College Space Leasing Policy and Guidelines

Purpose:  The leasing of College space for conferences and events generates revenue to the College that offsets or reduces the overall needs of the E&G budget.  As such, it is important to assure that proper guidelines and a policy are in place to assist in successful outcomes that are beneficial to the institution as a whole.

  1. The scheduling of events will be based on facility availability and approval by the Conference Services department.  At times, other departments will be consulted, based on the nature and/or duration of the event to avoid logistical issues.
  2. If an on-campus group other than Conference Services receives a request to hold an event, Conference Services should be forwarded the request and conferred with immediately, to avoid logistical issues such double-booking, etc., as well as to maintain consistency in the management of leasing campus spaces.  Any reservation made and confirmed with an external campus group without the involvement of Conference Services could result in loss of the space in the event of a double-booking, as well as charges for any associated fees to the internal campus group that initially confirmed the event.
  3. When working with external campus groups, Conference Services must have a signed contract and deposit (if required) prior to any event being held on campus.
  4. Groups renting a campus space will be held financially responsible for any special cleaning, maintenance or repair resulting from the event/activity.  This applies to both on and off-campus groups.
  5. Groups renting a facility are required to observe all applicable policies of Berea College and any applicable local, state and federal laws.
  6. The College will not be responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged property belonging to members of groups utilizing campus facilities. 
  7. Any event considered by the Administrative Committee of the College to be harmful to the public image of the College may not be allocated space.

Rental Fees & Charges

Public or Private non-College Groups

Full Space Rental Rate

Berea College Alumni

50% discount from Space Rental Rate

Berea College Student Groups

No Charge*

Berea College Departments

No Charge*

*No charge means there will be no facility space rental charge assessed to these groups. However, there could be event operation, equipment, and/or after-hours charges depending on the facility space selected and the nature of the event.  Examples are:

  1. Event Operation Charges: These charges include, but are not limited to, Facilities Management staff, Public Safety staff, IS&S Technology staff and Athletics staff. An example of this type charge is a $75 cleaning fee for the use of Windswept.
  2. Equipment Charges: These charges include, but are not limited to Audio-Visual (A/V) equipment, PA systems, and scoreboards.
  3. After-Hours Charges: These charges include costs incurred by the College to keep the facility space open or to utilize a service past normal operating hours.  An example of this would be if a group requires extra security personnel, they could be responsible for overtime expenses incurred.

Payment Terms

  1. Payments for facility rental charges are due 30 days prior to the start of the event.   
  2. Cancellation Policy: Facility space rental charges will be refunded in full if the event is cancelled 21 days in advance. If the event is cancelled less than 21 days in advance, there will be no refund issued.

Insurance

  1. External groups leasing College space must demonstrate a sufficient policy of general insurance that provides personal injury and property damage covering the event.    
  2. Berea College reserves the right to require student groups and departments to sign a waiver and release of liability form.

Food Service and Catering

  1. Rental groups may not bring their own food or beverages to a leased space without prior approval of the Conference Services department.  As a general guideline, it is expected that groups leasing space will utilize either Berea College Dining Services or Boone Tavern catering operations for their needs while on campus.
  2. A $100 deposit will be charged for all catering orders, which will be due 30 days prior to the event.  If the catering order is cancelled more than 21 days in advance of the event, a full refund will be issued.  If the catering order is cancelled less than 21 days in advance of the event, the deposit will not be refunded.

Approved by Administrative Committee 2/7/17