Date Restrictions

Consequently, events cannot be scheduled during these time periods. Generally, these are periods when standing College events occur which take priority over ad hoc events; when College staff is unavailable to support events on campus because of peak workload; or when College staff is unavailable to support events on campus because of planned downtime in support services departments. Support services departments include, but are not limited to: 

• Facilities Services - Trades (ie: electrical needs), Custodial, General Services (ie: space set-up and equipment needs;
• Dining/Catering - food and beverage service, alcohol license;
• Media Services - audio visual needs, recording or live-streaming services;
• Public Safety - building unlocks, traffic control.

Designated Blackout periods and Grey-Out periods are outlined below in this policy. Additionally, there may be special College celebrations or commemorative events which only occur in one year (e.g., dedication of a new building), that will be designated as a Blackout period for that year. The list of specific dates for all Blackout and Grey-Out periods each academic year is maintained by the Department of Event Management.

Blackout Periods

Scheduling of events on campus is prohibited for all groups, both College groups and non-College groups. This includes Bread Loaf campus. (Small College meetings and department meetings, of less than 25 participants, are permitted.)

• Fall Orientation Days
• Thanksgiving Recess
• December Holiday Break (the day after the last day of finals, through January 1)
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Spring Break
• Senior Week (starts after last exam of final exam week)
• Commencement/ Reunion/Start of Language Schools session
• Day of Language Schools Commencement
• Week after Language Schools Commencement (7-day period following commencement)

Grey-Out Periods

Scheduling of non-College events or events by non-College groups is prohibited. Scheduling of small College events on campus by College groups is allowed (if support services are available). This includes the Bread Loaf campus.

• February Orientation Days
• Last Week of August
• October Break
• Fall Family Weekend
• Clifford Symposium
• Homecoming
• Winter Term Break / Spring Term Orientation
• Winter Carnival
• NESCAC/NCAA Championships
• Campus Preview Days
• Spring Student Symposium
• Last week of June (7 calendar days preceding the opening of the six-week Language Schools)

Partial Grey-Out Period

Trustee Weekends (Thursday and Friday, plus Saturday morning) are partial grey-out periods. College events may be scheduled during Trustee Weekends except for the following venues:

• Kirk
• Old Chapel
• Mitchell Green Lounge
• Davis Family Library rooms 105A/B and 145
• McCardell Bicentennial Great Hall
• Hadley Barn
• Bread Loaf (for the fall meeting)