Student Life
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Student Life
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
Residential Life & Learning

Social Event Registration

Social Event Registration Process 

Social Events

Social events are events where the primary purpose of this event is to provide an opportunity for attendees to socialize within a fraternity house, sorority house, theme house, or special interest house. These events can include alcohol, a guest list, and/or amplified music. All social events must be registered with the university through this link.

Student Organization Events

Student Organization Events are different from social events hosted in theme, fraternity & sorority, or special interest residential spaces. Student Organization Events are events with the purpose to advance the mission and vision of an organization through education, advocacy, and/or community engagement. This includes both events that are for members-only and events open to the community. For all events categorized as Student Organization Events, fraternities and sororities should follow the Office for Campus Life's event registration process, which includes making necessary space reservations on ReserveTufts and submitting the Event Registration form on JumboLife. 

Social Event Registration Process

Hosts are required to complete this social event registration process and comply with all resulting guidance. 

Hosting a safe, fun social event that is in line with the values of the Tufts community typically takes preparation, particularly when taking responsibility for event planning for the first time.  In most cases, effective event planning requires collaboration within the hosting organization and cooperation with university offices; it requires creativity and problem solving, the prioritization of safety and promotion of a positive culture, and it calls for thoughtful reflection regarding the impact of your social activities on the campus social environment.  The social event registration process is designed to facilitate this preparation and provide you with the knowledge you need to make informed decisions.   

Most social events on campus do not involve alcohol and have a streamlined registration process.  Events with alcohol require more detailed planning and risk management. 

The Social Event Registration process for events without alcohol is as follows: 

  • The event organizers are invited, but not required, to attend a social event hosting seminar in the current semester.  The purpose of the seminar is to give advice in risk mitigation and policy compliance in order to increase the safety of the events. Trainings are generally offered once per month; large student organizations are encouraged to have many organization leaders and members attend.  Register for an upcoming training by contacting the Office of Community Standards at communitystandards@tufts.edu. 

  • In addition, the social event registration form must be submitted at least five business days before the event.  The social event registration form can be requested from the Office of Residential Life, residentiallife@tufts.edu. 

The Social Event Registration process for events with alcohol is as follows: 

  • The event organizers must have a sufficient number of people who have attended a social event hosting seminar in the current semester to meet the 1:15 trained individual to guest ratio (see below).  The purpose of the seminar is to give advice in risk mitigation and policy compliance in order to increase the safety of the events. Trainings are generally offered once per month; large student organizations are encouraged to have many organization leaders and members attend.  Register for an upcoming training by contacting the Office of Community Standards at communitystandards@tufts.edu. 

  • Event hosts must be 21 years old or older and must have attended the social event hosting seminar.

  • The social event registration form must be submitted, which can be found here.  Registration is due at least five business days prior to the event.  Recommended submission timeline is ten business days before an event.  Your registration submission must include a detailed risk management plan (see below).  Weekend social events must be registered by 9 a.m. on the Monday prior to the event. 

  • The student organization must designate individuals to be responsible for policy compliance, safety, and risk management at the event.  There must be one designated individual for every 15 people present at the event.  People so designated must have completed a social event hosting seminar, be present for the duration of the event, be sober, and have the authority to take appropriate action. 

  • Staff from Residential Life and Learning, Campus Life, CARE, or other offices may meet with event organizers to discuss the submitted risk management plan, make suggestions, or conduct a pre-event walk through.  Staff can direct improvements to the risk management plan. 

  • Tufts Public Safety will be notified of all registered social events with alcohol on campus and may conduct site visits at the before, during, or after the event.  Open, immediate cooperation with public safety officers, first responders, and university staff is a requirement for registration. 

  • The host(s) is responsible for the cleanup of the event, which must be completed within 24 hours of the end of the event. 

Risk Management Plan 

All social events with alcohol require the host to submit a detailed risk management plan that comments on each of the following areas.  Each area specifies guidance which organizations are required to follow and considerations which organizations are advised to think about carefully and include answers to in the risk manage plan, where relevant.  The written risk management plan must comment on each of these sections. 

  • Date, time, and location of event 

  • Guidance: All social events must have a clearly stated start time and end time and must be scheduled to end no later than the start of quiet hours (11 p.m. on weekdays, 1 a.m. on weekends; see quiet hours policy). 

  • Considerations: What are the risks inherent to having an event at this date/time (e.g., heat during outdoor events in the summer, people coming to the event intoxicated for events late at night, etc.) and how do you plan to address those risks?  What are the risks associated with the location (e.g., capacity of space, ease of controlling access, challenges for neighbors, etc.) 

  • Approximate attendance and capacity management 

  • Guidance: 

  1. The number of guests must not exceed the capacity of the space as determined by the fire marshal. 

  1. A list of all invited guests (as well as all house residents attending) must be submitted with the social event registration. 

  1. An accurate list of all attendees (including guests, hosts, and residents) must be maintained during the event and provided to Public Safety or other university staff on request, during or after the event. 

  • Considerations: What is the capacity of the space?  If you are unsure, you can request this information from Tufts Fire Safety.  At events expecting a high number of attendees, the risk management plan must include a plan for managing capacity to prevent the number of people present at one time from exceeding the posted safe occupancy of the space.  Who will be controlling access to the space, what training or instructions do they have for managing people who arrive uninvited?   

  • Invitations and advertising 

  • Guidance: Absolutely no advertisement can be posted (online or otherwise) until all registration process is completed. 

  • Considerations: How do you reach your target audience? What does your event advertisement say about you and your organization to the wider campus community, and to our neighbors in Medford and Somerville?  How can you limit the likelihood of negative outcomes from your events with the way you frame your event to the invitees? 

  • Alcohol handling 

  • Guidance: 

  1. Students and student organizations may not use Tufts University funding or TCU funding on alcohol service, purchasing, or distribution. 

  1. Individuals under age 21 may not possess, consume, handle, or serve alcohol.  Risk management plan submitted must describe the mechanism the host will use to verify which attendees are able to consume alcohol and the process to prohibit underage drinking. 

  1. Risk management submission must specify whether the event will be BYOB or third party vendor.  See social event policy for definitions.  Plan must then detail the plans for safely handling, serving, and storing alcohol under the chosen paradigm, including how to prevent people from being overserved. 

  1. Anyone who handles or serves alcohol must be 21 years old or over. 

  1. Alcohol may never be served at an event held in the common area of a larger, traditional residence hall. 

  • Considerations:  How will alcohol be served or stored?  Serving alcohol to people is an action that comes with significant responsibility.  What training has the server had?  In what form will the alcohol be served and where will it be served from? What food and alternative non-alcoholic beverages will be served?  How will you keep the event safe for people who are sober and for people who are consuming alcohol?  Where and how will you post/distribute information about Tufts’ amnesty through responsible action policy and how to get help if needed? 

  • Alignment with other initiatives and scheduling 

  • Guidance: 

  1. Organizations recruiting new members may not host events with alcohol until the conclusion of the recruitment process. 

  1. High activity periods on campus (e.g., spring fling, homecoming, senior week, etc.) have special considerations with scheduling, including the type and number of events during a special period an organization can host, and the scheduling of the event to be supportive of rather than conflicting with large university programs. 

  1. Groups should consider the ratio of social events with alcohol to community service, philanthropy, performances and other types of events they host.  Frequently hosting social events with alcohol without other types of events calls into question the organization’s purpose. 

  • Considerations: Is it possible this event could impact the experience of prospective members or new members?  Is there social pressure to attend or join this event or to consume alcohol?  What else is going on with our organization and more broadly on campus at around the time of our event, and how can we complement rather than conflict with those activities? 

Students who wish to inquire about the social event registration process may contact the Office of Campus Life, Office of Residential Life and Learning, or Office of Community Standards.