Page 88 - Smith College Student Handbook 16-17

Social Events
Social Events Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
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About Social Events
The College provides numerous opportunities for students to engage in an active social life on campus, as well as in the Five College area. The
Student Event Committee is responsible for scheduling campus wide activities during the year. Social events planned by students may include
ice cream parties, coffee houses, fundraisers by student organizations, intramural athletic events between houses, performance groups, dance
parties scheduled in the houses and in Campus Center, and other social events which are limited only by the imagination of students and
student groups. For more information go to: https://www.smith.edu/sao/reslife/requestingevents.php.

Be sure to check the weekly schedule of events in e-digest, the Sophian and the Five College Calendar, as well as posters and announcements
on college bulletin boards, for concerts, films, house parties and dances held on campus, around Northampton and in the valley. Also,
the Smith Social Network from the Office of Student Engagement publicizes campus social events.

Definition of Social Events
A social event is defined as a function at which there are both Smith students and their guests.

Every member of the Smith College community is individually responsible for themself and their guests at social events. In addition, anyone
serving alcoholic beverages has both a personal and a legal responsibility to know and comply with the policies of Smith College and the laws
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding the sale, consumption and serving of alcoholic beverages. An event host must abide by and
oversee that the registration, party rules and guidelines to serving alcohol are followed. Students may find it useful to review the Smith College
policies regarding alcohol and Student Conduct and Social Responsibility: Prohibited Conduct sections in this online handbook.

Social System
Each undergraduate Smith student is a member of the social system and is welcome to participate in all social events taking place on campus
and in residential houses. The social system is funded through the student activities fee (SAF) and by the college. A portion of each student’s
SAF goes to their house.

This money becomes the basis for the house social budget and the “campus pool.” A small amount is placed in the campus pool to be used
by houses and for the operating needs of the system, such as booklets, bracelets and student leader training. Houses planning additional
events that might exceed the allotted house social budget may petition for funding from the campus pool. In accordance with the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts law and Smith College policy, money obtained through the social system fee, including the campus pool,
may not be used to purchase alcoholic beverages. Further information about the social system and fee structure can be found in the Guide to
Student Organizations and Event Planning and the House Events Guide.

Registration of Social Events
All campus events sponsored by an organization and all house social events (parties, cocktails, mocktails, after hours, senior banquets, small
private events and senior wine and cheese events) held in a campus house must be registered. All Organizations and Houses must register
their event by completing the Event Form found on the Smith Social Network.

HOUSE EVENTS
The general guidelines for parties and social events are as follows:

1. Gatherings of 10 or more students in student rooms or apartments are considered parties and must be registered with the
coordinator of house events in the Department of Residence Life. In a residence house, the event must be held in a public space of
the house and is not to include the house corridors or student rooms.
2. It is mandatory that area coordinators do a walk-through with each house leader and review the setup of parties in each house with
the head resident/house coordinator, house president, house community adviser and house social event coordinators before each
party. Such review includes assessing arrangements such as the location of the bar and setup of door watch, stair watch, etc. to see
if any suggestions can be made to help make the party run smoothly and the house more secure. This review will also be offered to
all sponsors of apartment events.
3. Residence Life reserves the right to limit the number of parties on any night.
4. All house and organizations' parties end by 1 a.m. At this time all entertainment must stop. On winter and spring weekends, after-
hours parties may last until 2 a.m.; however the noise level for entertainment must be contained within the house and no alcohol
may be served. All apartment parties must end by 11 p.m. on Sundays-Thursdays and by 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
5. No student organization or house may hold a social event after the last class of each semester. For example, if classes end at 5 p.m.,
no social events or parties may be held after that time.
6. Failure to comply with social system guidelines, college policies, and /or state or federal law will result in a suspension in party
registration privileges by the Department of Residence Life professional staff, and may also result in a referral to the College
Conduct Board. Federal, state and local prosecution may also be possible.

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