Gatherings

Household Basics

Undergraduate Students

Graduate and Professional Students

Details: Outdoor Gatherings for 3 Households

Last updated: March 31, 2021

Beginning April 14, 2021, per California state guidelines and Santa Clara County’s mandatory directive for gatherings, Stanford will permit registered on-campus outdoor gatherings for up to 3 separate households with no more than 24 students total in one gathering. To participate and reserve an outdoor space for on-campus residents, please read the instructions below. 

But first, follow these instructions to register as a household if you have not already done so. For purposes of the outdoor gatherings process, any individual who is not registered as a member of a household may participate as a “household of one” and will count against the total count of 3 households.

The Office of Student Engagement is preparing guidance for student organizations to host gatherings in the near future, pending public health orders. OSE will share more information as it becomes available.

Registration Process

To register a space for up to 3 households to gather outdoors:

1. Go to scheduling.stanford.edu and go to the Express Scheduling Event section.
2. Select the date you would like to host the gathering.
3. Under the time, please select the start time and end time.
4. Under available express locations, all available pre-approved spaces will auto populate; select one.
5. Under event name, please list the activities you would like to do (e.g. picnic, yoga, etc.).

Outdoor spaces currently available for reservation:

• Roble Field: 5 Spaces
• Roble Patio: 1 Space
• Lake Lagunita BBQ area: 1 Space
• Old Union Courtyard: 1 Space
• White Plaza: 4 Spaces
• Upper Meyer: 3 Spaces
• Lower Meyer: 2 Spaces

More spaces coming soon, pending university approval.

Gatherings can take place for a maximum of 2 hours between the hours of 10 a.m.-10 p.m., 7 days a week. Low amplified sound (e.g. music from a phone) is only permitted on Saturdays and Sundays, and must not impact surrounding residences.

Given we anticipate many potential requests, we ask that you book no more than one gathering a week.

The individual registering the event in 25Live (the scheduling platform at scheduling.stanford.edu) will serve as the designated host, and must have a list of attendees for the gathering to help with contact tracing should this be required.

Registration must be done at least 3 business days in advance. After your space reservation is received and processed, you will receive an email notification. 

Expectations

As a reminder, all participants are expected to: 

• Complete COVID-19 surveillance testing twice each week and a daily Stanford Health Check.
• Follow the county’s Mandatory Directive for Gatherings, which includes the following:
  • Wear a face covering at all times, except when eating or drinking.
  • Maintain 6 feet of physical distancing from others outside your household at all times. 
  • Use hand sanitizer. 
  • Gatherings must be 2 hours or less.
  • Those at high risk of severe illness should consult with their health providers before participating in any gathering.
  • Those in attendance should be mindful of medically vulnerable peers; ensure all rules are followed and that paths of travel and exit/entry points are kept clear.
  • Singing, shouting, chanting, and playing wind instruments are prohibited.
  • Vaccinated individuals are not exempt from any of the above requirements.
• Be in accordance with Campus Compact guidelines.

Students currently in isolation, quarantine or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are prohibited from going to any gatherings. Off-campus students are not permitted to attend on-campus gatherings at this time.

When Gathering

Signage with general guidelines will be placed in recommended spaces where you can gather. Please follow the guidelines as outlined on the signage. 

If you plan to consume food and beverages, prepackaged food or takeout is recommended rather than sharing food items (i.e. no family-style dining). You must have a plan to clean your trash, and use disposable plates, cups and utensils.

Being Approached

You may be approached by someone, such as a student, staff or a Department of Public Safety staff member. You may be asked to present your Stanford Health Check badge and you may be instructed to end your gathering if:

• You are not social distancing.
• You are not wearing face coverings, except when eating or drinking. 
• There appears to be more than 24 students in your gathering.
• Your gathering goes past 10 p.m. any day of the week.
• You are consuming or distributing alcohol to minors under the age of 21, and can be cited for minor in possession (MIP).
• The gathering is excessively loud or disruptive to those in the area.
• Your gathering was not registered. 

Reporting a Concern

• To request emergency assistance (medical assistance/crime in progress), call 911.. 
• For urgent undergraduate student support, the Residence Dean on-call can be reached at (650) 504-8022. 
• For urgent graduate student support, please call the Graduate Life Office pager at (650) 723-7288. You will reach a Stanford operator. Provide pager ID #25085 and indicate that you need to reach the Graduate Dean on-call. You will be contacted directly by return call.
• To receive a non-emergency response (file a police report, report a public safety concern) call (650) 329-2413. 
• To report a Campus Compact violation, complete this form. 

Future

If the pandemic worsens, and the county and state become more restrictive, we may be required to suspend this process to be in compliance with the law. On the other hand, if the county and state become less restrictive, we will assess the situation, open additional spaces, and create guidelines to host larger gatherings over time.

The health and safety of our community is our utmost priority and we can only be successful if we work together to support each other through the end of the pandemic.

If you have additional questions about gatherings, please contact us.