Party Planning

• Party: A party is defined as an event held primarily for the purposes of socializing, or an event where alcohol is present. Parties for larger groups and/or with alcohol require both extra attention and planning. All parties hosted or co-hosted by a student group(s) must be registered and go before by the Party Review Committee.
• Student Group: refers to all voluntary student organizations, Row Houses, sports teams (both club and varsity), fraternities, and sororities. Groups that are not included in the preceding definition are encouraged to register.
• EANABs (Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverages): refers to beverages that are appealing alternatives to alcoholic beverages and contribute to an inclusive and inviting experience for non-drinkers and those who choose not to drink alcohol at a registered party. (Mocktail recipes)
• Primary Coordinator: student group or House member(s) responsible for coordinating party logistics, including registration, and serving as the primary points of contact during the party. Primary Coordinators are expected to intervene if they observe a policy violation during the party and are expected to participate in any investigations into alleged violations that occurred at the party.
• University advisor/liaison: a professional staff or faculty member designated to provide ongoing support and guidance to a student group.

• Members Only
  • A private party only for members/residents of the hosting student group(s).
• Invite Only
  • A private party for members/residents of the student group and a maximum of three invited guests per member/resident of the group OR the maximum occupancy of the venue where the party is held, whichever is smaller. All non-Stanford guests must be 18 or older.
• Open Invitation
  • A party open to Stanford students, and non-Stanford guests accompanied by a Stanford student which may not exceed the occupancy of the venue where the party is held. All non-Stanford guests must be 18 or older.

Access important registration information. 

Learn More About Registration

• ll parties registered on the form are assumed pre-approved, pending a fire inspection for events over 100 attendees. The Party Review Committee is the primary entity responsible for reviewing and discerning the viability of a party registered by a student group.
• The Party Review Committee will meet Tuesday each week during the Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters to review party requests submitted via the Party Registration Form.
• The Party Review Committee will consist of representation from the following units/departments including, but is not limited to:
  • SUPER
  • OSE
  • SUDPS
  • Fire Marshal
  • ResEd
  • FSL
• Following a review of a registered party, the Party Review Committee may deny, require modifications prior to approval, or recommend a postponement of the party. The decision will be delivered via email  by SUPER on behalf of the Party Review Committee.
• The factors considered in a review include, but are not limited to, location, venue occupancy, party size, harm reduction plan, presence of alcohol and alcohol service plan, theme, fire safety, student group history of adhering to University policies, and student group Conduct Status.
• The Party Review Committee may also rescind approval, deny, or recommend a postponement of a party if fire safety efforts, or security are not sufficient for a safe party.
• Should a violation of university policy be determined or alleged after a party is approved, but prior to the party taking place, the Party Review Committee, a University advisor/liaison, or relevant department shall have the absolute right to immediately rescind approval and the student group would be required to communicate the cancellation immediately. 

• Parties with alcohol must have sober monitors so that someone is present to handle any issues. Best practice is ratio 1 sober monitor per 25 guests.
  • For 0-99 guests, parties should have minimum 3 sober monitors.
  • For 100-299 guests, parties should have minimum 5 sober monitors.
  • For 300-499 events, parties should have minimum 10 sober monitors.
  • For 500+ events, parties should have minimum 15+ sober monitors. Events of this size are encouraged to have StEMS present if available.
  • For special events, consult and work with the SUPER office on a specific plan.
• For FSL organizations, a list of sober monitors and contact information for each must be sent to your FSL advisor at least 24 hours before your event.
• All sober monitors should be visibly discernable to all guests and emergency response personnel. Examples: brightly colored hats/ vests or formal attire.
• Sober monitors must remain sober before and during their shift.
• All assigned sober monitors must have completed the sober monitor module prior to the date of the party. The module must be completed once per academic year.
• Sober monitors have responsibility to intervene when they observe violations of the law and/or university policy and are authorized to take appropriate action to resolve the violation including shutting down the party.
• Sober monitors are required to adhere to directives from University officials, emergency response personnel, or third-party vendor representatives.

Learn More About Sober Monitor responsibilities

• There may only be a maximum of two designated alcohol service areas for on-campus parties and must be as described in the harm reduction plan. This helps mitigate risk by controlling alcohol distribution and keeps eyes on attendees.
• Unattended alcohol is prohibited at all parties on or off campus.
• Alcohol may only be served at the designated alcohol service area(s). Alcohol may not be served or made accessible in private rooms before, during, or after a registered party.
• Alcohol must be served by an assigned bartender(s). The bartender(s) must be 21 or older and must remain sober before and during their shift.
• Guests are prohibited from serving themselves.
• BYOB parties are not permitted.
• If the student group includes undergraduates, only beer, wine, seltzer and packaged pre-mixed alcoholic beverages (e.g wine coolers, pre-mixed cocktail drinks under 20% alcohol by volume, etc.) may be served to guests who are 21 and older.
• Shots of hard alcohol are prohibited at all parties.
• Selling tickets for a party with alcohol, selling alcohol at a party on campus or off campus that is not hosted at a third-party vendor with a valid alcohol service license, must adhere to the following alcohol service and licensing requirements. Note, student groups should adhere to a much longer lead time in order to obtain a license and consult with their University advisor/liaison proactively.
• Equally attractive non-alcoholic beverages (EANABS) and food must be provided by the host(s) for consumption throughout the duration of the party if alcohol is served. Food provided should be substantial and must be appropriate for the number of guests and the duration of the party.

• Student groups are required to coordinate transportation to and from any off-campus party with 50 or more expected guests.
• A transportation plan should be included in the harm reduction plan when registering an off campus party. This is important for the university so that they know that people are considering transportation when planning off campus events for both safety and equity reasons. This also allows the university to check in on insurance and safety of travel, ensuring the existence of contracts or even signing off on them. The following should be addressed in the transportation plan:
  • Type of transportation provided (Buses, ride-share, other)
  • Time of departure and return
  • Contact information for vendor being used
• All parties hosted off campus, regardless of party type, must be registered two full weeks before the party is planned to occur. Please note that a contract or security deposit with a third-party vendor is not the same as approval from the University.
  • If a contract is required with a third-party vendor or venue; the student group must confirm with their relevant University advisor/liaison if there are additional expectations or a longer lead time.
  • Off-campus parties may not be held at private residences. They must be held at venues with sufficient insurance, permits, and licenses. 

• Any decorations or construction, especially alterations to entrances and exits, must be approved by the Stanford University Fire Marshal’s Office (SUFMO).
• All decorations must be made from a nonflammable material or be treated and maintained in a flame-retardant condition. The fire marshal has provided a list of suggested, non-flammable decorations.
• Exit signs and lights, fire alarm sending stations, smoke detectors, sprinklers and fire extinguishers must not be concealed, in whole or in part, by any decorative material.
• Flammable materials such as, but not limited to, hay, paper panels, sheets, tree branches and green foliage must not be used as decorations unless properly treated with a flame retardant material and approved by SUFMO.
• Do not cut tree or palm branches or other foliage without prior permission.
• The use of tiki torches and fog machines are prohibited.

• In accordance with Santa Clara County's noise ordinance and the University Noise and Amplified Sound Policy, no one may generate sound that, at the point of crossing onto another person's residential property, exceeds 45 decibels between 10:00pm and 7:00am or 55 decibels between 7:00am and 10:00pm. As such, all outdoor amplified sound must end at 10:00pm.
• Housing agreements outline quiet hours as being 11pm weekday nights (Sunday-Thursday) and 1am weekend nights (Friday and Saturday). Access the RDE Noise Policy here.
• Parties that violate the noise ordinance may be shut down by University personnel and/or police and hosts may be cited by the police. Moreover, violations of the noise ordinance may be referred to SGAP.

• All marketing and social media materials must be related to theme, food, or activities that align with the mission of the University.
• Information related to a Members Only party should only be shared with members of the group and may not be shared via any medium publicly outside of the student group.

Student groups hosting a party are required to abide by federal, state, and local laws, as well as university policies, including the Student Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy which governs the consumption, distribution, and possession of alcohol at Stanford University.

It is important to know that under some circumstances, party hosts, sponsors, bartenders or others might be held legally liable for the consequences of serving alcohol to underage drinkers or to obviously intoxicated persons. As a social host or party planner who knowingly  served underage drinkers or obviously intoxicated people, you could be found legally liable for damages related to negligence in three ways:

• Specific damages: These are damages that are measurable (for example, when bodily injury results in medical expenses or lost wages).
• General damages: These are damages that cannot be specifically measured in terms of dollar amounts (for example, pain and suffering resulting from bodily injury).
• Punitive damages: These are damages intended to serve as an ex- ample to others and to discourage behavior that is deemed highly undesirable to society.
• Stanford University is not a sanctuary from the enforcement of state and local laws. Students and others on campus who violate the law may be and have been arrested and prosecuted.

Student groups are responsible for behavior and conduct that occurs at parties they host. This includes the behavior and conduct of both members and guests. All reported violations of the law and/or university policy, including the Student Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy, applicable CORE 10 policies, and the Student Party Policy and Guidelines, will be referred to the Student Group Accountability Process (SGAP).Individuals, such as student group leaders, event coordinators, and/or guests, may also be held accountable for alleged violations of university policy through the Stanford Student Conduct Charter of 2023.

Student parties should align with Stanford’s values of fostering inclusive, welcoming communities, and all parties must follow Stanford’s Nondiscrimination Policy. In brief: Stanford prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Race, color, or national origin includes shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics. This applies to student parties both on and off campus. Stanford also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Stanford Party-goers are respectful of:

• Party hosts - They understand that the overwhelming burden of parties falls on hosts. They are grateful of the work they have put in and attend the party in such a way that they do not increase the amount of work required by hosts.
• Party venues - They are grateful for the opportunity to socialize in a space that is not their own and treat it even better than if it were their own.
• Themselves - They indulge responsibly if they choose to do so and keep themselves, their reputations, and fellow party-goers safe.
• Other attendees - They understand that everyone is there to have a good time, assume best intent, and handle situations calmly.
• The law, University policy, and authority figures such as University officials, emergency response personnel, or third-party vendor representatives - They understand that these people are present to keep the space fun and safe.

By attending a party, you are committing to act as a Stanford party-goer as described above.

• Respect the space and parameters of the party and hosts. Not all parties are open to everyone. There are categories of parties that limit who is invited or who can enter (See Types of Parties above). Never assume that you can enter someone else’s space unless you have been invited or it is explicitly stated that it is open to the Stanford community.
• Party-goers who show up looking overly intoxicated or become overly-intoxicated over the course of the event will be provided support and may be escorted out of the event.
• By attending an event, you are agreeing to respect members of the organization and the space they are hosting the event in. You may be asked to leave at any time by a member of the organization due to a variety of behaviors, actions, words, or anything that is deemed disrespectful by the host organization. Failure to respect the host’s wishes could lead to discipline and affect your ability to attend future events hosted by the organization and/or at the place of the gathering.
• Understand that people appearing under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and other substances at the event or in their dorm may be subject to meetings with RAs, RFs, RDs, and/or other administrators to discuss concerns around problematic behaviors and patterns. It is important to be aware of how your actions are perceived and how those responsible for your well-being will approach their concerns.
• Organizations may limit attendance and refuse entry if the event isn't all-campus or attendees don't fit the description. Registration requires careful planning and organizational support, giving administration confidence in safe hosting. Approved parties receive support from approvers within the event description.
• Party hosts may escalate concerns to relevant campus support resources if a party-goer's actions are inconsistent with the expectations outlined above.