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Policies & Procedures

Macalester College and its facilities are host to a large number and variety of events. Our facilities vary from traditional classrooms, multipurpose spaces and outdoor locations. The following policies have been set forth in order to provide the community with equitable access to space reservations and to efficiently manage Macalester College facilities, resources, and personnel.

  • Making and Updating Reservations

    1. Everyone hosting events at Macalester agrees to adhere to policies set forth by the College and its staff along with local, state, and federal laws. Reserving space on campus is a privilege that can be revoked if campus policies are not followed.
    2. Space reservations for events in spaces that reservations manages must be made through the EMS System. Please note that the following spaces on campus are reserved by individual departments. Please see their contact information below.
    3. Events will be supported based on the information provided in EMS. We cannot provide additional support and services the day of the event for items not anticipated, forgotten, or omitted.
    4. Reservations can only be made by academic or administrative departments and chartered student organizations.
      • Individual students can reserve study rooms at the library without being part of a student organization
    5. All approved reservations will be accompanied by a confirmation outlining the event details recorded in EMS. 
      • A request is not complete without this confirmation and events should not be advertised or planned for until the confirmation has been received. 
      • It is the responsibility of the event organizer to review the confirmation and

  • Reservation Planning Timelines

    1. Reservations that do not require any added service (custodial, furniture sets, AV support, food, etc.) can be made on the day of need.
    2. Reservations requiring services (custodial, furniture sets, AV support, catering, etc.) must be made a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the event date. This means the reservation must be entered into EMS or the fully complete request form must be received by Campus Reservations no less than 14 days prior to the event date. Incomplete forms and EMS submissions will not be accepted.
      • Note: It is necessary for us to have prior notice in order to plan for appropriate personnel and physical resources to be available. Much of the furniture and AV setup and teardown work is done on overtime and union rules mandate that the work is posted with adequate time for the all staff to have an equal opportunity to bid for it.
    3. All hybrid event requests need to be submitted 4-weeks in advance for AV-Services to properly prepare. Request for hybrid events can be submitted using The Hybrid Request Form
    4. Reservations for events that will be open to the public must be made a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the event date, whether or not any support or services are needed.
    5. Reservations for events that feature “controversial,” “well known,” “famous,” “infamous,” or “political” guest(s) must be made a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the event date, whether or not any support or services are needed. This allows notification to be made to administration, communications, and public safety and for campus visitor protocols to be communicated and followed.
    6. Reservations that require services and have an anticipated attendance of 100 or more people must be made a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the event date. Additional notice is appreciated and may be necessary to ensure personnel and physical resources are available.
    7. Reservations for academic and administrative department events during the academic year may be made up to 12 months in advance. Reservations for chartered student organization events may be made up to 9 months in advance. Reservations for summer conferences may be made more than 12 months in advance.

     
  • Requirements and Approvals

    1. Reservations for events that serve alcohol, fundraise, have large attendance, are outdoors, or show films require the event organizer to meet additional requirements or submit forms for approval. It is the responsibility of the event organizer to ensure requirements are met and approvals are received.
    2. Large events and events that include the public may require the hiring of an off-duty police officer to be present during the event, at the discretion of the Director of Public Safety.
    3. Reservations for events that serve alcohol are subject to review and approval. These events must comply with the following campus rules and guidelines associated with serving alcohol on campus.
    4. All Student Organizations wishing to sponsor a fundraising event must submit a Fundraising Request Form at least 14 calendar days in advance for approval.
      • Student Orgs that wish to receive monetary donations or products from corporate sponsors will need additional approval from the Development Office.
      • No alcoholic beverages may be served, possessed, or consumed at any fundraising activity.
      • No funds will be contributed to any outside agency or entity unless:
        • The organization is able to provide proof of their status as a Non-Profit Organization AND the college has received a copy of their W-9 form.
        • The organization is able to accept fees in U.S. Dollars, via check, credit card, or wire transfer.
    5. Public or semi-public showing of films without written permission or license is prohibited on campus. Organizations and individuals desiring to show video tapes or films must secure permission from the holder of the copyright. Generally, this means that films must be rented from companies who hold the rights.
    6. Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Additional information related to the political campaign activity on Macalester’s campus can be found here.
  • Space Use and Services Offered

    1. Only one venue or set of venues may be reserved for each event. Events held outdoors may also reserve a backup indoor space to use in the case of inclement weather. In these cases, the backup indoor space is reserved as-is with no additional set up, and a rain call must be communicated to Reservations 48 hours in advance of the event start time.
    2. Classrooms and conference rooms are reserved as-is: no equipment will be added or removed. They must be returned to the condition they were at the beginning of your reservation.
    3. Groups should consult with Reservations for set-up and equipment needs before making a reservation. Facilities and AV Services can provide standard furniture, projection, microphones, etc. Specialty equipment or particularly large set-ups may need to be contracted by outside vendors.
    4. Outdoor events have the following additional requirements:
      • Amplified music at outdoor events is subject to prior approval. Amplified music cannot be played while classes or exams are taking place. Reservations reserves the right to not allow amplified music if it will impact other events taking place in the vicinity.
      • Per the City of St. Paul Noise Ordinance, no amplified music may be played after 8:00 PM.
      • Any audio/visual equipment requests for outdoor events should be made through the Digital Resource Center.
      • Available equipment for outdoor events is limited to plastic folding chairs, plastic folding tables, and a small multipurpose stage. Due to limited personnel resources in the Facilities Services Grounds department, chairs and tables will be delivered to the outdoor event location to be set up by the event organizer. Facilities Services reserves the right to not set up equipment that may become damaged by inclement weather.
      • Camping is not allowed on the St. Paul campus.
      • Fires and combustion heaters are not allowed on campus without prior permission from Reservations and Public Safety. Permission is unlikely to be granted without a very specific plan that ensures safety.
      • Items that are left unattended outside after 1:00 AM without an accepted plan and prior permission from Reservations and Public Safety to leave them in place will be removed.  This includes vehicles, tents, chairs, coolers, bags, or any other item.  Bikes that are secured in designated bike racks are exempted.
    5. Macalester Special Events and Reservations reserve the right to close reservations for a portion or all of campus buildings and spaces during particularly high-traffic event dates (including but not limited to: Orientation, Commencement, and Reunion). These closures serve the purpose of conserving campus resources so these large events can be successful, and limiting conflicting events so that the entire Macalester community may participate if they desire.
  • Catering

    1. Bon Appétit has exclusive catering privileges for the following facilities:
      • Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center
      • Hill Ballroom in Kagin Commons
      • Leonard Center
    2. Groups may use off-campus caterers to provide catering services for meetings and events in all other campus spaces.
      • Groups working with off-campus caterers or arranging for their own catering are responsible for ensuring that all food preparation safety standards are followed.
      • Groups are also responsible for all clean-up and trash/recycling removal and charges may be incurred for excess clean-up or facility damage (stains, broken equipment, etc.).
  • Penalties

    1. Reservations that are made outside of the above stated timelines and without explicitly requesting needed services will not be supported. The event organizer is responsible in these cases for returning the space to the condition it was found in; including but not limited to: returning furniture to the standard room set, removing all food and food containers, cleaning up any food or drink spills on tables and carpets, turning off AV systems and lights, etc. If the room is left in a disordered condition and an unplanned custodial response is necessary, your department or organization will be charged a fee for the cleaning, a minimum of $100.
    2. Event organizers who have made a reservation that requires services and/or support and subsequently cancel the event must notify the reservations office a minimum of 24 hours prior to the scheduled event time. This notice is necessary to allow personnel and other resources to be redeployed. Failure to provide notification will result in a minimum fee of $100 being charged to your department or organization.
Requirements & Approvals

Request Forms

Reservations for events that serve alcohol, fundraise, have large attendance, are outdoors, or show films require the event organizer to meet additional requirements or submit forms for approval. It is the responsibility of the event organizer to ensure requirements are met and approvals are received.