PLAN, Manage Your Professional Development as a Graduate Student
Because of its historic relevance and its architectural splendor, the Rackham Graduate School is the preferred location for many events held on the U-M campus. The Rackham Facilities Office is committed to providing a safe, clean, functioning environment for all users of this magnificent facility. The Facilities Office uses the following guidelines to facilitate the fair allocation, efficient use, and uniform and consistent management of facilities within the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies.
If you are planning on hosting an event in the Rackham Building, these guidelines will provide your group with all of the information you need to help guarantee the success of that event. These guidelines outline what we ask of every group hosting an event at Rackham so that this glorious building may serve all of those planning on using it in the future. Rackham is truly one of the architectural gems of the University of Michigan; with the help of those groups using Rackham facilities, we can all keep this U-M landmark the treasure that it is for years to come.
Once you’ve reserved space for your group’s event, there are several things you need to know about holding events in the Rackham Building. Please make yourself (and your group) familiar with these guidelines; they will help ensure a successful event.
All groups using Rackham facilities are expected to obey all published University and Rackham policies, regulations and guidelines, and all local, State and Federal laws. Violations of this procedure by any group may result in the loss of scheduling privileges in the Rackham Building (as outlined in the Sanctionssection of these guidelines).
Requests for the use of the Lecture Hall/Auditorium must be made through the University Productions Scheduling Office at 734-647-3327. University Productions oversees all events being held in the Auditorium.
Rackham facilities are reserved in the order in which requests are received, with consideration being given to the size of the group, type of program, and space available.
Rackham reserves the right to assign, and if necessary, reassign facilities to assure the maximum and most appropriate use of Rackham facilities. Groups will be notified of any necessary changes immediately; in the event of changes made within 24 hours of a meeting, the Facilities Office will post signs in the Rackham lobby, elevators, outside the originally scheduled room and in other relevant locations to notify all those attending or involved with the event of the change of location.
Only Rackham-sponsored University-credit classes may be held in Rackham. As outlined in the original Rackham Trust, no other classes are permitted in the Rackham Building.
Sales or solicitations (other than book sales) are permitted in Rackham only as part of the legitimate fundraising activities of a Graduate Student Organization or University Department. All profits generated by a sale or solicitation conducted in Rackham must be used for the activities of the sponsoring group, or their publicly stated cause, e.g., a charitable organization. The sale of any food or beverage in Rackham is prohibited.
Book sales may take place in conjunction with events being held in the Graduate School. Vendors selling books will be required to complete a Sales Permit. This sales permit acknowledges the Lessee's obligation to pay Sales Tax to the State of Michigan. Failure to produce a valid sales permit at the time of sale will result in the revoking of the sales privilege. The Sales Permit must be completed and faxed to the Facilities Office (734-763-6622) and prior to the date of the sale.
After facilities have been scheduled, food service arrangements may be made. In accordance with state law, groups hosting events open to the public must use a licensed caterer. The Facilities Office can provide groups with a list of caterers approved for events in the Rackham Building. Groups should inform the Facilities Office which caterer has been selected once arrangements have been made for food. Groups hosting events may only provide their own food if the are holding a private event open only to the group’s members and invited guests (see Food and Cateringfor complete guidelines).
In accordance with Michigan Food Law there is no food preparation allowed in the Rackham Building. This includes cooking, slicing, assembly or other preparation.
Food and/or beverages may be served only in areas approved by the Facilities Office in advance of a scheduled event. Food and/or beverages cannot be taken into the Amphitheatre or Auditorium at any time.
Beer, wine and champagne may be served only with the permission of the Dean (see Alcoholfor the complete policy on serving alcohol in the Rackham Building).
Decorating and posting requests should be submitted to the Facilities Office no later than two weeks prior to a scheduled event (see Decorations, Exhibits and Displaysfor complete guidelines). Because of the historic nature of the Rackham Building, and the costs involved in maintaining and preserving it, there are limitations on the types of decorations and displays allowed in the building.
A group that makes use of a room containing a standard furniture and/or equipment configuration will be assessed current Room Usage Fees. A group requesting any major changes in the configuration of furniture and/or equipment will be assessed any additional charges incurred for resetting the room (including University Moving and Trucking charges). All arrangements for extensive changes in room setups must be arranged through the Facilities Office.The Graduate School reserves the right to limit setups based on the needs of all facilities users. All requests for furniture and/or equipment setups will be approved at the discretion of the Facilities Office.
Groups scheduling Rackham facilities will be held financially responsible for any special clean-up, maintenance, or repair resulting from their event.
Rackham reserves the right to require fire, police or other security personnel for events held in the Rackham building. The need will be determined based on the time, place, type of event, and the number of participants. Security personnel may also be provided at the request of the group sponsoring the event. Requests for security personnel need to be made at least 28 days prior to the event; security cannot be guaranteed if requested less than 28 days in advance, and events requiring security coverage cannot take place if adequate security is unavailable. The Facilities Office will arrange for all Security personnel; the group sponsoring the event will be responsible for all security charges. There is a minimum charge of four (4) hours per officer assigned.
All published room capacities are in accordance with State of Michigan Fire Codes and have been approved by the University Fire Marshal. The University reserves the right to refuse further admittance to events once the approved room capacity has been reached.
Groups sponsoring events in Rackham may determine the participants at the event. Each group is responsible for the actions of all participants attending their events.
Any group requiring early or late access to Rackham (access during times other than the scheduled building hours) must make arrangements with the Facilities Office. The Facilities Office will make the necessary arrangements for having the building opened before or keeping the building open after the posted building hours.
Groups sponsoring events on weekends or after posted building hours must have a custodian present from the time they need access throughout the event. Groups will be charged by Building Services for this time plus any necessary clean-up time. If there is more than one event taking place at the same time, the charges will be pro-rated among the groups using the facilities for the time that both groups occupy the building. The Facilities Office will fill out a Plant Work Order form for custodial service and will submit the order to the Plant Department for processing.
Due to space limitations, there is no storage space for conference materials in the Rackham Building. No conference materials may be delivered to Rackham School of Graduate Studies until the day of a scheduled event. Any materials left behind following an event will be disposed of; groups who have left materials behind will be charged for the cost of removing the materials.
Rackham staff cannot sign for any deliveries (this includes, but is not limited to, conference materials, furniture, audio-visual equipment, flowers, etc) made to the Rackham building. Rackham staff is not available to unload any deliveries into the building. The Graduate School and its Staff are not responsible for any deliveries made to the Rackham Building.
Rackham is not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged property belonging to users of the facilities.
Rackham is a smoke-free building; this includes the 2nd and 4th floor terraces as well as the parking garage.
The serving of beer, wine, and/or champagne in the Graduate School:
No alcohol other than beer, wine, and/or champagne is allowed in the Rackham Building.
No alcoholic beverages are to be served to individuals under the age of 21.
Groups sponsoring events at which alcohol will be served must maintain the services of a bartender or licensed caterer who must serve all alcoholic beverages. Members or staff of the sponsoring group may not serve alcohol at any time.
Under no circumstances may alcohol be “self-serve.”
The sponsor of the event will designate a host familiar with and responsible for ensuring compliance with Rackham and University policies. The host will be in attendance to monitor general and specific levels of consumption to ensure that no one becomes intoxicated and will be accessible to address problems that may arise.
Sponsoring groups may not bring in their own alcohol.
No cash bars or sales of alcohol are permitted.
No alcoholic beverages may be carried out of either the room where the event is being held or the Rackham Building itself.
Groups sponsoring functions at which alcohol will be served may be required to hire, at their expense, one University security guard per 100 guests to monitor the event. Guards must be present one-half hour before and one-half hour after the scheduled event times. The Graduate School reserves the right to decide which events will be required to hire Security Guards.
Failure to adhere to any part of this policy will result in a group’s not being allowed to host events in the Rackham Building.
In order to preserve the historic Rackham Building, the methods for placing decorations, exhibits, and displays are very limited and must be approved by the Facilities Office. All arrangements for decorations, exhibits and displays must be made no later than two weeks prior to the event.
No tape, glue, tacks or nails are permitted on walls, doors, floors, ceilings, glass, brass or woodwork. Any damage caused by or cleanup required from failure to adhere to this policy will be the responsibility of the group sponsoring the event. The group will be charged for all repairs necessary including, but not limited to, re-plastering and re-painting.
To protect the historic surfaces of the buildings, nothing may be posted on the exterior walls or doors of the building. This includes, but is not limited to, banners, posters, signs, etc. Anything attached to the building in any manner will be promptly removed.
Any materials to be displayed outside, must be either free standing or mounted on an easel (or an appropriate substitute). Displays placed outside the building must be approved by the Facilities Office in order to ensure safe exit from the building by all occupants in case of an emergency.
Doorways, hallways, corridors, staircases and fire exits cannot be blocked or obstructed at any time per State of Michigan Fire Law.
Groups may not attach anything to ceilings, light fixtures, walls, floors, woodwork, draperies, windows, curtains or any painted or papered surface at any time in order to protect the building’s historic finishes.
Light bulbs may not be placed where the heat from the bulbs might create a fire hazard.
Candles must be enclosed in glass to prevent a fire hazard.
All table centerpieces must be non-flammable or constructed of fire resistant materials.
“Special effects” equipment, such as smoke, fog, and fire machines are not permitted in Rackham.
Signs, banners and displays made with flammable materials may be used only where no danger of fire exists, as determined by Rackham.
Groups utilizing decorations, exhibits or displays are responsible for both installation and removal. All setup and teardown of decorations, exhibits or displays need to take place within the time frame of the original reservation.
Rackham is not responsible for loss of any materials of displays, gifts, favors or other items left in the building.
Decorations, exhibits and displays must be removed immediately following the event or activity, unless other arrangements have been approved through the Facilities Office. If it becomes necessary for the Graduate School to remove materials left by a group, the sponsoring organization will be billed for all costs of removing the materials. Any materials left by the group without prior arrangement with the Facilities Office will be disposed of.
Confetti, rice, dance wax, and similar materials may not be used in Rackham.
Live evergreen trees are permitted if they are balled, burlaped and watered. Cut evergreens are not permitted in any form.
Any special needs for decorations, exhibits, and displays beyond the scope of these guidelines must be approved by the Facilities Office.
Deliveries may be made in the garage (entrance off of East Huron Street). There is no parking available in the Rackham garage. Exhibit materials must be unloaded into the basement lobby area and all cars must be removed from the garage before materials are moved to the appropriate rooms. Any cars left unattended in the garage will be ticketed and/or towed. Parking is available in the Thayer and Fletcher Street structures. Hand carts are available in the basement lobby for moving boxes and large objects. Please return all carts to the basement immediately so that others may use them.
Rackham makes some furniture and equipment available to groups using Rackham Facilities as part of the Room Usage Rate. Any furniture or equipment required outside of what the Graduate School provides is the responsibility of the group hosting the event.
Requests for furniture and/or equipment are filled on a first come/first served basis. Depending on prior commitments made to other groups hosting events, it may be necessary for groups to rent furniture and/or equipment normally made available by the Graduate School.
All requests for furniture and/or equipment must be made no later than 5:00 pm on the Wednesday one full week prior to an event (a week and a half prior to weekend events). The Graduate School cannot guarantee any furniture and/or equipment for groups submitting requests after this deadline. Equipment is available on a first come, first served basis.
Groups requesting changes for furniture and/or equipment and their setup after the Wednesday deadline outlined above may have to perform their own furniture and/or equipment setups as Graduate School staff are not available for these tasks.
Perimeter furniture (chairs, tables, sofas, etc) may not be removed from rooms at any time.
At no time may any furniture from rooms be placed in the hallway to clear the room for an event.
No additional furniture may be placed in the 2nd or 4th floor hallways other than the furniture assigned to these areas. This includes extra tables for food, handouts, nametags, etc. All furniture required for an event must be used inside the room in which the event is being held.
The tables outside the East and West Conference Rooms are for the use of groups hosting events in these rooms only.
The Assembly Hall rugs and Alcove tables may not be removed from the room at any time.
The Lobby tables and benches may not be moved or removed at any time.
Tables may only be setup in the Lobby along and parallel to the perimeter of the room.
The Rackham Building is a wonderful facility for hosting receptions, dinners, luncheons, breakfasts, teas, and other events involving refreshments. Please read the following guidelines very carefully and let us know if you have any questions. Please be sure that your caterer is familiar with these guidelines as well, as they are responsible for following them.
In accordance with Michigan Food Law there is no food preparation allowed in the Rackham Building. This includes cooking, slicing, assembly or other preparation. Groups sponsoring events in the Rackham Building who do not comply with this policy are subject to the sanctions outlined in this policy (see Sanctions); caterers who do not comply with this guideline will not be allowed to cater in the Rackham Facilities.
Refreshments must be served by a licensed caterer (e.g., the Michigan League, University Catering, or a commercial caterer). Please contact the Facilities Office for a list of accepted caterers. Once a caterer has been selected, the group sponsoring the event must furnish the Facilities Office with the name of the caterer to be used.
Groups are allowed to bring in their own food (which has been prepared ahead of time) for events that are open only to their members and/or guests. Groups sponsoring events open to the public must serve food prepared by a licensed caterer.
Per the Fire Marshal, only UL listed electric cooking and hot-holding equipment may be used in the Rackham 4th floor kitchen.
Propane may not be used in the Rackham building at any time.
Food and/or beverages may be served only in areas approved by the Facilities Office in advance of an event. No food and/or beverages are allowed in the Auditorium or Amphitheatre at any time.
Caterers are responsible for returning the kitchen to its original condition after a catered event. Failure to do so will result in a $50.00 fee being charged to the group sponsoring the event. If more than one caterer is using the kitchen at a time, all groups currently serving food will be charged the $50 fee. Continued failure to return the kitchen to its previous condition will result in both the department and/or the caterer being subject to the sanctions outlined in these guidelines.
Caterers may use Rackham equipment or rental equipment depending upon the needs of each event. All requests for furniture and/or equipment must be made no later than 5:00 pm the Wednesday one full week prior to an event (a week and a half prior to weekend events). The Graduate School cannot guarantee any furniture and/or equipment for groups submitting requests after this deadline. Equipment is available on a first come, first served basis.
Equipment available includes:
The Graduate School does not have dishes or linens available for events; all arrangements for these items should be made through a caterer or be handled by the hosting group themselves.
The Facilities Office may be required to change equipment assignments to best serve all users of the facilities. Groups and caterers will be notified of any necessary changes immediately in order to allow them as much time as possible to make any necessary arrangements these changes may cause.
The Facilities Office cannot guarantee any changes to approved equipment/furniture requests made after the final approval date (the Wednesday one full week prior to an event or a week and a half prior to weekend events). Changes made after this time are the responsibility of the group sponsoring the event and/or their caterer. Graduate School staff is not available to perform any equipment/furniture setups that are the result of last minute changes on the part of the sponsoring group and/or their caterer.
Rental equipment delivery and pickup must be scheduled through the Facilities Office no later than two weeks prior to a scheduled event. Due to space limitations and the needs of other events, Rackham reserves the right to deny delivery of any equipment until such time that best fits the needs of both the facility and all of its users. Groups sponsoring events will be held responsible for costs incurred in the removal of any equipment not removed from the building as agreed upon with the Facilities Office. Groups will also be charged the appropriate room rate for the room that was used for every day that equipment remains in the building. Caterers and/or delivery companies who fail to comply with this policy will not be allowed to cater events in the Rackham Building.
Any dishes being left behind for pickup by a rental company must be rinsed and left in stacking trays by the caterer. Any caterer who leaves behind un-rinsed dishes will be subject to the sanctions outlined in this policy as well as any costs incurred by the Graduate School for cleanup and/or extermination of rodent and/or insect infestations.
The Graduate School is not responsible for any damage to rental equipment left behind for pickup by rental companies.
While caterers may use the Rackham garage to drop off food for an event, there is no parking for caterers in the Rackham garage. Caterers parking illegally in the U-M Gold Permit or handicapped spaces, the fire lane, or blocking in legally parked cars may be towed at the expense of the owner. Caterers parking illegally will be warned once in writing and will not be allowed to cater in the Rackham Building if a second parking violation occurs. The Graduate School is not responsible for any parking tickets received by caterers who have parked illegally.
The following categories are used in determining the rental rates for Rackham facilities:
Any group that violates these guidelines, or any group which fails to pay within 30 days after receiving a bill for debt legitimately owed to the Rackham School of Graduate Studies resulting from a scheduled event, will be subject to one or both of the following sanctions:
As used in these guidelines, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions apply:
Rackham Facilities Office
0510 Rackham Building
915 E. Washington Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1070
E-mail: RackhamScheduling@umich.edu
Phone: (734) 764-8572
Fax: (734) 763-6622
