Policies & Procedures for Events on Campus

Pursuant to Southern Methodist University Policy 6.4 - Use of University Facilities by University and Non-University Individuals and Organizations, the University adopts the following Procedures for Events on Campus.

Educational Purpose / Mission of the University:

The Facilities of Southern Methodist University (the “University”) are private property and are to be used to carry out the mission of the University, creating, expanding, and imparting knowledge through teaching, research, and service.  Use of University Facilities will be permitted when consistent with the University’s mission and with the University’s status as a tax-exempt, non-profit educational institution.  Facilities use must conform to all applicable laws and regulations.  The University reserves the right to deny use of its Facilities to any individual or organization.

Polices & Procedures

All SMU students, faculty, staff and guests will need to comply with the University's polices & procedures as outlined below and in the SMU University Policy Manual.

  • Fees
    • A venue/space rental fee will not be charged for any event where the attendees are predominantly SMU students, faculty or staff. However, any "fixed costs" associated with an event such as: labor, set-up, technical rentals, etc. will be charged for the event. The facility will not be held responsible for subsidizing the cost of the event in any way. A cancellation fee may apply as determined by the management of the facility.
    • Venue/space rental fees may be charged for any event where the majority of attendees are from off-campus or if tickets are being sold. The fee charged is determined by the facility in which the event is being held. All "fixed costs" associated with an event such as: labor, set-up, technical rentals, etc. will be charged for these events. It is at the discretion of the management of the facility to determine which category an event falls under and to grant any exceptions to the procedures above.
    • Fees related to any event that require the assistance of the Office of Facilities Planning and Management with regard to the areas of custodial and housekeeping support, maintenance technician support, general services support or any setup required by the staff will be determined by the Office of Facilities Planning and Management.
  • Certificates of Insurance (COIs) - SMU requires evidence of insurance for all third party vendors and contractors that want to operate in an event on campus. The third party is responsible for obtaining evidence of insurance (Certificate of Insurance) and presenting it to the Office of Risk Management (ORM) at least 3 days prior to the event taking place. The SMU employee or student organizer of the event will be the primary point of contact for ensuring this information is provided to ORM, and should consult with ORM early in the event planning process to clarify any insurance related questions.