Commonwealth Honors College Events Hall
Commonwealth Honors College (CHC) allows the reservation and use of the CHC Events Hall for academic and co-curricular events compatible with the University’s academic mission.
No fee will be charged by the Honors College to academic departments for use of the CHC Events Hall. Non-academic events or events with possible attendance of 200 or more will not be allowed.
Groups reserving the CHC Events Hall are not allowed to do their own set-up or breakdown of the space. The organizer must contact Facilities & Campus Services (FCS) and Classroom Technology Services (CTS) as directed below for furniture set-up and audio-visual equipment or technology needs. The Honors College will require confirmation of the request submitted to FCS and CTS, before confirming the reservation.
Signature Programming at Commonwealth Honors College
Commonwealth Honors College offers signature programs throughout the year providing exclusive opportunities to gain insight into cutting edge scholarship, to foster global perspectives and diverse viewpoints, and to promote dialogue about contemporary issues.
Learn about Honors Events Signature Programming
Availability
The CHC Events Hall is available for use by academic departments from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. on weekends.
Priority Groups and Programs
- Commonwealth Honors College and its Residential Community (CHCRC) programs take priority over other requests.
- This may require, on occasion, the rescheduling of academic department events.
Reservation Process
- The Honors College has established these guidelines for the use of the CHC Events Hall to preserve the integrity of the space and its furnishings.
- To ensure that the Commonwealth Honors College and its Residential Community (CHCRC) programs are in place to minimize any rescheduling, dates requested before a semester starts may be declined.
- Requests for use of the CHC Events Hall should be submitted well in advance of the planned event to ensure space and support availability.
- Please review the Reservations Policies below before submitting your request.
Submitting a CHC Events Hall Reservation Request for use of the CHC Events Hall will constitute your agreement to abide by the Reservation Policies.
Steps for Requesting Reservation
- Please check the Honors College Events Hall calendar to ensure the date you are requesting is available.
- After you have checked availability, please fill out the CHC Events Hall Request Google form.
- From here, the Events Hall coordinator will either Confirm or Deny your request. If your event is approved, the space will be tentatively held on the calendar. You will then receive an email from the Events Hall coordinator prompting you to fill out the Indoor Event Support Request form to arrange for setup, breakdown, and cleaning services (required). The submission of this form is required to ensure event setup. If your request is denied, you will receive an email from CHC offering alternate spaces on campus.
- Once your Indoor Event Support Request is processed, you will receive a work task number assigned to your inbox event support request from Facilities and Campus Services (F&CS). Please note that this may take several days.
- This will be the approval and confirmation of your booking. It is not officially reserved until you receive this email.
NOTE: If CHC does not receive your email with the F&CS assigned task # within 96 hours (4 days) of your event date, CHC will cancel the tentative reservation.
The facilitators of the Commonwealth Honors College Events Hall at UMass Amherst reserve the right to approve or deny event requests, regardless of the calendar availability displayed, since there are many factors for consideration.
In addition, when reviewing event availability, please note that the facility requires a full hour for cleanup following a prior event. If sufficient time for both setup and cleanup is not available, your request will be declined. For example, if the calendar indicates an event that concludes at 2:00 PM, please account for an additional hour for cleanup. You may request an event time of 4:00 PM, but not 3:00 PM.
*Please be aware that exceptions may apply depending on event timing and setup requirements. In such cases, you will be contacted directly to discuss the details. However, your event date will not be confirmed until all details have been finalized.
Reservation Policies
Responsibility for Arrangements
All event arrangements are the financial responsibility of the academic department reserving the space. While CHC does not charge a fee for the use of the Event Hall, we do not cover any costs associated with the event including promotion of the event, room set-up and breakdown, catering, cleaning, or any other costs.
Furniture may not be removed or moved from/in the CHC Events Hall by anyone other than Facilities & Campus Services. The piano may not be moved.
Custodial Service
Custodial service is required for ALL events and the academic department is responsible for payment of all related fees. The need for custodial services must be noted on the Indoor Event Support Request to Facilities & Campus Services.
If an event is canceled, the academic department is responsible for notifying Facilities & Campus Services and assumes responsibility for any custodial fees associated with a late cancellation notice.
The reserving department is responsible for ensuring the area that any materials are removed from the CHC Events Hall at the conclusion of their event.
Food and Beverage Service
Food and beverages are allowed to be served in the CHC Events Hall. Full-service catering is allowed using UMass Amherst Catering only. Other vendors may be used for food delivery only. (The vendor only delivers with no setup or cleanup.)
Responsibility for Damages
Reserving departments will be charged actual costs for any breakage, damage or loss of property associated with their event. This includes, but is not limited to, replacement of missing property, carpet cleaning, piano tuning, or repair of damaged furniture, equipment, windows, and building fixtures.
Lost Items
Commonwealth Honors College is not responsible for any items lost or stolen during an event.