6.1.7 Weddings and College Venues
Policy Statement
Introduction
A limited number of venues at the College of Charleston (hereafter, “the College”) may be reserved for weddings, including wedding receptions. This Policy outlines the conditions under which space may be reserved for such events. Because weddings often are complex events and can require significant staff planning time, only a limited number of weddings can be conducted each year using the College’s facilities.
Definitions
For purposes of this Policy, a “wedding” is defined as one of the following: (a) a marriage ceremony performed under the laws of South Carolina, or (b) an event commemorating or acknowledging a marriage ceremony performed under the laws of South Carolina or another state, district, or country within the preceding 30 days.
Approved Venues
Approved venues for wedding reservations are public spaces at the President’s House (6 Glebe Street), the Stern Center Ballroom, the Stern Center Gardens, Rivers Green, and the McAlister Hospitality Suite at TD Arena.
Reservations
All wedding reservations at the College shall be made through the Office of Institutional Events, even if another office at the College is ordinarily responsible for reservations in that space. The Office of Institutional Events will work cooperatively with other campus offices that reserve space (e.g., Office of Student Life, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics) to ensure that all booking protocols for those spaces are followed.
Wedding reservations for the use of College venues may be made no more than 12 months in advance of such events. Inquiries may be made about venue availability up to 18 months in advance of the proposed wedding date. Some venues may not be available for reservation more than six months in advance.
All reservations require the reserving party’s acceptance of the terms of the Special Event Rental Agreement (“Rental Agreement”) provided by the Office of Institutional Events. A reservation shall not be considered final until the reserving party has executed a Rental Agreement, which has been signed by an authorized signatory of the College and has paid the deposit set forth in the Rental Agreement.
No wedding reservation shall be made if the Office of Institutional Events can reasonably anticipate the wedding will substantially interfere with the ordinary activities of the College (e.g., class meetings, student orientation), a previously scheduled College event, or a significant community event.
Rental Fees and Insurance
The Office of Institutional Events, in consultation with other College offices and divisions as appropriate, shall maintain and provide a schedule of rental fees for weddings at the College, subject to review and determination by the President of the College (or the President’s designee). Rental fees for weddings are managed by the Office of Institutional Events and are official when a deposit has been made and a contract has been executed. If a previously approved rental fee is not consistent with the particulars of a wedding
reservation request, the Office of Institutional Events shall determine whether or not the request can be accommodated and, in consultation with other campus offices as appropriate, shall determine a suitable rental fee consistent with the request.
Rental fees for weddings at the College shall be consistent with prevailing local market rates, the aesthetic value of the relevant venue, and the cost of maintaining and preserving the venue. From time to time the Office of Institutional Events shall review prevailing market rates for comparable wedding venues in the Charleston region and shall propose adjustments to the Colleges rental fees to make those fees consistent with prevailing market rates and other relevant attributes of the venue. The cost, quality, and the significance of any recent renovation of a venue shall be considered in determining the applicable rental fee.
Rental fees may also include costs associated with services provided by the College for facility use, such as use of security personnel and custodial fees, which costs shall be set forth in the Rental Agreement.
Reserving parties also will be responsible for securing and documenting insurance in sufficient amounts and types as set forth in the Rental Agreement.
Priority for Reservations
Wedding reservation requests are considered only for the weddings of College faculty, faculty children and grandchildren, staff, staff children and grandchildren, alumni, alumni children and grandchildren, trustees, trustee children and grandchildren, and volunteer leaders and the members of their immediate families. References to children and grandchildren in this Policy include stepchildren and step-grandchildren. Conflicting scheduling requests shall be reviewed with the Chief of Staff (or the Chief of Staff’s designee), who shall resolve such conflicts following consultations as appropriate with the President of the College and/or members of the Executive Team.
Revenue Use
Revenues derived from weddings at the College shall be used to support College operations.
Revenues derived from weddings held in spaces reserved by the Office of Institutional Events (e.g., the President’s House) shall be used to support College-wide events, including, but not limited to, the annual back-to-school picnic and the College’s annual holiday party.
Revenues derived from weddings held in spaces reserved by the Office of Student Life and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics shall be retained by those offices, with the exception of any fees directed to the Office of Institutional Events, as noted below.
Revenues derived from weddings held in spaces reserved by all other offices and departments will support the College’s operating budget.
For weddings held in spaces not reserved by the Office of Institutional Events, the Office of Institutional Events shall receive 25% of the rental fee associated with any wedding requiring more than three hours of total staff support from staff assigned to the Office of Institutional Events. Any material disagreement or dispute regarding the distribution or allocation of rental fees to College offices shall be resolved in accordance with Section 10.0 of this Policy.
Limited Number of Wedding Reservations
Because of the staff commitment involved in facilities planning, no more than two weddings should be scheduled during each academic semester. No more than eight weddings should be scheduled per calendar year. Exceptions to these limitations shall require the written permission of the President of the College or the Chief of Staff.
The Director of Institutional Events (or the Director’s designee), in consultation with other College employees, may determine that staff or physical limitations preclude the acceptance of a wedding reservation request, without regard to the number of reservations already made.
Catering
Weddings held at the College shall comply with the terms and conditions of any and all College catering policies, procedures, and/or contracts.
Appeals
Any material disagreement or dispute regarding the application of this Policy may be appealed to and resolved by the Chief of Staff (or the Chief of Staff’s designee). The Chief of Staff’s decision (or the designee’s decision) is final.
Compliance with Other College Policies and with Laws and Regulations
Weddings at the College of Charleston shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable institutional policies and with federal, state and local laws and regulations. The current Policy is not intended to supersede or modify any other official College Policy of specific application to a particular circumstance or situation.
Policy Maintenance
The Director of Institutional Events shall be responsible for the maintenance of this Policy and the Director of Institutional Events shall cause a review of this Policy to be undertaken at least once during every five year period.
Operating Procedures
The Director of Institutional Events may approve operating procedures to implement this Policy, subject to review and determination by the Chief of Staff or the President of the College. Such procedures may not be inconsistent with this Policy, nor may they eliminate or expand the scope of the prohibitions already described in the Policy.
Policy Manager and Responsible Department or Office
The Director of Institutional Events (or such other person as shall be designated by the Chief of Staff) shall be responsible for the administration and implementation of the Policy.
Purpose/Reason for the Policy
This Policy shall describe the terms and conditions under which weddings may be held and wedding reservations made at the College.
Departments/Offices Affected by the Policy
Office of the President, Office of Academic Affairs, Office of Institutional Events, Office of Institutional Resources, Office of Community Relations, Division of Student Affairs, Division of Business Affairs, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
Policy
Definition
Except as otherwise specified in this Policy, "tobacco products" include, but are not limited to, cigarettes; cigars; pipes; chewing tobacco; snuff; electronic cigarettes2; water pipes (hookahs); bid is; kreteks; and all other technologies or devices allowing for the ingestion, combustion, inhalation, or other use of tobacco.
Statement Of Policy
Use of all tobacco products is prohibited in all College-owned or leased buildings; in all buildings on College-owned or leased land; on all College-owned or leased property, including outdoor seating areas; and in all College-owned, leased, and rented vehicles. Use of tobacco products is prohibited in all those places here identified, including but not limited to, offices (including private offices), classrooms, laboratories, stairwells, elevators, restrooms, hallways, porches and piazzas, rooftops, indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, residence halls and historic properties, shuttle buses, shuttle bus stops, parking structures and parking areas on College-owned or College-leased property, sidewalks on Collegeowned or College-leased property, lobbies and waiting areas, outdoor benches, green spaces on campus, and other common areas.
Use of tobacco products is permitted in personal vehicles parked or being driven on College-owned or leased property, provided that the windows and doors of such personal vehicles are closed (i.e., tobacco products are used in an enclosed vehicle space) and tobacco waste products are stored in the vehicle and disposed of at off-campus locations.
This policy does not restrict or prohibit the lawful possession of tobacco products on the College of Charleston campus.
Exceptions
The President of the College (or the President's designee), at his or her sole discretion, may permit limited and appropriate individual exceptions to this policy in support of the requirements of sponsored research related to tobacco, consistent with the mission of the College. Such exceptions must be made in writing and shall be in effect only for the duration of the research study. Smoke produced in the conduct of such sponsored research shall be treated as a contaminant and controlled. The President of the College (or the President's designee), at his or her sole discretion, may permit limited and appropriate individual exceptions to this policy (e.g., in support of religious or artistic activities), consistent with the obligations of Constitutional law and other applicable laws and regulations. Such exceptions must be made in writing and shall be in effect only for the duration of the activity approved by the President (or the President's designee). Smoke produced in the conduct of such activity shall be treated as a contaminant and controlled.
Use of tobacco products may be permitted on properties the College owns but leases or regarding which the College otherwise conveys an interest (e.g., an easement) to a nonCollege party, according to the provisions of the applicable lease or agreement, upon a compelling reason, and with the prior written approval of the Executive Vice President for Business Affairs (or her or his designee).
Sale And Advertisement Of Tobacco Products
The sale, sampling, or advertisement of tobacco products shall be prohibited on the College of Charleston campus and in all College publications.
Policy Coverage
This Policy shall be applicable to the College of Charleston Board of Trustees; faculty and staff of the College, whether part-time, full-time, or temporary; students while attending or employed by the College; contractors and consultants performing work or providing services on College-owned or leased property; individuals and organizations renting, leasing, or otherwise granted permission to use campus facilities; College affiliates; alumni and alumnae, guests, visitors, or invitees of the College; and members of the general public. All members of the campus community and members of the general public shall comply with this policy.
Policy Violation And Discipline
Employees of the College may be disciplined for violation of this policy, consistent with the provisions of College Policy 9.1.2. Students of the College may be disciplined for violations of this Policy, consistent with the Student Code of Conduct.
Other individuals who violate Policy 6.1.5 and are not covered by the terms of Policy 9.1.2 or the Student Code of Conduct may be warned by the Department for Public Safety. Visitors or members of the general public who refuse to comply with the Policy may be asked to leave campus by representatives of the Department of Public Safety.
Policy Maintenance
Unless other individuals are designated by the President of the College, the Vice President of Human Resources and the Executive Vice President for Student Affairs shall be responsible for the maintenance of this Policy. Those responsible for the maintenance of the policy shall cause a review of this Policy to be undertaken at least once during each five-year period.
Operating Procedures
The President's Executive Team, subject to review and determination by the President of the College, may approve operating procedures to implement this Policy. Such procedures may not be inconsistent with this Policy nor may they eliminate or expand the scope of the prohibitions already described in the Policy.
Effective Date
Effective July 1, 2014, the predecessor Policy 6.1.5, "Smoking Policy," as adopted in 2006, was repealed in its entirety and replaced by an earlier version of the current Policy, "Tobacco-Free Campus Policy."
Amendments
This Policy may be amended consistent with the provisions of the Campus Wide Policy Formation Procedures.
Procedures Related to the Policy
Should procedures be adopted for the implementation of the Policy, those procedures shall be distributed and/or published by the Office of Institutional Events.
Related Policies, Documents or Forms
6.3.1 Alcohol Use on Campus or During College Sponsored Events
Revision Log
Issue Date: 9/28/15
Last Review Date: 10/1/20
Next Review Date: 10/5/25
Web Publication Date: 1/15/2026