Policies
The Foster Campus for Business and Innovation supports the mission of the Hankamer School of Business to cultivate principled leaders and serve the global marketplace through transformational learning and impactful scholarship in a culture of innovation guided by Christian values. The Foster Campus hosts many activities that promote the academic focus of the Business School and the University. Inquiries regarding these policies or a specific event request should be directed to the Foster Reservations Team (fosterreservations@baylor.edu).
The expectation is that activities scheduled within the Foster Campus, including the Meyer Conference Center, reflect the educational and professional environment of the Foster Campus. None of the spaces within the Foster Campus serve as a special events center, and only activities deemed consistent with an educational and professional environment will be approved.
I. Prohibited Events/Activities/Items
Events must be consistent with the educational and professional environment of the Foster Campus and not simply social in nature. Events and/or activities not permitted in Foster include:
- Mixers
- Talent Shows
- Social movie nights
- Social Award Shows (except for Academic Awards)
- Pageants
- Dances
- Fashion shows (except for demonstrating appropriate business attire)
- Loud music
DJs and bands
Additionally, the following items are not permitted in Foster:
Decorations
- No nails, tape, tack, staples, hooks, command strips
- No crepe or tissue paper
- No paper ribbon
- No glitter or confetti
- No additional lighting (unless specifically approved)
All other things of this nature are prohibited
Flammable Material
- No straw, hay, evergreens
- No candles, open flames
- No paint, spray glue, spray paint or aerosols
- No painting in rooms
All other materials & activities of this nature are prohibited
Smoking/Tobacco Products
Baylor University is a tobacco-free, smoke-free campus. The use of any form of tobacco is strictly prohibited in and outside of all University-owned buildings, including those located on campus, in Waco and other cities, as well as parking lots, garages and sidewalks.
Other
- No animals, except for specifically trained service animals
- No firearms or weapons of any kind
- No alcohol, illegal drugs or other illicit substance
- No unauthorized publications and postings (See Poster/Flier Procedure)
- No external business solicitations
No bicycles, skateboards, scooters, roller blades or motorized scooters. Bicycles must be secured on the racks provided outside the premises.
II. Food/Drink/Catering
Only bottled water is allowed in classrooms. Absolutely no other food or drink is permitted in classrooms.
Alternatively, food and drinks are allowed in the following areas except for red drinks or punch which may not be served anywhere in the building:
- Foster 143/144
- Foster 250
- Turner Mezzanine (outside Foster 250)
Foster Atrium
The Foster Campus does not provide catering services. All groups who use catering are responsible for setup and cleanup of all food, trash, and other items related to the event. You will be held responsible for any damage/trash left behind by your catering vendor. Students should familiarize themselves with the Student Activities catering policy and are required to include catering information as part of their Student Event Request Form (CONNECT).
III. Room Descriptions
As a member of Baylor’s Caring Community, please be respectful and use furniture or additional items within these rooms with care. Furniture and equipment may not be moved from the premises or from one room to another. In compliance with city fire codes, each room has a maximum capacity based on the type of event. Please adhere to these capacity limits designed for your safety.
Conference Center Spaces (Foster 143/144, 240, 250, & Turner Mezzanine)
- Requires a room diagram (completed via CVENT/Social Tables & approved by Foster Reservations Team).
- All conference center spaces have Zoom, recording, & streaming capabilities, multiple microphone options, and a variety of source and display options.
- Foster 143/144 can be used as one space or divided into two meeting spaces.
- Foster 240 is an auditorium with fixed furniture except for chairs that can be placed on the stage.
- Foster 250, also known as the Meyer Conference Center, is a large multi-purpose space.
- The Turner Mezzanine is an open, non-private, area located next to Foster 250.
- Food and drinks are allowed in Foster 143/144, 250, and the Turner Mezzanine.
Atrium
- Four information tabling locations are provided on the first floor Atrium. Each tabling location is reservable and contains one table and two chairs.
- Please ensure that all extra inventory or event items not displayed on top of the table remain either immediately next to or under your assigned table to avoid blocking walkways.
- Space outside of the Foster Campus may not be used for tabling purposes.
Classrooms
- Only water is allowed in classrooms including Foster 240.
- Standard classroom AV (built in PC, laptop, doc camera, recording/streaming/Zoom capable).
- A lapel microphone is available in Foster 102, 107, 108, 123, 124, & 126 for voice reinforcement.
Conference Rooms
- Foster 111, 121, 142, 211, 222, 311, 322 are conference rooms located throughout the building which are available to HSB faculty & staff for reservation.
- The Carlton Executive Conference Room (Foster 430) is reservable by contacting the Assistant to the Dean (Susan_Copeland@baylor.edu).
- The Graduate Conference Room (Foster 440) is reservable by contacting the Program Manager for Graduate Business Programs (Lara_Vaugh@baylor.edu).
- Foster 100 is a designated conference room for Student Organizations and is reservable by contacting the Associate Director for Student Success Initiatives (Laura_Lalani@baylor.edu).
Team Rooms
- 36 team rooms are located throughout the building which are reservable to HSB students, faculty, & staff and are equipped with displays and laptop connections for collaborative work.
- Team Rooms are designed for groups and not individual use.
- At any given time, you can have up to 8 (2hr block) team room reservations.
- You must swipe into the Team Room within 10 minutes of your reservation time, or the room will be released.
- No food or drinks are allowed in the Team Rooms except water.
- Do not write on the clear window surfaces (glass walls & doors).
Technology Commons Learning Lab (Foster 202)
- Dedicated lab space equipped with 44 computers and privacy shades, suitable for use as a supplementary computer lab or research area. The learning lab is reservable to HSB faculty & staff by submitting the online Technology Commons Learning Lab Reservation form (Reservation Policies | Technology Center | Baylor University).
IV. Reservation Requests
The following are procedures for room reservations in the Foster Campus:
Faculty & Staff
- Requests are processed on a first come, first served basis.
- HSB departments are limited to two events in the conference center spaces per month, and all other university departments are limited to one event per month. Due to high demand, HSB departments will be limited to one event during the month of October. Exceptions to these limits requires approval by the HSB facilities team and Dean’s office.
- Reservation request for the conference center spaces, atrium, and classrooms are submitted using Ad Astra. Business School departments can submit requests up to 365 days in advance; all other university departments can submit requests up to 180 days in advance. Reservations are not to be submitted any later than 7 days prior to the event date. Please ensure your request contains contact information, event details, dates/times, and preferred room assignments.
- Reservation request for conference rooms and team rooms are processed using Cbord/CS Gold.
- Reservation request for the Technology Commons Learning Lab is submitted using the online Technology Commons Learning Lab Reservation form.
- Special meetings or events scheduled in classrooms, including Foster 240, should not be scheduled until the semester classroom schedule is completed and may be cancelled if the need for a classroom arises.
Students
- All reservation requests by students, including Atrium information tabling request, are required to be submitted in CONNECT. Students should select Paul L. Foster Campus for Business & Innovation as the location when creating their event in CONNECT and then follow the prompts. DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST IN ASTRA. If approved, your CONNECT request will be entered into Ad Astra by the Foster Reservations Team.
- Student reservation requests are NOT CONFIRMED until the student has received both a confirmation email from Ad Astra and approval from Student Activities.
- Reservation request should be submitted at least 8 business days ahead of the requested event date & at least 15 business days around holidays. Students may submit requests up to 180 days in advance.
- Student Organizations are limited to a total of 4 hours per reservation. Exceptions are considered on a limited basis.
- Student Organizations can reserve one classroom per week. Student may not request classrooms for student study sessions.
- HSB Student Organizations and Student Government may reserve conference center spaces twice a month; all other Student Organizations may reserve conference center spaces once a month.
- Other than Foster 100, the HSB conference rooms are not reservable for students.
Room Set-Ups
- Foster 240 and the building classrooms have stationary seating that cannot be moved.
- The conference center spaces (Foster 143/144, 240, 250, & Turner Mezzanine) require a room diagram to be completed as part of the reservation process. Room diagrams are completed via CVENT/Social Tables and require approval by the Foster Reservations Team. Once your reservation request has been approved by the Foster Reservations Team, you will be sent a CVENT/Social Tables collaboration request via email. You are required to complete the diagram by providing your requested furniture setup and technology details. Your final room diagram is due at noon on the Monday a week prior to your event.
- The Foster Campus has limited furniture/technology resources to be shared throughout the building. If a resource is unavailable, you are responsible for coordinating with university facility services or third-party vendors to acquire additional resources.
- All groups who use catering are responsible for setup and cleaning up all food, trash and other items related to the event.
V. Informational Flyers
There are seven glass informational boards throughout the Foster Campus that are available for posting information flyers. Student Organizations may request approval to post flyers by emailing the Foster Reservations Team (fosterreservations@baylor.edu). Flyers are not allowed to be posted on walls, doors, windows or tables. Flyers in unapproved locations will be removed.
VI. Service/Emotional Support Animals
Only service dogs and miniature horses with the proper documentation are allowed in the Foster Campus. Dogs or other animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA, and don’t have the same public access rights. They are, however, permitted in residential housing. Emotional support animals are not allowed in the classrooms, academic buildings, or other facilities on campus.
VII. Conduct
Baylor University standards of conduct apply to anyone in the Foster Campus. Any person engaging in inappropriate conduct or language, disrupting performances, or creating disturbances will be asked to leave the premises and/or will be escorted from the building by Baylor DPS. If an event requires security, the group reserving must submit the proper paperwork to Baylor DPS, 254-710-2222, who will confirm and provide appropriate personnel. Groups are responsible for any fee required by Baylor DPS. After submission of Baylor DPS paperwork, a copy of the Baylor DPS agreement must be submitted with your reservation request.
VIII. Damages and Liability
- The person responsible for an event held in the Foster Campus should check the room upon entry and immediately after the event, to look for items that are broken or for any obvious damage.
- Report damages immediately to the Facilities Manager, Room 200.04, 254-710-6990, 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday. Damages will be verified, and alternate arrangements will be made if the damages are noticed and reported before the event.
- Damage to any room, space, furnishings and/or equipment by a group will result in appropriate charges, based on fair market cost of replacement, repair, or additional cleaning to the Foster Campus property or equipment.
- The group will be notified of the damages in writing and a conference will be held with the group representatives, the Facilities Manager, and the Supervisor of Baylor Housekeeping to determine the extent of damages. An invoice will be sent to the group to make restitution.
- In all cases of required additional cleaning or damages, no further reservations will be accepted until damages are paid in full.
- Groups reserving rooms within the building are responsible for making sure that each guest is abiding by the building guidelines. Groups will be held accountable for any alterations or damages to building property and/or equipment.
The Hankamer School of Business reserves the right to inspect and control all functions. The Hankamer School of Business will not assume responsibility for the damage to, or loss of, any personal property.
