Guide to Booking Temporary Space on the St. George Campus
- Questions to consider when looking for a place to hold your event
- Tips for hosting an accessible event
If your recognized campus group is looking for space to hold an event or meeting, you have a number of options.
The Campus Room Finder database has spaces offered through Hart House, the Academic and Campus Events (ACE),
St. Michael’s College and
Student Life. An advanced search option allows you to search for spaces based on room type, space managers, room attributes and accessibility features.
You can select, save and share favourites, and compare up to four different spaces on one page. You’re able to view the availability of individual rooms in a calendar format.
You’ll also be able to provide your comments on any spaces that you’ve used, as well as view comments posted by other groups.
You can request Student Life space at the Multi-faith Centre, Sussex Clubhouse and Cumberland House on this site directly by selecting the “Make Request” button. To book rooms managed by ACE, Hart House, or St. Michael’s College please use the contact information listed in the room details.
Keep in mind, though, that U of T has a lot of rooms that are not included in Campus Room Finder. Use this list to get a better picture of where to look for other campus space. Note that colleges, faculties and departments have different policies and their own administrators, so review their information carefully before making a request.
Consider these questions when looking for a place to hold your event:
When do you need to hold your event?
Different spaces have different windows for booking. Some may allow you to book months in advance, while others may have shorter periods of 30 days. Search date range limits are displayed on the Search page.
What type of event/program are you going to run?
Depending on the type of activities you’re planning to have at your event, you’re able to search for rooms with features that best fit your needs. There are many different types of rooms available, ranging from classrooms, meditation spaces, meeting rooms and multipurpose rooms. The advanced search option allows you to search for rooms that permit Food and Drink as well. It also allows you to search for rooms with specific accessibility options, for example automatic sliding doors, single user washrooms, accessible seating, etc.
What will it cost you?
Some locations offer free or discounted space to students and student groups/clubs, but not all of them. Some places such as colleges, will offer special consideration for their own students, but will have fees associated for organizations that run outside their college. Check also for other costs, such as audio-visual charges, charges for events taking place after hours, security charges, catering charges, etc. Note that spaces like Hart House require deposits and payments well in advance of an event, so keep this in mind and request your bookings as early as possible
Do you want to serve food/drinks?
Very few places will allow you to serve food, and many of those that do will require that you use their in-house catering. Only a few spaces at U of T will allow you to serve alcohol and
you should review the alcohol policy.
All alcohol served on the St. George Campus must be purchased by the Beverage Services Department
and service staff must be trained under the University’s own Server Training Program with the only exceptions being Hart House, the Faculty Club and the Federated Colleges. Be sure to check the space’s policies around serving food and drinks before booking.
Is this a private event or is it open to the public? Will you be charging admission? How many people are expected to attend?
All these questions are important for space managers to determine if a space will meet your needs and if caretaking or security services will be required. Be sure to include this information when making your booking request.
Do you need repeat bookings?
Most spaces will only allow a limited number of bookings per session. So if you want to hold regular, ongoing meetings, check for spaces that offer this option.
For more information, please refer to the following documents:
- Policy on the Temporary Use of Space at the University of Toronto
- Procedures for the Temporary Use of Space at the University of Toronto
Hosting an Accessible Event
It's important to ensure that your event is accessible to participants with disabilities, and for some groups, accessibility may be mandatory. Consult the following resources for advice on hosting an accessible event: