Event hosting and sponsorship

Holding an event in the Department

All events held in the Department need to have prior approval by the Departmental Administrator, and proposals may be referred to the Executive Committee for discussion.

To apply to host an event in the Department please contact the Departmental Administrator (administrator@hps.cam.ac.uk). If the event is approved, you will be asked to complete a risk assessment. Please note that events outside the Department's opening hours (9am–5.15pm, Monday to Friday) will not typically be approved unless a senior member of staff is present.

Please see below information about applying for funding for events.

Event risk assessment form

Reading groups

Reading groups must be formally approved by the Executive Committee, which meets twice per term. Organisers of new reading groups must submit the reading group request form at least one week before the next Executive Committee meeting to administrator@hps.cam.ac.uk. Organisers should consult the departmental calendar and website to identify a suitable time and venue.

Once a reading group has been approved, it will be added to the departmental website, and the organiser should contact administrator@hps.cam.ac.uk and reception@hps.cam.ac.uk to confirm the room bookings.

The Department encourages informal reading groups, but only formally approved groups will be able to book rooms in the Department.

Reading group request form

Event sponsorship

The Department supports pertinent academic activities both in Cambridge and elsewhere. It can provide some funding for events including conferences, workshops and book launches.

• Applications up to £500 can be approved by the Head of Department.
• Applications over £500 will be considered by the Executive Committee. (Please note that the Committee meets twice per term.) For applications over £500, applicants are required to provide a letter of support from a Senior Academic Staff member in the Department.

Applications should be for one-off events, rather than recurring activities.

To apply for event funding please complete the online form. If you have any questions about the event sponsorship process, please contact the Departmental Administrator (administrator@hps.cam.ac.uk).

Funding for recurrent events

• Research seminars have formal budgets agreed annually by the Executive Committee.
• Reading groups have no budget, but may apply for funding to organise one-off special events.
• Some language groups, such as Latin and Greek Therapy, can apply to the Executive Committee for a budget to pay for a tutor. Regular participation by at least six people is required for approval.

Conditions of use of Department rooms

1. Ensure that your event has departmental approval.
2. Confirm the room booking with reception@hps.cam.ac.uk.
3. Please check the display screen in the foyer and if another activity is scheduled to follow directly on from yours, make sure to finish on time.
4. In order to maximise the use of space and encourage participation by as many people as possible, we try to ensure that all morning activities start and finish on the hour; lunchtime activities are limited to an hour; and activities lasting longer than an hour should take place later on in the afternoon when the schedule is more flexible. There may be the occasional exception, but we encourage everyone to try to comply with this.
5. Outside normal opening hours the front door must be kept locked unless someone is available to monitor who enters the building. Participants may leave by the back door but will have to make special arrangements to be let back in if they are leaving the meeting at unscheduled times.
6. If moved, the tables and chairs must be put back to their usual layout at the end of the session. Rooms must be left clean, tidy and orderly with cups returned to the kitchen.
7. All lights must be turned off and windows and doors closed at the end of the session.

Use of supervision rooms

Please note that the supervision rooms are for HPS supervisions only. Colleges are responsible for providing supervision rooms and Department rooms may not be available at short notice.

We have two supervision rooms: P11 and P19, the booking of which is self-service, managed through Google calendars, which you should have access to through your @cam email or through a Gmail account. Email reception@hps.cam.ac.uk to be added to our room calendars so that you can book, amend and delete your own bookings.

Booking procedures:

• Refresh your page before booking to ensure your calendar is up to date.
• Please put your name in the event title, so that we can see who has booked the room.
• To be fair to others, please delete any bookings that you no longer need.
• All bookings should start on the hour.
• For your student's first supervision, please meet them at Reception.
• Ask Reception for the key for P19.
• The earliest booking is at 9am and the last at 5pm.
• Block bookings of more than 2 hours are not permitted.
• Please try not to run over as there may be people in the room after you.
• Please turn off the lights and shut the windows when you are finished.

Bookings are checked and you will be contacted if there are any issues, or if we require you to amend your booking.