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Classroom Scheduling Policy

Classroom Scheduling Policy

The policies and practices on this page are based on guidelines established by the Stanford Registrar's Scheduling Office and are consistent with official University policies.

  • All activities must be consistent with the educational mission of the University, and approved by the Course & Event Scheduling Office within the Office of the University Registrar.

  • Any activity, event, or program that is designed to attract largely a non-Stanford audience is subject to additional approval from Stanford Events.

  • Activities held in a University facility may not raise money through the sale of tickets or refreshments, solicitation of donations, collection of registration fees, or any other means that benefits an off-campus individual, organization, or cause. Any activity with such a commercial component must be approved by the Registrar's Office and Stanford Events.

  • Events that involve serving alcoholic beverages must be approved by Stanford Events. This is essential if there is any sale of alcohol (cash bar, etc.). The user must guarantee that there will be no minors present at any event at which alcohol is served. See the Office of Special Events and Protocol's Alcohol License Policy web page.

  • Any activity, event, or program that is sponsored by a student group is subject to additional and final approval from the Student Activities & Leadership Office (SAL).

Priorities

The highest priority for scheduling Registrar’s Office classrooms and facilities is for courses and programs that are educational in nature. The office schedules recurring educational events over events that are one-time or occasional. If an event has been scheduled and a request that is a more appropriate use of space is received later (e.g., a small study group reserves a classroom and later the space is requested for a class), the cheduling team works with the first requester to assist in finding an alternative site for the event. However, there is always the possibility that such a relocation effort may be unsuccessful.

Academic Periods

The scheduling priorities during academic periods for events in Registrar’s Office spaces are listed in descending order below:

  1. Courses and final exams*
  2. Academic events (examples: office hours, review sessions, midterms, etc.)**
  3. Non-academic events (examples: public lectures, film screenings, concerts, social gatherings)**

* Courses scheduled outside of the Allowable Class Days/Times are scheduled after other courses that comply with the University’s class time standards.

** NOTE: Academic and non-academic event requests that are submitted with start times during peak class times (8 a.m. - 5:05 p.m., Monday through Friday) are reviewed after the second week of classes. If an event falls during the first two weeks of the quarter, the room is scheduled a day prior to the event. Classrooms must be kept free during peak class times for courses.

Academic Breaks

Advance scheduling during non-holiday University academic breaks up to six months is allowed on a first-come, first-served basis per special request. See the Stanford academic calendar for relevant academic dates and deadlines. These periods include:

  • Spring Break: the week between Winter and Spring quarters
  • Thanksgiving Break
  • Winter Break: the week prior to Winter quarter starting after Winter Closure
  • Summer Break: the week between Spring and Summer quarters

Reservation Timeline

Requests for events during academic periods are accepted up to one year in advance and are scheduled after classes have been placed for the quarter. The Registrar's Scheduling Office runs classroom scheduling in mid-July for Autumn and Winter quarters, early November for Spring, and late January for Summer.

Advance Notice for Non-Academic Events

One week's advance notice is required for all non-academic event requests in auditoria and outdoor spaces. The Registrar’s Scheduling Office endeavors to accommodate requests with less notice but evaluates these requests on a case-by-case basis.

Reservation Request Turnaround Time

For room requests within the current quarter, the office responds within three working days.

Food and Drink Policy

Food and beverages are not allowed in any Registrar’s Office classrooms or auditoria.

Outdoor spaces do not fall under this policy, with food and drink allowed on the condition that an Events & Labor Services (ELS) work order is submitted to clean the area after use. See the Events & Labor Services web site.

All trash must be cleaned up and disposed of at the end of an event. As stated in the “Condition of Room” section below, the room requestor is held responsible for the condition in which the rooms are left.

Cancelations

The scheduling office should be notified immediately if rooms which have been booked are no longer needed, so rooms can then be allocated to other users.

University Holidays

Classes may not be held on official University holidays unless the School has granted an exemption. All classrooms are otherwise closed during holidays and may not be scheduled. No Registrar’s Scheduling Office services or facilities are available when the University is closed.

Factors Considered

Factors considered in choosing between competing requests for the use of a room include: date and time the request is received, type of use, expected attendance, requirements for special audio-visual service, facilities, length of program, recurring events (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) and availability of alternative space.

Due to the impact on activities in adjacent spaces, Registrar’s Office classrooms cannot accommodate noisy activities.

Condition of Room

You may change the room setup to accommodate your group. Before you leave the room it is your responsibility to return the classroom to the layout for which it was scheduled (see room layout diagram in classroom). It is the responsibility of the room requestor that the room is left in good condition. Remember to turn off the projectors by the time you vacate the room.

Immediate Facilities Issues

For immediate facilities issues with the Registrar’s Office classrooms and auditoria, please contact the Event & Labor Services facilities team at (650) 723-2281

Send comments or questions to the Registrar’s Scheduling Office, reg-courses@stanford.edu

Updated February 2015