - to give an alternative," Cramer said.
The Open Events Policy has not been updated for at least two years, Bales said. Lynda Wiley, director of Student Organizations and Activities, has discussed making revisions to the policy with student groups and will continue discussions next week.
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