If your group is planning an event that will include more than 300 people, or that will take place over a series of days, please contact the Yale College Dean’s Office at least one semester prior to the event. Large events of this type are often planned a year in advance. The sooner you get started, the easier it will be to reserve space, get things printed for a reasonable amount, etc. The Yale College Dean’s Office can help you think through the steps you will need to take to make your event successful and can put you in contact with outside resources if it becomes necessary.
Yale is host to a wide range of conferences and events, many of which are hosted by registered undergraduate organizations. To avoid conflicts in the scheduling of University facilities and as a way to ensure a successful and enjoyable experience for conference planners and participants, a number of precautionary measures should be taken in advance of these events.
All undergraduate organizations hosting conferences and major events on the Yale campus must seek approval from the Office of Student Affairs.
An undergraduate organization must first be registered with the Yale College Dean’s Office before it will be permitted to reserve classroom buildings through the Office of the Registrar. In addition, the organization’s officers must schedule an appointment by emailing student.affairs@yale.edu for conference review and approval. Officers should come prepared with a budget for the event; a program schedule; sample of publicity and correspondence; and should be prepared to answer questions related to safety and security; fundraising; requests for University (department) services; contracts and agreements; and liability and risk coverage, where applicable.
Yale College students may not enter into contracts and agreements. If renting vehicles for the event, all drivers must have taken and passed the Driver Safety Awareness class in order to be covered under Yale University’s automobile insurance plan. All vendors, contractors, or non-Yale partner organizations hired to provide a service for Yale must provide a Certificate of Insurance prior to commencement of activities. For specific information, visit the Office of Enterprise Risk Management.
Officers of undergraduate organizations are encouraged to submit conference and major events requests at least one (1) semester in advance for major campus event and at least four (4) weeks in advance for special events. Although it may not be possible to confirm all requests until the instructional needs of the faculty have been met, most weekend and evening requests will be processed upon receipt. Requests submitted during the Add/Drop Period may take longer to fill due to the high volume of requests during that time. As a service to undergraduate organizations, the Office of Student Affairs maintains a list of upcoming conferences and events for organizations seeking to avoid conflicts in scheduling with other undergraduate organizations, University departments, or major University events.