Events and Parties Policies
The College defines an event as an academic, intellectual, cultural, and/or social gathering, hosted by students or a student organization, in or on campus property. Events may be “open” to a designated population (i.e. the entire campus community or only enrolled students) or may be “closed” or private events, which are held for a smaller group of students and/or members of an organization. Student events are not open to the general public without approval from either the Events Management Team, or a member of the sponsoring College office.
Student events can be categorized as either large open events, social gatherings without alcohol, or social gatherings with alcohol. All events must follow the below guidelines and policies.
Defining Events
A College event may be on- or off-campus and may only be sponsored by Swarthmore students. All events held on-campus are automatically subject to this policy. An individual and/or organization holding an event off-campus may be subject to the Student Code of Conduct, local state law, and/or any additional expectations of the event space.
- Open events are defined as an event where all students are permitted to attend. Open events may or may not be open to the larger campus community.
- Closed events may be held for a smaller group of students and/or members of an organization. A guest list may be required depending on the size and scale of the event.
Many club and organization events will fall under this category of event. All club and organization leaders should be familiar with the Club Handbook and the Student Budget Committee policies in regard to hosting events on campus.
All events on campus must be free to attend for all students. There should be no perceived entry fee or charge to attend.
All students are eligible to register an event during the academic year. Alcohol Registered Events (A.R.E.s) have further restrictions on scheduling. Please see below for more details regarding A.R.E. events.
Fundraisers
Students holding an event to raise funds for a nonprofit or humanitarian cause may advertise that donations are encouraged, but they must not serve as an entry fee to the event. Advertisements for the event may mention that it is a fundraiser. No amount of the donations may be used for the purchase of alcohol.
Publicizing Events
Generally, advertising is permitted for any event that is open to students and is free of charge. Advertising (postings, chalkings, table tents, email, written, verbal invitations, social media posts, digital signage, and banners) for all College events must NOT refer to the availability of alcoholic beverages, either in writing or in graphics/gifs. If there is any question as to whether or not some form of advertising meets this criterion, please contact the Office of Student Engagement (ose@swarthmore.edu). Advertising that does not adhere to the expectations outlined above may be removed and the individual and/or organization may be restricted from hosting the event and/or may be referred to the student conduct process. For additional information, see the Banners, Chalkings, Postering and Other Public Displays on College Property policy. The standard method for advertising open student events is through the reserved student digest. For more tips regarding advertising on campus, check out the Advertising Student Events and Campus Listservs.
Authorized Campus Locations and Times
Students or student clubs and organizations are required to register their event, in the form of a space reservation, if the event is held in a designated campus space. Student events with alcohol present and more than ten (10) individuals in attendance are required to register their event in the form of a space reservation and apply for and receive an approved Alcohol Registered Event (A.R.E.) permit. Designated campus spaces for student events can be found on SwatCentral. A list of suggested spaces for A.R.E.s can be found on the OSE website. Please contact the Office of Student Engagement if you have any questions as to whether a designated campus space is suitable for your event. If you have additional questions about reserving a space please review SwatCentral Instructions - Students and/or contact the Events Management Office at space@swarthmore.edu.
The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) will consider requests for Alcohol Registered Events (A.R.E) in the following spaces (Note that approving events with alcohol is at the discretion of OSE):
- Alice Paul First Floor Lobby
- Alice Paul Third Floor Lounge
- Big Room
- Crum Ledge Apartments (reserved by assigned residents only)
- David Kemp Second Floor Lounge
- Danawell BBQ
- Danwell Multi-Purpose First Floor Lounge
- ML Breakfast Room
- Mephistos Lounge Willets
- NPPR apartments (reserved by assigned residents only)
- NPPR Courtyard
- NPPR 1st floor lounge
- NPPR Terrace
- Olde Clube
- PACES
- Wharton Courtyard
- Worth Courtyard
Alcohol Registered Events (A.R.E.s) may not be registered or held in the following locations. Note that events without alcohol may be held in these spaces:
- Academic Classrooms
- Athletic Facilities
- Black Cultural Center
- Bond Memorial Hall
- College Amphitheater
- Dining Center
- Sharples Community Commons
- Upper Tarble
- Gender and Sexuality Center
- IC Big Room
- Common areas of residence halls (lounges, lobbies, bathrooms, hallways)
- Assigned clubs or student organization spaces
(Exceptions can only be made with express permission from the Division of Student Affairs).
*Alcoholic beverages are specifically prohibited at all athletic contests or related events.
The Office of Student Engagement generally approves space reservations 1-2 weeks before an event is to be held. Any student may request to use a residential or student social space, and those requests are generally reviewed in the order they come in. If the requested social space is not available or not appropriate for the type of event requested, the Office of Student Engagement will work with you or your group to identify possible alternative space. Typically, students will receive confirmation of your space request no later than 48 hours before your event.
Guests at Events and Parties
Enrolled Swarthmore students are permitted to host one (1) non-College guest to an event (including Tri-Co students). The guest, accompanied by the student host, must check in at the door. Hosts are encouraged to develop a guest list ahead of their event. Please contact the Office of Student Engagement (ose@swarthmore.edu) if you need support in thinking through best practices for hosting guests at your events. All guests are required to provide either a current Tri-Co or valid United States or foreign government-issued ID with a birth date. If there is a disagreement as to the validity of an ID, a host or the guest should seek advice from Public Safety or the Office of Student Engagement. Usually, events are not open to the general public without written permission from OSE.
College employees are not permitted to attend student-hosted A.R.E., unless their attendance is directly related to their role and responsibilities as an employee of the College.
Social Events
Social Events are broken down into multiple categories and can be open or closed as defined above. The College further differentiates between Alcohol Registered Events (A.R.E.s) and alcohol-free events. Depending upon these categories, students must abide by the below processes and policies.
General Host Responsibilities for ALL Social Events on Campus
Only students who are enrolled at the institution at the time of the event and are eligible to host events, may host an event on campus.
- Hosts and/or hosting clubs and organizations (hosts) are responsible for reading all of the event policies outlined in the Student Handbook.
- Hosts are responsible for reserving the event space and requesting an alcohol permit when alcohol will be present at the event.
- Hosts are responsible for any damage to campus space or property that occurs during or as a result of their event.
- Hosts are responsible for the safety of the event attendees, including space occupancy numbers, and contacting Public Safety if any support is needed.
- Hosts are responsible for determining if guests of enrolled students will be allowed at their event.
- Hosts are responsible for restricting and/or removing alcohol from any alcohol-free event (please contact Public Safety for support in regard to any difficulties with alcohol at an event and/or if you would like to proactively seek guidance regarding best practices to restricting and/or removing alcohol from an event).
- Hosts are to ensure there is no smoking or vaping at any student event on campus (please see Smoking for additional information)
- Hosts are required to clean the interior of event spaces immediately after the event. This includes removing all trash and returning the space to its original condition.
If, during an event, the hosts are unable to uphold these guidelines or meet host responsibilities, or there is an emergency, they must contact Public Safety at 610-328-8333 or ext. 8333 for assistance.
*Please note that failure to maintain campus spaces may result in restrictions on your or your group’s ability to host future events and/or fees related to cleaning or damage repair of an event space.
Social Events without Alcohol
While there is less risk perceived at events without alcohol, the College expects all students to still abide by all expectations surrounding events on campus. For this reason, the Office of Student Engagement may reach out to meet with event hosts ahead of their event to review safety measures. Reasons, while not inclusive, for staff to request a meeting might include:
- Size of event,
- Open event, especially if off-campus guests are permitted,
- If an event has numerous campus partnerships, requiring resource coordination across campus offices,
- Previous history of host or attendee conduct at events,
- Location of event (i.e., outside with potential for weather or safety concerns).
All social events hosts are encouraged to go through the Hosting Event workshop. Though mandatory for all hosts for Alcohol Registered Events (A.R.E.s), it is highly recommended for ALL hosts as it will provide great tips and tools for successful events on campus overall.
Social Events with Alcohol (A.R.E.)
Alcohol Registered Events (A.R.E.s) are registered events where alcohol will be present, either provided by the host or brought by attendees, and/or alcohol will be served. All A.R.E.s require advance registration and approval of a College Alcohol Permit. If hosting an A.R.E., you are responsible for reading through and following all policies listed below.
Funding
Unless specifically authorized, in writing, by the Senior Associate Dean of Student Life or designee, no College funding may be used to purchase alcoholic beverages (authorization may be given for senior only events, associated with senior week/senior class only events, and/or some events at off-campus locations).
Duration
All events are expected to begin by and end by the specified time that was pre-approved by OSE. A.R.E functions may not exceed four (4) hours in duration. A.R.E. functions should end no later than midnight from Sunday through Wednesday and by 2:00 AM for Thursday through Saturday night events. Thursday events lasting beyond midnight must be in non-residential spaces. Requests for events occurring on Fridays and Saturdays in residential spaces that are scheduled to go beyond midnight, will be reviewed for impact to the residential community. It may be necessary to amend the parameters surrounding events if there are considerable noise concerns raised by residents of that community. Undue noise or unwanted guests may nullify previous agreements. Students and student organizations are limited to hosting no more than one A.R.E within a 24-hour period. An Alcohol Registered Event must be confined to one location. There must be at least one hour between the end of an A.R.E and the beginning of the next scheduled event (A.R.E or alcohol-free event) in the same location.
Alcohol Permits
All A.R.E. events require an approved Alcohol Permit. Students or student organizations hosting an A.R.E., must complete an A.R.E. Permit Request form by 12:00 PM (noon) on the Wednesday prior to an event occurring that week and must also have a confirmed space reservation. The A.R.E. form can be found on the Office of Student Engagement website and OSE will review all event submissions.
For events with an expected or actual attendance of between 10 and 74 people, two (2) responsible sober hosts must be indicated on the Alcohol Permit application; one (1) must be over the age of 21. For events with more than 75 people expected or in attendance, three (3) responsible sober hosts are required to be indicated on the Alcohol Permit; two (2) must be over the age of 21. Please note that large-scale events require sufficient planning and may require the support of multiple departments. Your event may be subject to cancellation or postponement if the College cannot support the event as planned. All event hosts must have attended the College’s Hosting Event workshop during the academic year for which they are hosting the event.
Additionally, all hosts of the registered event must meet with representatives from the Department of Public Safety to review and sign the A.R.E. Permit prior to the event starting. All hosts must attend a mandatory check-in meeting with OSE staff the week the event is scheduled to occur.
Alcohol that is present at an event but not approved and specifically not included on the Alcohol Permit, will be removed, disposed of, and the event may be canceled or ended early, with the host(s)/organization typically referred to the College student conduct process.
Alcohol Permits will not be approved, and alcoholic beverages may not be served at parties or other events that take place during the early return period, New Student Orientation, the first week of the Fall and Spring academic semester, College breaks, reading days, final examination periods, or large-scale Admissions Offices events (e.g. Discover Swarthmore, SWATstruck, and SWATlight). During these timeframes, requests for alcohol-free events will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with limited approval during reading days and no approval for events during final exams.
In the event of a large-scale campus event (such as, Winter Formal, Worthstock, etc.), or inclement weather or campus emergency, the Office of Student Engagement or the Division of Student Affairs may identify days each semester when students may not register events with alcohol. When possible, these dates will be announced with as much advance notice as is reasonable, but advance notice may not always be possible. The OSE reserves the right to limit the total number of events on any particular day if staffing or other resources are not available to safely support the event. The first available date to host an event with an Alcohol Permit is the second Friday after classes begin each semester.
A.R.E. “BYO” Policies:
Approved hosts are permitted to hold open/closed BYO events if approved through the Alcohol Permit process. Attendees over the age of 21 are permitted to bring one (1) six pack of beer, or one (1) 750ml bottle of wine. No other type of alcohol is permitted. All alcohol must be dropped off with the open/closed A.R.E. host(s) prior to the start of the event. Hosts are expected to coordinate with attendees to determine the requested amount of alcohol prior to the submission of the Alcohol Permit. At some large-scale campus events, students 21 and older may bring beer or wine for personal use which must be checked-in and tagged, prior to the event beginning, and at the designated location.
At any time if the hosts or College officials determine there is additional alcohol present, brought in after the check in period, or, deceptively disguised in a secondary container (tumbler cup, backpack, camelback hydration pack, etc), that alcohol shall be confiscated, removed, and disposed of. Responsible parties will typically be referred to the College Student Conduct Process.
A.R.E. Event: Host Responsibilities
Hosts and/or hosting organizations are responsible for reading and following all of the event and party policies outlined in the Student Handbook. By signing the Alcohol Permit, the hosts agree to be responsible for compliance with the College’s Social Events on Campus policy and local, state, and federal law before, during, and following the event.
*If you feel that you may not be able to meet A.R.E. host expectations at any time, you are encouraged to convert your event to an alcohol-free event. The Office of Student Engagement is available to assist you in transitioning your event to one without alcohol.
In addition to the general event host responsibilities listed above, the A.R.E. hosts must adhere to the following requirements:
- Read and adhere to all expectations outlined in the “Social Events on Campus Policy” section above.
- Hosts must attend the College’s Hosting Event training/workshop during the academic year for which they are hosting an event.
- At least one host must be 21 years of age or older.
- Hosts must assist Public Safety in A.R.E. walkthroughs (pre-event walkthrough and mid-event walkthrough) and emergency response.
- Alcohol Permit and signs must be posted in clear view at the entrance and where the alcohol is being served at all times during an event stating; “You must be 21 years of age to consume alcoholic beverages in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” and also must indicate what type/how much alcohol is being served on the permit. If the permit is not displayed, the event cannot begin.
- While the event is in progress and/or when alcoholic beverages are available (whichever is longer), the hosts must be in attendance at all times.
- Hosts are expected to regulate the serving of alcoholic beverages to only attendees over the age of 21.
- Hosts must have an operational plan (i.e., who’s at the door, but also who’s walking around, serving the actual alcohol, etc.) and discuss that plan with a member of the Office of Student Engagement and Public Safety during their pre-event check-in.
- Only guests over the age of 21 will be provided a wristband or marking indicating they are of the legal drinking age. The sharing or reuse of wristbands is strictly prohibited and will result in referral to the student conduct process.
- Hosts must serve and regulate the serving of alcoholic beverages and observe all laws and College guidelines regarding A.R.E.
- Hosts shall not consume alcohol for the duration of their hosting responsibilities.
- Hosts are required to prohibit visibly intoxicated persons from obtaining alcoholic beverages at the A.R.E. (when in doubt, please call Public Safety to request support for any visibly intoxicated person).
- Hosts will identify and request that problematic attendees leave the A.R.E. In the event that problematic attendees are uncooperative, the host will contact Public Safety for assistance.
- Alternative non-alcoholic beverages must be served during the entirety of the A.R.E.
- At all times during an A.R.E. hosts are required to wear the A.R.E. Event Host strap in a highly visible location, so that both attendees and Public Safety are able to easily identify the event hosts, should consultation need to occur or if a problem arises.
- Hosts will be held accountable for noncompliance through the Student Code of Conduct with any of the above requirements.
* If, during an A.R.E., the hosts are unable to uphold the guidelines and keep the A.R.E. under control, they are required to call the Department of Public Safety at 610-328-8333 or ext. 8333 for assistance.
A.R.E. Crum Ledge/NPPR Events:
Eligibility Requirements
- All residents interested in hosting an event in NPPR and Crum Ledge must attend A.R.E. training through the Office of Student Engagement (OSE). At least two residents from a NPPR or Crum Ledge apartment are required to serve as hosts each time an event is hosted in the unit. Prior to hosting the first Crum Ledge/NPPR A.R.E. event, all residents of the Crum Ledge/NPPR apartment/suite are required to attend an orientation with the Crum Ledge/NPPR Area Coordinator (or their designee) to set expectations and safety plans around future Crum Ledge/NPPR A.R.E events.
- Similar to the processes that exist for hosting an A.R.E in any approved campus location, when Crum Ledge/NPPR residents are interested in hosting an A.R.E. event in a Crum Ledge/NPPR unit, hosts must:
- Ensure that all residents of the apartment/suite agree to the full request
- Submit a Crum Ledge/NPPR A.R.E. event request form
- The hosts must meet with Crum Ledge/NPPR Area Coordinator (or their designee) to review the request.
- Note that the OSE reserves the right to limit the total number of events if staffing or other resources are not available to safely support the event.
Occupancy Requirements
- When calculating the occupancy numbers, remember to include the hosts/residents of the apartment/suite.
- Events with 1-9 attendees do not require an A.R.E permit.
- Events with 10-20 attendees do require an A.R.E. permit.
