What is a Central Pool Classroom?
The Central Pool Classroom (CPC) system comprises approximately 165 classrooms in 29 buildings throughout Penn’s campus. The CPCs are primarily used for undergraduate and graduate classes, but Space & Events has the ability to reserve classrooms for special events. The Office of the University Registrar (OUR) has scheduling priority in the CPCs, and Special Event bookings through University Life Space & Events Management (ULSE) cannot be processed until OUR has completed assigning classrooms for the semester. Please read more about factors and fees to consider when booking a CPC below.
Fall 2025: University Life Space & Events is no longer accepting reservations in Central Pool Classroom spaces for the Fall 2025 semester. Please see below for important information regarding Spring 2025 reservation requests. If you have any questions, please reach out to our team at (215) 898-5552.
Spring 2026: University Life Space & Events will begin accepting Special Events requests in Central Pool Classroom spaces for Spring 2025 on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026.
Special Event or Academic Event?
Please review the information below to determine if a Central Pool Classroom is an appropriate space for your event and if your event qualifies as a Special Event.
Special Events
Special Events can be booked through University Life Space & Events Management. These include student-sponsored events, one-time special events, conferences, and events sponsored by non-University groups.
Qualities of a Special Event:
- You are part of an Office of Student Affairs Registered Student Organization looking to reserve a classroom space for an event or a general body meeting;
- Your event takes place on the weekend or outside standard building hours;
- Your event is hosting non-PennCard holding guests from outside the Penn community;
- Your event is a conference featuring high-profile speaker(s);
- Your event requires additional AV equipment/services beyond the standard classroom capabilities.
Academic Events
Academic Events are processed by the Office of the University Registrar and should be requested through the Academic Event Scheduling Portal.
Qualities of an Academic Event:
- A review session;
- A reservation for a Midterm Exam;
- A University lecturer presenting to the Penn Community;
- Other course-related events.
If you have questions about academic events, please contact the Office of the University Registrar at ourscheduling@registrar.upenn.edu.
This is not an exhaustive list of event types. If you have questions about your specific event, please contact a member of out events team at (215) 898-5552.
Important Factors to Consider When Reserving a CPC for a Special Event
University Life Space & Events is unable to offer space to individual students and individual faculty members. All events must be endorsed, supported, and funded by a Registered Student Organization or Penn Department. A budget code will need to be supplied during the application process.
Academic classes take priority in classroom spaces. Availability in the building or room of your preference may not be available on the date or time you’ve requested. An Event Coordinator will match your event with the most appropriate space based on your event needs.
There are fees associated with special events such as room rental, building access, additional audio/visual needs, and housekeeping charges. Please anticipate a budget for your events before applying for a Special Event in a CPC. Please see the section below for more information regarding specific policies and associated fees.
Each CPC building has its own administrative team and set of building guidelines and restrictions. Space & Events reserves a select set of classroom spaces in these buildings but does not manage the buildings. Space & Events follows advisement from each building administration team and all building policies must be followed by the event organizers and guests.
There is NO food or drink allowed in classroom spaces. Some select buildings allow food in hallways or lobby spaces, but this will always come with additional housekeeping costs.
Events that take place outside the academic building hours of operation will need an Allied Guard for building access as well as additional housekeeping. Select buildings are open outside of regular business hours, but many of the buildings in the CPC pool are closed after 5:00pm Monday through Friday and on weekends.
Central Pool Classroom Fees
When reserving a Special Event in a Central Pool Classroom through Space & Events, event organizers must keep in mind that when an event takes place outside of building hours, additional fees will apply. Please consider the costs below when planning an event in a Central Pool Classroom. Note that each building has its own set of guidelines and operational hours that Space & Events does not manage.
Additional Costs
- If your special events requests a dedicated A/V technician or additional technical equipment to be added to the classroom, please request this in your reservation inquiry. Once your application is processed, a member of the Visual Sound team will be in touch with the event organizer to discuss these services and associated costs.
- Building access is managed by an Allied Guard. This is billed at a 4-hour minimum including a half-hour lead and end time on either end of your event. For student events, the hourly rate for Allied Guards is $37.13/hr. With a 4-hour minimum, the starting cost of guards is $148.52. Department and external event rates are higher.
- Housekeeping is required to reset the room for use after your event. This is billed at a 2-hour minimum. For student events, the hourly rate for housekeeping is $59.26/hr. With a 2-hour minimum, the starting cost of housekeeping is $118.52. Department and external event rates are higher.
These costs bring the total minimum cost for a student event outside of building hours to $267.04. Please keep in mind that this is the minimum cost. If your event is longer or more complex, you will be charged additional fees.
If you have further questions, please reach out to the Space & Events office at (215) 898-5552.
Additionally, for a more comprehensive list of Local Support Information for CPCs, see information here, including Technology Support and Building Administrators.
CPC Reservation Request Form
Apply here for events requesting a Central Pool Classroom special event reservation on dates 2/2/25 thru 4/30/25. Be mindful we cannot accommodate event requests less than 10 business days before the date of the event. We are not accepting reservation requests for dates beyond 4/30/25 at this time.
Your inquiry will be matched with a classroom that best suits your event needs. Building and room preferences will be taken into consideration but cannot be guaranteed.