Policies and Procedures for College-Related Events

Campus Master Calendar Policy and Procedures

• Gordon College’s calendar for all campus events is maintained by the Events and Scheduling Team using the 25Live scheduling system. The 25Live scheduling system notes major, moderate-sized and minor-sized events taking place on campus in order to avoid conflicts in scheduling and planning by different groups and departments, and to provide a central clearinghouse for events at the College.

Registering Your Event and Reserving Campus Facilities

All groups and individuals planning an event must register their event into the 25Live scheduling system. To access 25Live, Google Chrome or Firefox browsers are recommended. Login using your Gordon College username (first name.last name), and then your Gordon College password.

Once the event/space request is received and reviewed for conflicts with events already on the calendar, notice will be sent back to the event planner to proceed, or to choose an alternate date, time or venue for the proposed event. Please allow extra time in your planning for the registration/approval process.

The event registration process must be completed and the event approval notification received before

• You confirm any event dates for advertising.
• You reserve any campus services such as Gordon Police, CTS, or Physical Plant in support of your event. Please submit requests to Catering for an event concurrently with your 25Live space request through their CaterTrax system.

Registered events will be posted to the 25Live website for access by the campus community and beyond. This not only aids other groups as they plan around upcoming events; it also provides the community with access to a variety of planned student, departmental and campus events hosted at Gordon College.

Off-campus groups and individuals must make arrangements to use campus facilities through the Events and Scheduling Team.

Please take note of the following as you prepare to schedule your event:

• All regular service requests (CTS, Physical Plant, Catering, etc.) need to be submitted at least two weeks prior to the start date of the event.
• Any outsourced catering cannot be placed on the same table as Metz Catering.
• For any high-level CTS tech support needs, it is preferred that CTS receive the event information at least one month in advance of the start date of your event for support tickets. Please contact [email protected] for further questions.
• During the summer, Gordon is closed on Sundays before 1pm.

For more information or questions, reach out to [email protected].

Advertising / Posters

Any individual or group desiring to advertise/promote on campus MUST have their event registered before gaining permission to post notices and announcements for on-campus events. Posters and signs must also be approved by the Office of Student Life. Email an electronic PDF of the advertisement to [email protected] for approval, allowing two business days for a response. Once approved, the Office of Student Life will apply an electronic stamp on the document. Visit the Administrative Services Resource folder to learn options for printing. Posters or advertisements that have not been approved, or that advocate or encourage conduct not in keeping with the College Life and Conduct Statement, will be taken down immediately. Any advertisement must be taken down by the sponsoring group within two days after the event has taken place. 

Posters are not permitted in the A.J. Gordon Memorial Chapel.

In order to maintain the appearance and cleanliness of Lane Student Center, advertisements may only be posted on an approved bulletin board or on the pillars at Sunnyside and outside the Catering office (not on glass, doors, mirrors, walls or any varnished surface). Advertisements and signs are not permitted in Lane Cafe. Bulletin boards in Lane which are designated for specific  groups may not be used to post notices for information unrelated to that group. 

Additionally, advertisements may be posted on the Phillips Music Center bulletin boards, in the Ken Olsen Science Center stairwell (Phillips side only), and in Frost Hall on sponsoring academic department bulletin boards.

In the Jenks Library, advertisements may be posted in the front entrance, in the stairwell between the first and second floors, on the bulletin board outside of the Gregory Auditorium (Jenks 237), and on the third floor and fourth floor bulletin boards. Please ask at the circulation desk or email [email protected] for approval before placing table tents, flyers or cards in the library. All signs, flyers and table tents must be approved by the Office of Student Life. 

An approval stamp is not required for advertisements posted in the residence halls, but you must have approval from the Resident Director in that hall before posting.

On bulletin boards, push pins may be used to post advertisements. On any other surface, they must be posted with “Sticky Tack.” Use of tape for posting is strictly prohibited. Advertisements will be removed if not placed or affixed properly.

Advertisements and posters for non-Gordon sponsored events or promotions are not permitted on campus.

Candle Use On Campus

Only battery-operated candles may be used in campus facilities. No flame candles, birthday candles, lit or flaming incense burners, heated incense burners, or vapor-producing devices may be used. The purpose of this policy is to ensure campus safety. The College preserves the tradition of lighting a single ceremonial candle on the lecturn in Chapel at each year's Matriculation Convocation and during the Baccalaureate Service.

Decorations

Please note the following items are not permitted:

• Helium balloons in the Bennett Center gymnasiums or the Chapel sanctuary/building.
• Posters hung in the Chapel sanctuary/building.
• Glitter or confetti in any event location.

When using high-top tables outside, the tables must be stored inside before and after the event to protect them from the weather. If tables are damaged, a significant fine will be charged.

When painting in an event location, protective cloths must be used to cover all surfaces.

Drum Use

When using drums or percussion sets in the Chair's Room located in the Ken Olsen Science Center or on the Frost Overlook (patio behind Frost Hall), you must place rugs underneath the drums to protect flooring.

Drone Use On Campus

The use of drones on Gordon College properties is prohibited without prior written authorization from the Enrollment Marketing Department. Due to the college’s proximity with Beverly Airport, prior coordination and communication is required with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and all requests for drone use must be submitted at least one week in advance of usage.

To request permission for drone use on campus, students are required to:

• Email our Educational and Marketing Media Producer, Nicole Schiarizzi ([email protected]), at least one week prior to request permission.
• Obtain a Recreational Drone Safety Certificate by navigating to www.scouting.org/the-recreational-uas-safety-test/. Complete the quiz, print or save a digital copy of the certificate and send it via email to the Educational and Marketing Media Producer.
• Have a second person present during the drone flight to ensure additional safety.

Dances

All dances (or events including dances), should be conducted in a manner that upholds the behavioral standards outlined in the College’s Life and Conduct Statement. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects biblical standards of character. No music should promote values or behaviors which contradict the College’s Life and Conduct Statement.

All dances (or events including dances) must be approved by the Director of Student Activities. Please email date, time, location, hosting organization, and purpose of the event for which you are seeking a Dance permit directly to the Director of Student Activities ([email protected]). 

Dress Code

While Gordon doesn’t have a dress code as such, it is expected that all students will dress in reasonably neat and clean apparel with consideration for modesty. Footwear must be worn to all classes, chapel services, convocations, meals and faculty and administrative offices.

Van Reservations & Usage

Passenger vans are available from Physical Plant for College-related or College-sponsored events only. Students can apply to become an authorized driver and to make reservations for College vehicles by visiting the Authorized Gordon Driver Information page. Instructions, policies and rates are also available on that page.

For safety and liability reasons, use of personal vehicles for transportation for groups to and from or as part of a College related activity is not permitted. Individuals using their personal transportation for these purposes is discouraged unless authorized by their program supervisor. Mileage reimbursement is recommended and must be approved by a supervisor where College business or program activities are being conducted by the vehicle's use.

Campus Fundraising

The College supports and encourages efforts to raise funds for approved ministry, department, academic and student organization efforts, particularly from off-campus sources (friends, family and home church). Fundraising policies have been developed in order to be sensitive to members of the community and to be in compliance with IRS regulations. The College encourages student participation in charitable and humanitarian efforts; however, fundraising is limited on campus due to the size of our community, prior College commitments, and the multitude of requests each year. Community members are encouraged to explore other avenues of charitable giving such as the donation of their time and talent. Contact the Academic Advisor or Program Director as well as the Advancement Office to seek approval BEFORE initiating any fundraising projects.

All fundraising efforts must be approved, whether or not contributions qualify as charitable deductions. Gordon will not provide lists of alumni and/or donors for solicitation. The College carefully coordinates fundraising requests among alumni, parents and friends; therefore it is our policy to never lend or distribute lists for solicitations not initiated or overseen by the Advancement Office.

After receiving approval from your academic or departmental superior/advisor, contact the Advancement Office by phone at 978.867.4900 or email [email protected].

• Student travel or service teams (academic, mission, music, sports, etc.).
• Any campus group desiring to solicit businesses for products or donations, or provides services in-kind for donations.
• Any fundraiser which involves charitable receipts, including crowd funding.
• Appeals for the Faculty/Staff or Student Emergency Fund.

All fundraising activities (on and off campus) must be approved by the department listed above. Fundraising activities must be approved at least four weeks prior to your event.

Fundraising Activities Not Permitted on Campus:

• Solicitation by or for off-campus charities or organizations (for goods, products, services or cash donations).
• Door-to-door solicitation for cash, coins, etc., in the residence halls, classrooms or offices.
• Raffles.
• Email solicitations (only approved fundraisers can be advertised via email or Gordon 360).
• Donations from campus departments in lieu of payment for hours worked for a regular student employment position. Donations from outside groups or other agencies where in-kind services are provided in return for donations or contributions.
• Selling products or services in which a percentage of the sales goes back to the sponsoring organization, i.e., magazine subscriptions, credit cards, etc.
• Crowd funding (unless otherwise approved by the Advancement Office).

Vendors

Vendors from off campus are not permitted to sell items on Gordon’s campus without the approval of the Budget and Risk Manager. Students are not permitted to sponsor parties at which items will be sold.

Gordon College Club Chartering Policy

All student groups wishing to become an official Gordon College student club must be chartered through the Gordon College Student Association (GCSA.) 

Student clubs are overseen by the Director of Clubs, who serves as a member of the GCSA Cabinet and works in partnership with the Director of Student Activities. Together, they support student leaders through the club chartering process, ongoing club communication, annual expectations, and campus-wide engagement.

To begin the chartering process, students must complete and submit a Club Charter Proposal Application to GCSA. The application must include information about the proposed club's mission, purpose, goals, student leadership, and planned contribution to student life at Gordon. Proposed clubs must also have the support of a faculty or staff advisor and signatures from at least 1% of the student body expressing interest in the club.

Gordon College holds a campus-wide club chartering night each April. This is the primary opportunity for new clubs to be reviewed and considered for chartering for the following academic year. A smaller chartering night may also be held in October for groups that emerge after the April process or need additional consideration during the fall semester.

Final club chartering decisions are made through the GCSA Student Senate process according to GCSA governing documents. Once chartered, clubs are expected to maintain active student leadership, work with their faculty or staff advisor, follow College policies and GCSA expectations, participate in required club leader communication and training, and complete any annual renewal or recognition requirements established by Student Engagement and GCSA. 

Challenge Course

The La Vida Challenge Course is a Gordon College facility and is only to be used by supervised groups which are organized by the La Vida Center and specifically cleared by the La Vida Center Office. In order to ensure safety, the following regulations pertain to the challenge course area:

1. There is no trespassing in the challenge course area.
2. Camping, jogging or the lighting of fires is not permitted in the challenge course area at any time.
3. The use of bicycles, snowmobiles, motorcycles, automobiles, horses, etc., is not permitted in the challenge course area at any time.
4. Students in violation of these regulations will be referred for discipline to the Office of Student Life.

Please report any violations of these regulations to the La Vida Center or Gordon Police as soon as possible so we can keep the challenge course and its related programs safe.

Rock Gym

No one is allowed in the Rock Gym unless it is open and supervised by a Rock Gym staff member on duty OR they are a Rock Gym staff/volunteer/club leader with explicit permission from the manager to use the Rock Gym during off hours.