Lounge Policies

The residence hall lounges are primarily for the use by residents and are designed to encourage a social and communal atmosphere within the halls. The following policies have been created in order to help foster this atmosphere. At the same time, these policies are meant to provide a clear set of guidelines for residents to follow if and when they want to use any lounge space for any informal or formal gathering.  

There are six lounges that can be reserved for use. They are the following: 

• Conant Hall First Floor ‐ Lounge A (with TV) 
• Conant Hall Second Floor ‐ Lounge B (near kitchen) 
• Perkins Second Floor Lounge 
• Perkins Third Floor Lounge 
• Child Basement Lounge 
• Richards Basement Lounge 

Please note: 

• Reservations are on a first‐come, first‐served basis. 
• Lounges cannot be reserved for more than six hours. 
• Reoccurring events (regular, repeated bookings of the same event) will not be approved. 
• Kitchens may not be reserved. 
• The Office of Residential Life will respond to all reservation requests within four business days. 

Lounge Request and Use 

Lounge reservations 

For all gatherings of seven or more people, lounge reservation requests must be submitted at least seven days in advance to the Office of Residential Life. Requests are managed on a first‐come, first‐served basis. Requests are only accepted through the Lounge Request Form. The person submitting the request will serve as the Event Organizer for the event and will be emailed confirmation regarding approval or non-approval. 

Resident/Non-Resident Ratio

 For all gatherings or events that happen in the residence halls, the resident-to-non‐resident ratio must be seven to three (70 percent residents to 30 percent non‐residents). Gatherings with a non‐resident attendance of more than 30 percent may be considered for approval on a case‐by‐case basis by the Office of Residential Life. Please note: Per the guest policy, residents can only have one guest at a time. 

Lounge-use Policies

When using any lounge, please follow the policies outlined below. 

Admission

Events in the residence halls should be open only to residents and their guests. Lounges in the residence halls may not be used for events open to the general public. 

Alcohol

A Student Event Services team (SES) member is required to staff parties where alcohol will be served and that will have 30 or more people in attendance. The Office of Residential Life reserves the right to require the presence of a SES team member at any event held in the residence halls if alcohol is being served. Residents can request a SES bartender here.  

The laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding alcohol must be observed. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess alcohol. It is also illegal to provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. 

The Event Organizer will be held responsible for any infractions of the laws that take place at the event. It is the responsibility of the Event Organizer to closely monitor the serving of alcohol that takes place at the event. 

The Event Organizer must ensure that nonalcoholic beverages and food are available. Alcohol must not be sold at events held in the residence halls. 

Building Access

The Event Organizer must ensure that no entry doors are propped open because propped doors compromise the security of the building for all residents. If the Event Organizer expects guests who are not residents of the residence halls, they are responsible for appointing a door monitor to stand at the building entryway and let guests in. Guests must not knock on residents’ windows for entry to the building. 

Condition of Space

The Event Organizer must ensure that the condition of the space is the same at the end of the event as it was at the beginning of the event. All trash must be collected and removed. Floors should be cleaned by vacuuming, sweeping, and/or mopping. This includes kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and surrounding areas. If the room or surrounding area is left in an unacceptable condition, a cleaning fee will be charged to the Event Organizer’s student account. 

Conduct

It is the responsibility of the Event Organizer to ensure proper conduct of all guests. If you need assistance, call your RA, the RA on duty, or HUPD. Helpful numbers include: 

• Harvard Police Department: 617‐495‐1212 
• Fire Department: 617‐495‐1212 
• University Health Services: 617‐495‐5711 

RAs are generally the first to respond to any complaints regarding events held in the residence halls. If it is necessary for the RA to follow up on a complaint during a party, they will ask to speak with the Event Organizer who needs to be present at the event. The RA will work with the Event Organizer to ensure that the complaint is resolved. 

Individual Resident Room Events

Events held in individual rooms must be confined to that room. Gatherings may not overflow into the hallway. If a resident plans to have seven or more people in their room, they must inform their RA and all the other residents on their floor about the event at least 48 hours in advance of the event. The laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding alcohol must be observed.  

Harvard University Police

The Office of Residential Life reserves the right to require a police detail at large events. Any RA, member of the Harvard Griffin GSAS staff, or University police may close down an event if they feel there is excessive noise or disorderly conduct. 

Noise

Large‐scale events cannot be held on nights prior to regularly scheduled class days or during reading or exam periods. Noise should not be audible from a resident’s room during quiet hours. Quiet hours are as follows: 

• Sunday‐Thursday, 10:00 p.m.‐7:00 a.m. 
• Friday‐Saturday, 12:00 a.m.‐9:00 a.m.