Event and Meeting Reservations

Policy Statement

University Scheduling and Conference Services addresses questions regarding policies, parking and transportation services, decorations and marketing, catering and food, safety and insurance, technical services, campus amenities and fees. To streamline the process of reserving space and to provide quality customer service, on-campus events (except academic classes) are scheduled through University Scheduling and Conference Services. Fees associated with event and meeting reservations are developed and communicated by July 1 each year.

There are three categories of parties who use space for meetings and events:

Recognized Student Organizations Reservations: Recognized Student Organizations are not charged for rental of space or for basic room setup. However, charges apply for technical practices and advanced audio, video, filming, lighting or media programming; for moving furniture and equipment from “preset rooms” and public lounges; and for exceeding established building hours. Recognized Student Organizations need to be established in order to be eligible to request space. Information on becoming established is available on the RSO website.
University Departments Reservations: University Departments are not charged for the rental of space or basic room set-ups. However, charges apply for technical services, for moving furniture and equipment from “preset rooms” and public lounges; and for exceeding established building hours. In addition, if a department is profiting financially from an event, then the department will be charged for all room set-ups.
General Public Reservations: General Public use of meeting or event space is welcome and encouraged. The General Public is charged for the rental of space, technical services, set ups, and exceeding established building hours. Discounts are available for MSU Alumni, students, staff and Non-Profit Organizations.

Procedures

Event and meeting reservation requests are initiated through University Scheduling and Conference Services. Reservations will be considered tentative until all information needed to complete the reservation is in place. Parties should not advertise events until a confirmed reservation is in place. The Centennial Student does not honor tentative reservations and will not provide services based on tentative status.

Large Events: Concerts, dances, and events that have over 100 people, or are open to the public, require additional planning and preparation. To receive the best selection of meeting and event space for such events, a reservation request must be submitted with as much advance notice as possible (a minimum of 10 business days prior to the anticipated event) .
Priority (Repetitive) Reservations: Repetitive reservations can be scheduled for a semester at a time. University Scheduling and Conference Services begins accepting repetitive reservation requests on November 10th for the Spring Term, April 10th for the Summer Term, and May 10th for the Fall Term. Recognized Student Organizations are limited to two repetitive meetings each term, with the maximum combined length of those meetings being 6 hours per week. Repetitive reservations are generally not scheduled in performance spaces or general use spaces within the Centennial Student Union (Ballroom, Ostrander Auditorium, and Flexible Program Space) for meetings because to do so would limit the availability of performance space for other purposes.
Lobby Spaces: Lobby spaces are available in the Centennial Student Union and can be reserved through University Scheduling and Conference Services. Lobby tables must allow for the free flow of traffic, be open to the public, and occur without restrictions (no admission fees or donations solicited). To accommodate demand for lobby spaces, Recognized Student Organizations are limited to two lobby spaces per week. Additional “same-day” lobby space can be made available to Recognized Student Organizations if lobby space is available. Lobby spaces may also be reserved for special events by University Departments and the General Public.

Rationale

The Centennial Student Union hosts multiple events on campus and, as such, has developed a one-stop, customer-service approach to event planning campus-wide. Because the Centennial Student Union is primarily funded with Student Fee Funds, Recognized Student Organizations enjoy priority status throughout the reservation process. Additionally, because the Centennial Student Union is primarily funded by Student Fee Funds, there is a need to recover the costs of operations resulting from nonstudent use.