CES Policies

Hood College is committed to the responsible stewardship of its campus and facilities. The Office of Conference & Event Services works in partnership with College leadership and campus departments to determine the appropriate use of each space based on its intended design, purpose, capacity, operational requirements, and the College's mission. 

Hood College reserves the right to determine whether a proposed event is appropriate for campus and may deny, relocate or cancel reservations that are inconsistent with College policies, institutional priorities or the intended use of a facility.

• Athletic Spaces: Reservations for athletic facilities require approval from both the the Director of Conference & Event Services and the athletics department for the following athletic spaces: Ronald J. Volpe Athletic Center (Woodsboro Arena, Auxillary Stations, Concessions Area, 2nd Floor Hospitality Suite, Hodson Fitness Center); Nicodemus Field House; Thomas Athletic Field; and Hood Softball Field.
  • This collaborative review ensures facility availability, supports athletic programming, and
  • Hood College is an NCAA member institution, all events held in athletic facilities are also subject to NCAA compliance review. Compliance is an ongoing process, and event organizers may be asked to provide additional information throughout the planning process to ensure the event remains consistent with NCAA regulations and College policies.
• Library Spaces: Conference & Event Services manages reservations for the Board Room (2006), Second Floor Reading Porch, and Library event spaces. 
  • All other library study rooms must be reserved through LibCal using Hood Microsoft credentials.
  • Please note that the Doctoral Program, often uses Room 1026, 2006, 2028 and 2020 year round for courses. These classes are a institutional priority. 
• Huntsinger Aquatics Center: If you are interest in becoming a member, please contact Ashley Gardner, director of aquatics. 
• Mosaic 220 and Apple 2: These spaces are primarily utilized for student activities, Apple 2 serves as the office for Student Government Association and Mosaic 220, can be reserved by Students or Students Organizations for programming via Student Engagement Office. Please refer to Event Request Process for more information.
• Residence Halls
  • During the Academic Year: Residence halls are primarily reserved for residential use and residence life programming. Event requests within residence halls are subject to approval by the Office of Residence Life.
  • Summer Season (Late May–July 30): During the summer months, the Office of Conference & Event Services coordinates with the Office of Residence Life, the Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement, the Graduate School, and the Capital Projects Committee to accommodate approved external groups in residence halls. Residence hall availability varies each summer, and not all buildings are available for housing.
  • Blazer Hall Honors Suite: Reserved exclusively for Honors Program activities and is not available for general event reservations.
  • Blazer Hall Classroom (Room 112): This space functions as a classroom and is under the purview of scheduling of the registrar. For non-academic use, Blazer 112 must be reserved year-round through the Office of Conference & Event Services.
  • Blazer Hall Lounge (Room 108):Available for reservation by members of the Hood College community with approval from both the Office of Conference & Event Services and the Office of Residence Life. Because the lounge includes a shared kitchen used by Blazer Hall residents, event organizers must comply with community standards and ensure residents maintain reasonable access to the kitchen throughout the event.

• Facilities must be reserved for full hours only in 60-minute increments.
• Reservations must account for the set up and tear down time, as well as housekeeping between events.  
• If usage extends beyond the reserved time, additional charges may apply. 
• Event organizers are responsible for leaving the space clean and disposing of all trash at the conclusion of the event. 
• Hood College is a multi-use campus, often student activities, maintenance or other events may be happening simultaneously. 
• To ensure a safe and accessible event space, all lessees must ensure that the facility maintains clear and unobstructed egress paths to all emergency exits. Additionally, event venues must have clearly defined walkways within the venue that are at least 36 inches wide.
• The State of Maryland requires public assemblies to have one (1) Certified Crowd Manager per 250 attendees. At least one trained and certified Crowd Manager is required for any public assembly with event with 50 more attendees. 

To ensure timely and accurate processing, please submit requests through the appropriate channel as indicated below. Using the correct system helps us deliver consistent service and efficient support for campus events. 

• Staff: All internal campus requests must be submitted via Ad Astra  
  • Event requests require at least seven (7) days notice to allow time for approval and coordination with relevant departments.
• Faculty: Please use Ad Astra to view availability of event space. Faculty must coordinate all room request with Faculty Service Admin. Its is important to work with your FSA for budgeting purposes, to ensure proper event support and limit booking conflicts.
• Undergraduate Student Organizations: Event and space requests should be submitted through the Office of Student Engagement.
  •  Event requests require at least seven (7) days notice to allow time for approval and coordination with relevant departments.
• Graduate Student Organizations: Graduate students must submit event request through The Graduate Student Association (GSA) or by coordinating with Georgia Braun, executive assistant and event manager of The Graduate School. 
• External Users: Please submit a request through our Online Inquiry Form and our staff will response as soon as possible. 
  • Please be aware that submitting an inquiry or request does not guarantee a reservation. 
  • Your event is only secured once confirmation and/or a contract has been finalized.
  • Whenever possible, event organizers are encouraged to submit requests well in advance. Campus spaces are scheduled on a first-available basis while giving priority to academic classes and official College events, so early planning provides the greatest opportunity to secure your preferred venue.

• Please submit a request through our Online Inquiry Form and our staff will response as soon as possible. 
• Please be aware that submitting an inquiry or request does not guarantee a reservation. 
• Your event is only secured once confirmation and/or a contract has been finalized.
• To finalize your booking external rental users must review, sign and complete a digital contract. 
• Tax-exempt organizations must provide a copy of their tax-exempt certificate before contracting.
• A non-refundable retainer, approximately 20% of the full facility fee, is due at the time of contract signing. The retainer, is required to finalize your event reservation. 
• The non-refundable retainer is applied to the full amount owed. 
• Failure to pay the retainer or facility rental fee in full by the stated due date may result in your reservation not being finalized, and the requested date(s) may be released. 
•  Full facility rental payment is due no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled event date unless otherwise defined by the terms of the users written contract.

Hood College is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all event participants. When submitting your event request, please let us know of any accessibility accommodations or needs so we can assist in planning an accessible event.

While most campus buildings and event spaces are accessible, Hood College is a historic campus, and some facilities may have accessibility limitations. Conference & Event Services will work with you to recommend the most appropriate venue based on your event's accessibility needs.If your event requires accommodations such as American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, CART services, or other specialized accessibility services, these arrangements are the responsibility and expense of the event organizer.

For additional guidance on planning an accessible event, including venue recommendations and accessibility considerations, please refer to our Event Planning Recommendations

Undergraduate Events: Alcohol is generally not permitted at events where undergraduate students or minors would be in attendance.

Faculty, Staff and Graduate Events: If alcohol is permitted to be served at a faculty, staff and/or graduate event it must:

• Be served on a complimentary basis.
• All alcohol must be served by an Alcohol Awareness Certified Server recognized by the Frederick County Liquor Board. Servers must provide proof of certification and receive approval from the Office of Conference & Event Services before the event.
• Alcohol may only be served and consumed within a designated area as approved by the Office of Conference & Events. 
• Only individuals 21 years of age or older may be served alcohol. Valid identification must be presented. Accepted forms of ID include state-issued driver’s licenses (horizontal only) and passports. Vertical IDs are not accepted, regardless of age.
• All servers must enforce all state alcohol laws. All Alcohol Awareness–certified server and Hood College staff reserve the right to refuse alcohol service to any guest at their discretion.
• The alcohol and serve ware and accessories is responsibility and expense of the event organizer.

External Users:

• Alcohol is the responsibility and expense of event organizer. 
• The external event organizer must retain receipts for all alcohol purchased for the event and provide copies to the Office of Conference & Event Services.
• Alcohol may only be served and consumed within a designated area as approved by the Office of Conference & Event Services.
• All Alcohol must be served by an Alcohol Awareness Certified Server as recognized by Frederick County Liquor Board. 
• All servers must enforce all state alcohol laws. All Alcohol Awareness–trained servers and Hood College staff reserve the right to refuse alcohol service to any guest at their discretion.
• If alcohol is sold—whether through a cash bar, included in the admission or ticket price, raffled or exchanged for tokens or donations—a Special One-Day Liquor License from Frederick County is Required. 
  • The Office of Conference & Events Services must sign the Liquor Licenses Application as the Landlord/ Property Owner.
  • The cost of the Special Day Liquor Licenses is the responsibility and expense of the event organizer.
  • Upon request, our staff will assist in creation of an alcohol plan as required by the application.
  • A copy of the completed and approved licenses must be provided to the Office of Conference & Events before the event. 
  • If an event applies for a Special One Day Liquor Licenses, they should expect a minimum of one (1) on-site inspection during their event. 
  • All events serving alcohol, are required to have Certified Crowd Managers.
  • A separate license may be required for raffles including alcohol. Please contact the Frederick County Liquor Board for more details. 

The Office of Campus Safety is a full-service public safety office that oversees campus safety, crime awareness, crime prevention and education, parking, safety escorts, vehicle assistance, and managing vehicular and traffic control on campus. 

• As Hood College is private property, Campus Safety officers have the authority to remove any individual whose conduct is disruptive, unsafe, or in violation of College policies.
• Located in Whitaker Campus Center, Room 108, Campus Safety Console Attendants are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist with emergencies, authorized building access, safety escorts, vehicle assistance, key management, and general non-administrative assistance outside of regular business hours.
• Conference & Event Services may direct event organizers to Campus Safety for after-hours building access or to pick up and return event keys. To request building access or secure a facility, contact Campus Safety's non-emergency line at 301-696-3548
• Any medical or emergency incident that occurs during the event must be reported immediately to Campus Safety and the Office of Conference and Event Services. There are 17 outdoor emergency blue light phones on campus; in the event of an emergency, call 911 and notify Campus Safety immediately by calling 301-696-3111. The full name, contact number and description of the incident must be reported immediately. Non-life-threatening incidents can be reported post-event by email to security@hood.eduand events@hood.edu Failure to report incidents will result in non-booking for future events
• The primary responsibility of Campus Safety is the safety of the campus, students, faculty and staff. Their attention may be redirected to these primary responsibilities at any given time, meaning Campus Safety is not exclusively for events held on campus.
• Event organizers are welcome to contract dedicated event security with a certified security firm or the Frederick Police Department. If private security is contracted, there must be a pre-event security meeting at least seven (7) business days prior to the event. 
• Campus Safety may issue parking citations for visitors who block access to facilities, park in fire lanes or park in non-designated areas such as grassy spaces.

• Hood College is a cashless organization and accepts Checks or online payments. 
• Checks Payments should be made payable to Hood College. Check payments can be made directly to the accounting office on the second floor of Alumnae Hall or mailed Hood College Attn: Audrey Vargason, 401 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, MD 21701
• Online payments may be made through our secure booking portal. Clients will receive a secure payment link to complete their transaction electronically. 
• Any fees associated with credit card processing are the responsibility of the user and will be reflected as an additional charge on the users invoice.
• Full facility rental payment is due no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled event date unless otherwise defined by the terms of this agreement. Failure to pay the retainer or facility rental fee in full by the stated due date may result in your reservation not being finalized, and the requested date(s) may be released. 
• Events booked within 30 days of the event date must pay the facility rental fee in full at contract signing. Failure to receive full payment 7 days prior to the event will result in cancellation and release of the reservation.
• A non-refundable retainer, approximately 20% of the full facility fee, is due at the time of contract signing. The retainer, is applied to the full amount owed. 
• Any contractual overages or additional charges (including, but not limited to, additional catering charges, additional rental fees, contractual overtime, damages, excessive cleaning, services, or equipment used beyond the original agreement) must be paid prior to departure from the facilities via online credit card payment.
• A late fee of 2% will be assessed for every 30 days that an invoice remains unpaid. Accounts with balances unpaid for more than 60 days may be referred to a collection agency. Please note that lessees who fail to remit payment within 60 days of the invoice date will be deemed ineligible to rebook Hood College facilities for future use.

External users shall procure and maintain general liability insurance with a minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in aggregate, governing all participants during the usage period at Hood College. General liability insurance must list Hood College as an “additional insured.”  Should the event be deemed high risk, the College reserves the right to request an increase in coverage for the usage period. Certificate of Insurance (CIOs) are due seven (7) days before to the date of use. 

• During severe weather conditions, campus access may be restricted to allow for safe treatment of parking lots and roadways and to ensure the proper operation of building systems, including proper facility heating. 
• In the event of a declared State of Emergency by City, County or State, all leased facilities must remain closed in accordance with the law and travel restrictions. No leased facility or its employees shall be considered essential under these circumstances. 
• When the Colleges moved into a Open-Remote Status or Closed Status, all extracurricular activities and programming are also cancelled.
• If the College is operating on a delayed or adjusted schedule, lessees will be notified as soon as information becomes available. Lessee organizations may reschedule canceled events at no additional cost, subject to facility availability. 
• It is the responsibility for Directors to communicate closures, delays or adjusted schedules to the lessee/ facility users. 
  • For Huntsinger Aquatic Center please contact Ashley Gardner, Director of Aquatics 
  • For Volpe Athletic Center, Nicodemus Athletic Complex, Thomas Athletic Field please contact Sue Kolb, Director of Athletics
  • All other external users should contact Audrey Vargason, Director of Conference & Events. 

• Parking on the Hood College campus is free but may be limited at times. 
• All guests are strongly encouraged to view our interactive campus map prior to arriving to campus. 
• Parking Recommendations by Venue 
  • Whitaker Campus Center & The Commons: Public street parking along Rosemont Avenue & Whitaker Lot (Address: 401 Ferndale Avenue, Frederick, MD)
  • Hodson Auditorium at Rosenstock Hall: Public street parking along Rosemont Avenue & Whitaker Lot (Address: 401 Ferndale Avenue, Frederick, MD)
  • Hodson Science: Hodson Science Lot (Address: 521 Hodson Drive, Frederick, MD)
  • Academic Buildings: East Campus Lot (Address: 501 Brodbeck Drive, Frederick, MD)
  • Coffman Chapel: East Campus Lot/Chapel Lot (Address: 521 Coffman Chapel Drive, Frederick, MD)
  • Coblentz Hall/ Seminar Room: East Campus Lot (Address: 501 Brodbeck Drive, Frederick, MD)
  • Volpe Athletic Center: Volpe Center & East Campus/Chapel Lot (Address: 601 Blazer Trail, Frederick, MD)
• Guest should plan to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to event start time to find parking and walk to the event venue. 
• Campus Safety may issue parking citations for visitors who block access to facilities, park in fire lanes or park in non-designated areas such as grassy spaces. 
• Public parking is available on Rosemont Avenue and surrounding city streets, and attendees should be mindful of all posted signs and parking regulations on and off campus.  
• Conference and Event Services Staff will advise the Lessee on a parking plan to ensure parking is coordinated for all events occurring on campus. 

If you would like to request the Colleges president attend your event and/or give remarks, please contact Lori Armstrong, Executive Assistant to the President & Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Once confirmed please complete an Event Information Sheet.  Please submit your event information sheet, a minimum of 10 days before to your confirmed event. 

If an event involves minors, the Certificate of Insurance must clearly demonstrate that the policy includes coverage for sexual abuse and molestation.

 Event organizers are also required to provide documentation verifying that all individuals working directly with minors have successfully completed the appropriate background checks and/or fingerprinting, as applicable. In addition, all event organizers and personnel working with minors must review and sign Hood College's Minor Protection Operating Guidelines prior to the event.

The Office of Conference & Event Services coordinates event setup requests with facilities and other campus partners. To ensure adequate time to plan and coordinate, setup requests should be submitted at least seven (7) days before the event. For large multi-day events, set ups must be received at least twenty (20) days before the event. Early submissions are strongly encouraged, as last-minute requests may not be accommodated due to staffing and campus resource limitations.

• Undergraduate Student Events: Student organizations are generally responsible for setting up and returning their event space to its original condition unless other arrangements have been made in advance with the Office of Conference & Event Services. When requesting a space, students should include sufficient time for both setup and teardown. Event organizers are also responsible for leaving the space clean and disposing of all trash at the conclusion of the event. 
• Graduate Events: Event and space requests should be submitted through either the Graduate Student Association or by contacting Georgia Braun, Executive Assistant & Event Manager of the Graduate School.
• External Users: Conference & Event Services coordinates room setups based on the approved floor plan and event requirements submitted during the pre-event planning process.

• Event Organizers are responsible for coordinating a signage with the Office of Conference & Event Services and MARCOM.
• Signage may not be displayed, on or attached to building exterior, structure, railing or handrails without permission. 
  • Fencing around athletics fields are excluded from this limitation.
• Signage that requires placing a spike, post, or base in the ground (including pole banner, bow banners, flags) must be installed by facilities to avoid damage to underground utilities. 
• Chalking must be water soluble, dry stick chalk specifically designed for writing or drawing on concrete or paved sidewalks. The use of aerosol spray chalk, markers, paints (latex or oil-based) and similar products are prohibited. 
• Advertisement for events may displayed no earlier than two weeks before the date of the event. Event signage may not be placed any earlier than 2 days prior to the event. 
• Temporary signage must be removed after the event concludes, before the event organizers leaves the campus. If signage is not removed within 24 hours after the conclusion of the event, the College reserves the right to remove and dispose of the signage. 
• Generally, event signage may not be placed in the following locations:
  • In pergola 
  • On the bricks or near the fountain on the Jeanne Zimmerman Gearery '52 Alumni Plaza.
  • On the fence on 7th Street (due to county restrictions.)
  • On steps (due to ADA issues)
  • On or blocking exisiting wayfinding or donor signs. 
  • Any location that would block an entrance or exit of a building.
  • On, under or near light or utility boxes or lines.
  • On, under or near traffic signs or security/emergency call boxes.