Planning & Managing Your Event
The following information will make your event or activity in the Student Center easier to plan and more successful. They are based on frequent questions and/or concerns that users have expressed over the years. Please do not hesitate to contact any of the staff of the Student Center to request assistance with any event you are planning.
The Event Coordinator may be contacted at studencenter@etsu.edu or 423/439-6833
Please use the following links for the information you are seeking:
- Operating/Inclement Weather Hours
- Scheduling
- Event Planning
- Basic Room Services
- Event Times
- Food Service
- Decorations
- Cleanup
- Raffles, Drawings, etc.
- Commercial Product or Service Solicitation
- Last Minute Requests
- Overtime Labor
- Posting of Signs and Banners
- Parking
Fall/Spring Student Center Operating Office Hours:
7:30 a.m. - 12 mid. Monday - Sunday
Building unlocks at 6:30 a.m.
Summer Student Center Operating Office Hours:
7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday - Friday
CLOSED on weekends (will open for special events - contact Event Coordinator)
Building unlocks at 7:30 a.m.
Inclement Weather serving meal plans:
- If the University is operating under a Closure and the presidential announcement is made the morning of, midday, or day before, The D. P. Culp building will be open from 7:00 am - 8:00 pm.
- If the University is operating under a Morning Delay and the presidential announcement is made the morning of or day before, The D. P. Culp building will be open from 7:00 am - 12mid.
Inclement Weather when meal plans are not in effect:
If the university closes or is on a delay, The D. P. Culp will follow the campus closure or delayed opening schedule.- Events that were scheduled during this time will be notified and arrangement will be made for an alternate date and time.
- In the event of inclement weather on the weekends, Student Center Staff reserve the right to announce delayed opening/closure on weekend with Dean approval.
With special approved prior arrangements, small student groups may remain in the building outside of all meeting room space with their advisor, sponsor, or other full-time University employee who accepts full responsibility for the safety and security of the individuals and the building. Advance arrangements must be made with the Event Coordinator so that Public Safety, Physical Plant, and other appropriate departments can be notified.
The Student Center is heavily scheduled. Reserve space(s) for your activity as early as possible. We accept reservations for campus affiliated events up to 12-18 months ahead and accept reservations for non-affiliated events up to 9 months ahead. The most heavily scheduled months are September, October, March, and April. It is not uncommon to have all available dates for the Ballroom and Auditorium booked several months before each of these heavy periods.
University users have priority in the use of the Student Center. However, a confirmed reservation, even if for a non-university related group, will not be cancelled once they have been accepted in order to make room for another event.
It will be best for you to check the calendar online or call the office to check on room availability beforehand.
University Policy stipulates that the Event Coordinator must receive all relevant reservation information at least 5 working days in advance of the event. This includes all room setup details and technical service needs. Requests received without this 5-day notice may not be accommodated.
The secret to a successful event is careful and complete planning. The staff of the Student Center is available to assist you in planning your event. In essence, the planning process is one in which you carefully 'walk through' every detail of the event and discuss it with the Event Coordinator. Everything from picking the date to insure that other campus events do not conflict with it, to planning seating/table layout, to making the arrangements to remove your decorations after the event must be discussed and accommodated.
The technical needs of your event must also be carefully planned and scheduled. The Student Center has a variety of audio/visual equipment available to support your activity but it must be scheduled, set-up, and perhaps operated by our staff. Last minute changes are particularly difficult to accommodate.
In some cases, where equipment is needed that is not available through the Student
Center, the user may need to rent the equipment through Academic Technology Services
(ATS).
Basic facility services* of the Student Center include:
- Building access during the standard operating hours:
- Access to all public food service facilities
- Access to reserved facilities during contracted hours
- A clean-comfortable facility
- Chairs, tables, staging arranged as requested
- Use of sound reinforcement systems
- Use of special lighting systems
- Use of audio/visual equipment - decible (Db) sound for indoor is a maximum setting of 70 and outdoor is 90
- Access to local phone, campus video, and campus digital network services
- Full food catering services
- Support of the Technical Services staff if needed
- Public Safety support if needed
- Physical Plant support if needed
- Information Technology support if needed
* Use of some of these services may incur special fees.
The Student Center floor plans can be found by clicking the following link: Floor plans.
Indicate actual start and end times on the reservation request, not the time when you want the doors open or when you plan to arrive for setup. The actual event times you indicate are those on which all publicly announced schedules, room setups, A/V setups, food service setups, and other times for service will be based.
Remember that any use of the building outside of regular operating hours will incur overtime charges. This means you should schedule your event to end in time for your attendees to exit the building before closing, we suggest ending your 15 minutes before closing time.
Food service, of any type, must be arranged through the contracted University Food Service unless the catered amount is less than $300.00. If catered amount is less than 300.00, you may utilize any licensed food vendor. If this is the case, the user is responsible for any and all clean up/trash removal.
Food Service may be contacted at 423-439-4389or visit the Sodexo website.
You may decorate the area reserved for your event, within the parameters set by Student Center policy. Parameters are set: no tape, tacks, staples, etc. may be used on any painted or wood surface. Nothing may be hung from the ceiling without the permission and assistance of Student Center staff. Use of water features, confetti for decorations, glitter, open flame candles and other such problematic materials need to be discussed and approved by the Student Center staff. Advance delivery of decoration items must be arranged with the Student Center staff. Decorations not removed at the conclusion of the event will be disposed of unless prior arrangements are made with the Event Coordinator.
Normal custodial clean-up services after an event are provided as a basic service of the building. However excessive cleanup and/or debris removal may result in additional charges. We suggest that if your event causes excessive trash and debris in an area, you pick up the material and properly dispose of it which includes all left over catering items if utilizing an off campus vendor. If you need cleaning equipment, you may ask the building manager for assistance. If you have concerns about possible cleanup problems with your event - ask!
Under State of Tennessee law, drawings, raffles, and other such games of chance are illegal and cannot be conducted in the Student Center. Even if the activity is to benefit a charity or non-profit organization, it is still illegal.
Commercial Product or Service Solicitation
Commercial product or service solicitation and/or demonstrations may not occur in public hallways, booths, and other such high traffic areas. They may only occur within reservable space. The only exception to this is when the sales process is done under contract with a student organization and with members of the organization present at the location at all times.
A full text of this policy is available from the Student Activities and Organizations.
Proper planning, in almost all cases, negates the need for last minute changes and requests. In many cases, due to the scheduling of equipment and staff, last minute room and equipment changes or service requests cannot be accommodated. However, every effort will be made to insure your event or activity is successful; thus if a last minute request can be accommodated, it will be. There will possibly be additional fees charged as a result of the last minute request.
When it is necessary for staff to work outside their normally scheduled hours, overtime labor charges will be assessed the sponsor. The rates are clearly indicated in the Facility Use Fee Schedule, which can be found on our Information and Forms page by clicking here.
This policy applies to all University staff - custodians, public safety, technical services, building management, etc.
P Advertsing of Events & Banners
Advertising of events pertaining to university affiliated groups can be made through Student Activities and Organizations. See forms and guidlines here.
Exterior banners may be hung off the 3rd floor cafeteria balcony only by campus groups and must meet safety criteria. It is suggested that you discuss construction methods for exterior banners with Student Center staff before attempting to build one.
Easels for displaying signs are available for use, contact Event Coordinator .
Under no circumstances should any materials be posted on glass, wood, metal, or painted surfaces within the building.
Parking around the Student Center can sometimes be difficult. All campus visitors are requested to stop by the Parking Services Office and pick up a free visitor parking hangtag. This will allow them to park anywhere on campus except for fire lanes and handicapped spaces.
Around the building there are several lots specially designated for faculty/staff and for students, these are accessible to those individuals with the appropriate campus parking sticker or a visitor hangtag.
There is a small, metered lot near the building that is useful for short term parking.
Please contact us with any questions or comments you may have.