Sponsored Events

Smith College makes space available for rental by third parties throughout the academic year and summer. Spaces are assigned rental fees to support the college’s annual operations.

From time to time, Smith makes campus spaces available at reduced cost to clients through pre-arranged sponsorship agreements. Sponsorship agreements are made when, in the judgment of senior administrators, the proposed event

• Directly supports the educational mission of the college
• Has a broad, beneficial impact on students, faculty and staff

To meet the requirement of serving the college’s educational mission, sponsorship will primarily occur during the academic year when undergraduate students and faculty can benefit most directly.

Because sponsored events have an impact on the administrative operations of the college, certain fees may be not waived.

1. Approval for sponsorship can only be secured by written approval from the provost and budget offices.
2. A 10% administrative fee will be applied to sponsored events. This administrative fee will also be charged against the full rental price of the space, even though that fee itself is waived.

Any faculty member or academic department wishing to sponsor a third-party event or program must obtain the approval in writing by the provost and budget offices. Approval is then forwarded to the Assoc. Vice President of College Relations. See application form below.

Any community organization seeking a donation, including an in-kind donation such as space usage, must make the arrangement solely through the Office of College Relations.

Faculty and staff are not permitted to receive a financial payment (including salary or stipend) from an organization approved for a sponsored event (summer or academic year). If there is any payment made directly to an employee, it would be in the form of a stipend paid by Smith, approved by the Provost, Human Resources or the Budget Office as appropriate. This falls under the college’s conflict of interest policy.

* Insurance requirements are outlined on the contract provided to the client. For liability purposes, these cannot be waived or absorbed by the college under any circumstances.

** Sponsored programs pay a reduced administrative fee of 10% of the total costs, which includes the amount that would have been charged as space rental (the amount waived).

Sponsorship application form to be filled out and submitted to the Provost’s Office.