Space Reservations/EMS

All spaces at Bates College belong to the college, which will allocate and assign space to best support and further the academic mission of the institution. Although some venues are designed to support a specific college purpose, that designation does not imply control or ownership of that space. Use of those spaces with special designation may require additional approval. If you have questions of need assistance please contact the Conferences and Campus Events Office at dcceinquiries@groups.bates.edu.

All requests for space must be made through the master scheduling system (EMS) at https://events.bates.edu which is managed by Dining, Conferences and Campus Events. An event is not considered approved until the requestor receives an official approval from the EMS system. 

How to Request a Space

  • Determine if your event is internal or external.
    • Internal Event: more than 50% of the intended audience is from the Bates community
    • External Event: less than 50% of the intended audience is from the Bates community
  • 1. General Space Reservations
  • Booking System: All space requests must be submitted through EMS – Event Management System- and must be sponsored by a Bates College recognized department or student organization.
  • Internal vs. External Events
  • Internal Events (≥50% Bates participants): space may only be reserved by current faculty, staff, academic/administrative departments, or recognized student organizations. Student organization requests require Campus Life approval before final DCCE confirmation and a sponsor representative must be present.
  • External Events (<50% Bates participants): Must be sponsored by an internal department or student organization and arranged through DCCE. Proof of insurance and facility fees apply, and a sponsor representative must be present.
  • Advance Notice:
    • Requests ( long Form): Must be submitted at least 5 working days in advance. Requests submitted with less notice may be denied, particularly if they involve extra services like catering, room set-ups, or special equipment.
    • Ez Request Form Requests: Require no advance notice. These requests must be standard and cannot include changes to room reconfigurations, special set-up set-up changes, or special accommodations.
  • Non-Academic Spaces: Available on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Academic Spaces (Classrooms/Labs): Reserved exclusively for academic scheduling until 7 days after the semester starts. After this grace period, classrooms become available to anyone on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Course Scheduling in Non-Academic Space: Semester/Short Term courses require Registrar vetting before being booked in non-academic spaces. One-time academic events in non-academic spaces do not require Registrar approval, but must still be reserved via EMS.
  • Care of Facilities: Requesters are responsible for leaving spaces in their original condition. Damage or excessive mess will result in facilities charges. 
  • Attendee Responsibility: The booking department or organization is responsible for ensuring all attendees adhere to Bates College policies and procedures. 
  • Access:  A representative from the booking department or internal organization must be present on-site during the event to manage access control, monitor attendee entry, and ensure smooth on-site coordination.
  •  Approval Priorities: Academic missions take precedence during scheduling conflicts. Internal events take priority over external requests during the academic year.
  • Minors on Campus: Any event involving minors (<18 years old) require a completed Title IX Compliance form prior to approval. Contact titleix@bates.edu.
  • 3. Safety & Large Event Protocols For events expecting over 250 attendees i
  • Contact EH&S Line… to schedule a site walkthrough 24 to 36 hours prior to the start of your event to complete Event Management Safety Checklist 
  • Provide one trained Event Manager for every 250 attendees.
  • Read the Facility Safety Announcement at the start of the event.
  • 4. Catering, Technical Support & Tabling
  • Tech Support: Request A/V support as far in advance as possible per the Event Support Policy and Video Recording Policy.
  • Tabling: Limited to staff, faculty, departments, and student organizations for up to three consecutive days.
  • Catering Deadlines: Submit via dccebobcatcatering@groups.bates.edu. This is separate from the EMS reservation
  • In accordance with federal, state and local fire code any event taking place in the following locations with an anticipated participation greater than 250, an Event Management Safety Checklist must be completed and forwarded to the Conferences and Campus Events Office, or other appropriately designated office, no less than 24 hours prior to the event. Additionally, a trained Event Manager must be on site for every 250 attendees and the facility safety announcement must be read at the beginning of the event. Please contact events@groups.bates.edu for Event Management Safety Checklists and pre-event announcements.
    • Alumni Gym
    • Chapel
    • Chase High Ceiling
    • Gray Gym
    • Mays Center
    • Merrill Field House
    • Olin Concert Hall
    • Schaffer Theater
    • Underhill Arena
  • Requests for use of campus facilities for internal events (50 percent or more of those involved in the event are from Bates) can be made only by current faculty or staff, student organizations, academic/administrative departments, or by contacting the Conferences and Campus Events Office. Note that requests from student organizations must be approved by Campus Life prior to final approval by DCCE.
  • Requests for use of campus facilities for external events (less than 50 percent of those involved are from Bates) must either be “sponsored” by an academic/administrative department or student organization and must be arranged through the Conferences and Campus Events Office. In this case, proof of insurance will be required and a facilities fee will be applied. A representative of the sponsoring group must be present for the event. Note that requests from student organizations must be approved by Campus Life prior to final approval by DCCE.
  • Tabling reservations can only be made by current staff, faculty, academic/administrative departments, student organizations or by contacting the Conferences and Campus Events Office. No more than three consecutive days may be requested.
  • Should there be multiple requests for the same space at the same time, priority will be given to any event having an academic mission. The Campus Scheduler will then work with the other requesters to find alternative space.
  • During the academic year, requests to use space by internal constituents take priority over external requests. Any event involving Minors (those under 18) must complete a Title 9 Compliance form the event will be approved. Please contact Gwen Lexow, Director of Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance at titleix@bates.edu
  • Catering requests must be submitted through dccebobcatcatering@groups.bates.edu
    • Requests for catering must be made five business days prior to the event. There is no guarantee that late requests can be accommodated and, if accommodated, will be charged a $150.00 late fee.
    • Catering requests which include beer/wine service must be submitted with no less than a ten working day notice. Late requests will not be approved.
    • Spaces booked for events that will include catering, cannot be booked using the EZ Form.
    • Check out the Catering Site for more information or questions.