Event Planning for Faculty and Staff

The GSD is a lively place, hosting several hundred events and programs every year.

A variety of resources are available to support faculty and staff who wish to organize events. Below is a step-by-step guide to the process. To make sure your needs can be met, please request your reservation as soon as possible. It is strongly recommended that requests are submitted at least one month prior to your desired event date, but all events that require physical space must be submitted two weeks before the desired event date or they cannot be approved. This two-week cutoff is stipulated by the School’s contractual agreement with our custodial workers.

Before submitting a request, please double-check the GSD Public Lecture Series schedule and significant dates on the Academic Calendar. Proposed events cannot conflict with these programs.

To Plan An Event—Five Steps

1. Make sure that you have access to a SERT account
   SERT is the online room scheduling system at the GSD. If you have questions about your status, contact Building Services at [email protected]
2. Submit a request via SERT
   Request Events using the “GSDNow Event Proposal Form.” Your request must include your desired dates (1st and 2nd choices), chosen physical room and/or virtual platform (Zoom, Remo, etc.), format (lecture, panel, symposium, etc.), media services needs, and who the event participants will be (names and brief descriptions).  Please note that some requests may have associated media and custodial charges. To ensure the timely review of your event, you must fully complete the questions posed by the SERT request system. A 6:30 PM start time or later is required for all evening programs. Organizing an online-only event? Select “GSD Virtual Event Space” as your location.
3. Wait for a confirmation email
   The Events Committee, which includes representatives from Communications, Facilities & Campus Operations, and the Office of Student Life, meets once per week, on Thursdays, to review public event proposals from staff, faculty, and students. This is why it is strongly recommended to request space as early as possible—ideally a month in advance. Do not proceed with plans (finalizing your date, booking plane tickets, advertising your event) until you’ve received confirmation via SERT. Conflicts with the GSD Public Lecture Series or significant dates on the Academic Calendar are not allowed. On occasion, even if space appears available, there may be other reasons an event might not be allowed to take place or might need to find a new date or time, and an explanation will be provided to you.  In the event that the Committee is not able to confirm a request, the Committee will work with the requester to find an alternative solution.
4. Receive confirmation or an offer to select an alternate date/time
   An email giving approval or recommending modifications will be sent within 2 weeks of the receipt of your request.
5. Finalize your event OR revise your request and resubmit
   Only after receiving a confirmation should you finalize preparations for the event. To avoid confusion, please do not give your guests final dates and times until you have received the confirmation email. Once you have received confirmation of the date and time, please go back into your SERT reservation to complete any remaining information (which is especially necessary, if you want your event to appear on GSD Now).

Event organizers should secure the staffing required to make their event a success. The Public Programs team provides event planning guidance but its staff are not available to staff your events. 

Need tech support for your event? Email Matt Smith at least 2 weeks in advance with your needs and proposed dates and times. In-house tech support is $100 p/hour including setup and breakdown time. Referrals to external providers are also available.

Questions about GSD Now should be directed to [email protected].

Questions about reserving space should be directed to [email protected].