All graduates hosting graduation receptions on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at Saint Mary's College of California are held responsible for following all of the conditions outlined in your reception contract as noted in the Facility Use Agreement. The College provides you with the physical reception site and a set of guidelines for the use of said site. The following guidelines and procedures must be followed in addition to those mentioned in the Facilities Use Agreement (“Contract”) and the Alcohol Responsibility Form.

1. Receptions cannot begin prior to the official conclusion of the Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 25, 2013, and must end by 4:00 pm that day.

2. Set up for your reception cannot begin prior to noon on Friday, May 24, 2013. The College cannot guarantee the security of your reception site and/or any items (i.e., canopies, barbecues, tables, chairs, etc.) left on your site.

3. You are solely responsible for contracting of vendors and/or caterers, reception provisions, site set-up, reception management and cleaning up your site. The College does not endorse or recommend any particular catering service and/or rental company.

4. All reception furnishings (i.e., canopies, tables, buffet tables, etc.) must be chosen carefully to fit within the confines of the space allotted to your reception.

a) The College does not provide reception furnishings. Do not remove any College equipment and/or furnishings from one campus area to another.

b) If you are assigned an area with existing tables, BBQ equipment, chairs and/or other amenities, you are to divide them according to the number of groups assigned to that specific reception site. Please be considerate of each other.

c) Only open canopies (no enclosed tents) are to be used.   If you are part of a large graduation group (i.e. 12 graduates) and are planning on having a canopy larger than 20’ X 20’ on your reception site, you must procure the proper permit from the Moraga Fire Department or your vendor.  Canopies MAY NOT be spiked into the ground, you must use water to hold them up! 

d) All reception furnishings must be removed by 6 pm on Saturday, May 25, 2013.

5. You will be provided with a clean reception site for you graduation social. You are required to return this site to its original state. Failure to do so may result in an additional fine being charged to the account of the Designated Spokesperson.

6. You are responsible for adhering to California state law and College policy concerning the consumption, use and provision of alcohol to guests (and non-guests who stop by) at your graduation reception. Kegs and large containers of beer are not allowed on campus.

7. Do not add additional graduates to your reception group without prior written clearance from the Events and Conferences Department. Please be aware that the space you are assigned for your reception is largely decided by your original reception site request that takes into consideration the number of graduates in your group. The addition of another graduate also implies the addition of their guests and this could cramp the space you were originally allotted.

8. If you are coordinating a reception site for a number of your classmates, please be considerate of their needs and ability to participate in this (their celebration as well) reception. Try to keep the celebration modest and the price reasonable.

9. You must plan your reception for the space you have been allotted through Events and Conferences. You may not negotiate or enact a site change without the express written permission of the Events and Conferences Department. If you have the consent of another group to consider a relocation of your reception site (a trading of), you must both make a formal written request through the Events and Conferences Department.

Again, congratulations on this momentous occasion and blessings on your future endeavors. If Events and Conferences can be of further assistance to you in the planning of your graduation reception, please feel free to call us at ext. 4156 or 4030. If you care to drop by the office, the best times to do so are between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.