Space Guidelines
Final Two Weeks of Classes
Only final exam related activities (exams, reviews, study sessions, etc) will be scheduled in Edward St. John during the last week of fall and spring semester, on Reading Day and Final Exam week(s).
Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center (ESJ) supports academic classes, symposiums, lectures and meetings. The wide range of spaces can accommodate small gatherings as well as large lectures, and presentations. The state-of-the art TERP Classrooms in Edward St. John offer multiple projectors, camera/audio recording capabilities, as well as Webex conferencing.
The TERP Classrooms and Huddle Rooms are available free of charge to academic units and campus departments for academic purposes during the building’s normal operating hours. ESJ classrooms become available for reservation in accordance with the Office of the Registrar’s policies on booking General Purpose Classrooms.
ESJ’s conference rooms are only available to units housed within the building.
What Can Be Booked in a General Purpose Classroom
General Purpose Classrooms are used for class instruction, study, or other like activity. Events in GPCs must be compatible with the academic nature of the classrooms and academic building. Non-class events are welcome, but they must not adversely impact the classroom, its contents, or the surrounding area.
Activities that are not compatible with GPCs include:
- Amplified music
- Dinners/Receptions
- Dances
- Parties
- Events that require re-finishing of rooms or removal of equipment/furniture.
- Any event that adversely impacts the classroom directly, or that impacts research, study, or other academic pursuit in areas adjacent to classrooms.
UMD has many venues that support the types of events listed above. Alternative venues include the Stamp Student Union, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, and Riggs Alumni Center.
Food and Catering
Food, drink, and/or catering setups are not allowed in the classrooms or carpeted areas of Edward St John.
ESJ allows simple catering set-ups (grab and go sandwiches, coffee service, etc) on the tiled floors outside the TERP Classrooms. Use of this space incurs a rental fee, and possible housekeeping fees. Attendees may eat food at the various tables already in the building. Attendees are not permitted to bring the food into the TERP Classroom.
Event organizers may rent up to (6) tables from ESJ for catering set-ups. ESJ does not provide linen, and additional table needs must be arranged by user and brought to and removed from the building for the event.
Rental Rates
Reservations outside normal operating hours, events that charge participants to attend, and the use of public spaces for catering set-ups will incur a rental fee.
Event Host Responsibility
The hosting organization or department is responsible for the information provided when making a reservation. The requestor will be required to designate a contact person who is responsible for the proper conduct of the event and for returning the classroom to its original configuration. Authorization to use reserved space cannot be transferred or loaned to another organization or individual without prior written/e-mail approval from the operations manager (OM).
The type of activity of the event may not be changed from that requested without prior written approval from the OM. Specifically, an event may not be changed from those identified above as compatible to those listed as non-compatible.
Transferring, loaning or sub-leasing a reservation or misrepresenting the intended use of the room is a serious matter that may result in immediate suspension of a group's eligibility to use classroom facilities. Requests to change or cancel an event must be communicated to the OM at least two weeks’ prior to the event.
A reservation does not provide event services such as technical support, catering, extra custodial support or security. These items are examples of extra services that may be arranged on a fee-for-service basis. Please contact the operations manager regarding these services. Under no circumstances is furniture or other property to be removed from the room or removed from other rooms. The host is responsible for any extra cleanup fees or damages to the facility incurred during the course of the event or during the event set-up and take-down. Any items brought in for the event should be removed promptly and the room returned to its original arrangement within the reservation time frame.
Failure to adhere to these policies may subject the hosting organization to future deposit charges and/or restriction of space usage privileges.
University of Maryland Classroom Support is available to help with AV troubleshooting during the below hours.
Monday - Thursday from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm
Friday from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
They can be reached at 301.405.2500 or classrooms@umd.edu.
Expectations
All users of classrooms are expected to leave the classroom and its equipment in good order. This includes leaving chairs and tables straightened, electronic equipment shut off, taking away or disposing of everything one came in with, such as posterboard, newspapers, etc. Users are expected to return the room to a class-ready condition.
Facilities Information
Rooms are provided in "as is" condition. Regular custodial servicing of general purpose classrooms occurs after hours during the late evening and overnight shifts. For many events, rooms may need to be straightened and tidied prior to the event start. This pre-servicing is not provided in the event reservation but is available if arranged as part of the event reservation in advance on a fee for service basis. If the reservation requires additional cleaning prior to or after the event, payment for the additional custodial services will be built into the User Agreement. The operations manager will then coordinate custodial arrangements with housekeeping.
Setup of desks, tables, booths, or food service in hallways or public space must be arranged in advance with the operations manager. Any use of hallways should not impede general circulation through the building or adversely impact classrooms, their contents, or the surrounding areas.
Event organizers may rent up to (6) tables from ESJ for catering set-ups. ESJ does not provide linen, and additional table needs must be arranged by user and brought to and removed from the building for the event.
Digital Signage
ESJ can upload content to the display screens in the building. Users can submit a single slide that will play on loop along with other content. Slides are displayed at the discretion of the Office of Strategic Communications and must meet certain guidelines. Only faculty and staff are permitted to submit content. ESJ does not have the ability to display day-of scheduling or other content specific to an event.
Contact Us
For all questions or inquiries about space in Edward St. John, please call 301.405.4702 or email esj@umd.edu.