Events and Gatherings Space Use Policy for AY 2021-22
Stanford University
Events and Gatherings Space Use Policy AY 2021-22
9/1/2021
In academic year 21-22 the university will experience unusual constraints on space due to classroom renovations and the greater than usual number of students in the first-year class. This will require our community to be flexible and adjust systems, policies, and procedures to accommodate the teaching and research needs of the institution. We will need to prioritize spaces for curricular use, which we anticipate taking place over a greater portion of the day than in the past, including evening hours.
We recognize this will be a challenge for our community. While we must accommodate the academic needs of the University, we want to emphasize the importance of gatherings and convenings that occur outside of traditional classroom settings. These offer important informal moments of learning, ideation, connection, and community, and are crucial components of the mission of the University. We will work to make spaces available where possible for events and informal gatherings. We will also encourage and support use of spaces, including outdoor spaces, that have not been active in the past by, for example, providing event planners with a list of identified spaces available for gatherings.
Note that as of June 1, 2021, events are required to comply with public health event modifications but only events over 500 people are required to register with EH&S for compliance with health and safety regulations. Also note that indoor student parties are prohibited until October 8, 2021. This and the other policies in this document are subject to change as conditions shift.
AY21-22 space use policies for events and gatherings
- Facilities managers who oversee spaces that can be used for classes will need to prioritize space usage requests to accommodate the needs of the educational mission of the University.
- All indoor spaces that can accommodate groups should be prioritized for classes and group teaching activities.
- Managers should be aware that they may need to accommodate requests from other academic units on campus seeking space for classes.
- Gatherings that do not include a formal academic course component, including departmental gatherings and social events, are an important university priority. However, they will need to follow class usage in priority. Event organizers are encouraged to consider holding these events outdoors, online, or in non-classroom indoor spaces whenever possible, and should follow the most current EH&S guidance.
- We recognize the important role of informal social gatherings and connection in inclusion, and supporting the engagement of our campus community. Events form a vital part of the University experience for our students, faculty, staff, and post-docs, and facilitate the learning, innovation, and discovery that occurs outside of traditional classroom settings. Facilities managers are encouraged to support requests for gatherings that do not conflict with required class usage.
- As usual, class schedules are expected to be finalized after the 2nd week of each quarter, after which events and gatherings can be scheduled in available space.
- In scheduling larger gatherings, the event sponsor should coordinate with other units in the vicinity of the event to avoid congestion and traffic issues.
- For fall 2021, campus units may schedule events that will utilize campus space and include visitors and guests from off-campus if:
- A Stanford unit is the primary sponsor of the event
- Academic and instructional activities do not need to take priority in the desired campus space
- The most current COVID precautionary measures guidance from EH&S is followed