Planning and Preparing for your Conference, Retreat, or Field Trip

Before you submit an application for your conference, retreat, or field trip, read through this information to understand FHL and University of Washington policies.

Cancellations: All cancellations must be in writing to the FHL Visitor Coordinator. The First Cancellation Deadline is 90 days prior to your group’s scheduled arrival, at which point a non-refundable deposit is due (details on the Cost pages). The Second Cancellation Deadline is two weeks (14 calendar days) prior to arrival.  If notice of cancellation is received after the Second Cancellation Deadline, the remaining balance of total estimated charges will be due to FHL. It is your responsibility to notify the FHL Visitor Coordinator of any changes to housing or dining arrangements before the Second Cancellation Deadline.

AFTER YOU’VE RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION OF YOUR RESERVATION, FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW

Submit Group Contract and if Applicable, Group Research Agreement: Fill out and sign the FHL Group Contract and submit it, together with a non-refundable deposit, to the FHL Visitor Coordinator. The Visitor Coordinator will provide you with the form and let you know the deposit amount. If your group is using research facilities or equipment (lab buildings, sea tables, stockroom, research vessel) or doing field work, fill out and submit the Group Research Agreement, agreeing to follow FHL research policies.

Obtain Permission to Use University of Washington Facilities and/or Consume Alcohol in Meeting Spaces. As soon as your group event at FHL has been confirmed, you should submit requests to use UW facilities and, if applicable, to serve alcohol.  Please see details regarding policy and procedures on our page, Permission to use UW Facilities and Serve Alcohol.

Arrange for Meals.  The group organizer should arrange for meals in the Dining Hall several weeks in advance with Food Services Manager Megan Connelly.  The Dining Hall cannot accept requests/reservations from individual participants.  If participants are staying in dorms or huts (with no facilities for food storage, preparation, or cooking), the Dining Hall will serve all meals for the group.  Otherwise, the group may elect to eat in the Dining Hall or to prepare and eat meals in their housing units or in town.

Meal times                                            

Meals are served at follows:

Reserve Commons Kitchen, if applicable. The Commons kitchen is kept locked at all times.  If your group has been assigned to meet in the Commons, you may request to use the kitchen (at least one week before arrival).  Upon departure, be sure to leave the kitchen clean behind you.

Arrange for Stockroom Use: equipment & supplies.  If your group plans to borrow equipment/supplies, or purchase consumable supplies, please contact FHL Stockroom Manager Peggy Combs.  Schedule an appointment with her to review stockroom procedures and check out or purchase stockroom items.

Arrange for Boat Use.  If you would like rowboats to be available for members of your group, you must arrange for a rowboat orientation session prior to arrival (contact Boat Safety Officer Kristy Kull to schedule).  To arrange for a group outing on our Research Vessel, contact Marine Operations well in advance.

Read and pass along Information for Participants. Please review our web page with information for group participants, and pass the link to everyone in your group.

Assign Participants to Housing: Two-three weeks in advance of your arrival, the Visitors Coordinator will provide you with a list of your specific housing units and the beds therein.  You may then assign participants to housing units on the list provided.

Arrange for Check-ins.  The Whiteley & Office Manager will put together a box or envelope of keys, together with a printed housing list for your group; she’ll be in contact with you to make arrangements for picking these up when you arrive.  You will be in charge of informing participants of their room assignments and distributing their keys.  Participants may check into their housing units any time after 3:00 pm.

Arrange for Check-outs. Participants must vacate their housing by 11 am on departure day.  Likewise, you may use your assigned meeting space(s) until 11 am².  We ask that everyone leave their housing units clean behind them, disposing of their garbage/recycling in the dumpsters outside and washing their dishes.  They may leave their keys in their housing units upon departure and lock your units on the way out or drop them in one of the two Key Drop boxes on campus – One just outside the Commons, and the other just outside the main office, under the lockbox where your keys were picked up.  If additional staff time is required for cleaning any units beyond what is ordinarily needed, the group will be billed for the extra time ($50/hour).

Computer Facilities. Participants may use the common-use iMacs in the Computer Lab, Lecture Hall, or Library.  The Computer Lab is locked from 5 pm to 8 am.  If your group will be using it after hours, please ask for the keypad code in the office.

1. On some Sundays, especially in August and September, the meal schedule is the same as on weekdays.
2. If you would like to use your meeting space after 11 am, place a request with the FHL Visitor Coordinator as soon as possible.