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Students are required to have their student identification card, known at the Rhino Card, with them at all times when in School buildings and grounds. Students must record their entrance into and exit from buildings by means of the ID card reader near the guard stations. Students who do not have their ID may be denied access to the building. See the Student ID section of this Handbook for more details.

Building Hours (Academic Year)

Public Hours: Monday– Sunday: 8 am–6pm           

Break Access (students)

Winter Break (12/23–1/18): 8 am–6 pm–no overnights

Spring Break (3/17–3/25):8 am–Midnight–no overnights

Holidays & Exceptions to the General Hours of Operation

Columbus Day (10/10): Closed to public – building access and overnights permitted

Veteran’s Day (11/11): Closed to public – building access and overnights permitted

Thanksgiving (11/24): Closed – no overnights 11/24 & 11/25 – no graduate access

Christmas (12/25): Closed – no overnights during break – no graduate access

New Year’s Day (1/1): Closed – no overnights during break – no graduate access

Martin Luther King Day (1/16): Closed to public - building access and no overnights

President’s Day (2/20): Closed to Public – building access and overnights permitted

Patriots Day (4/16): Closed – no overnights 4/17 & 4/18 – no graduate access

Overnight Access

General access hours for students are from 7am-midnight daily during the School’s academic terms; exceptions are posted in the Building Access Hours schedule published by Student Affairs and above in the Building Hours section of this Handbook. Overnight Access is granted to full-time School’s that allows for access to buildings after hours. This privilege is granted to full-time students only; part-time students and guests of full-time students are not allowed after hours. The main doors to the School are locked at midnight and no entry or re-entry is permitted until 7am for any reason.

In order to be eligible for overnight access full-time students must complete a one-time (yearly) Liability Contract – Acknowledgement and Release Agreement provided by Student Affairs during the ID printing process. No general access or overnight privileges will be granted without having completed the form.

Overnight access is permitted during the following dates each semester:

                Fall Semester: 9/22–12/21(except as noted above)

                Spring Semester: 1/19–5/13 (except as noted above)

Overnight Access Policies:

°         Students participating in overnight access are required to self-identify at the Guard Desk with their room location.

°         All rules and policies outlined in this Handbook must be followed.

°         Some areas are off limits afterhours when the building is closed. These include the back courtyard, unmonitored shops (metals, plaster, ceramics kilns, woodshop, small metals, screen printing, printmaking), and administrative departments and services.

°         To leave the building you must seek out the security guard and ask to be let out. Important: When working after hours, do not attempt to leave the building by yourself. Once you have left the building you may not re-enter again until the building re-opens.

°         You are responsible for any damages to equipment and/or other contents of the respective room in which you are working.

°         Only those persons who have completed the Overnight Access Contract will be granted overnight privileges.

°         No guests are allowed during non-public hours.

°         Undergraduates are not permitted to do overnights at the Mission Hill Building.

Some areas require a work partner for safety reasons. The following are additional Area guidelines for Photography, Film, Animation and Print and Paper:

°For safety reasons, you are required to work with a buddy in these areas. 

°          To do an overnight in the Photo, Film and Animation Area, you are required to fill out the online Stockroom Overnight Request Form two days in advance of your requested overnight. All overnights in Photo require a safety training tutorial to be scheduled with the Photo Area Studio Manager before overnight access can be granted. Please plan accordingly as safety tutorials should be scheduled well in advance of requests. Your Online Stockroom Overnight Request Form has to be approved by the Area or Stockroom Manager, and confirmation of the overnight request will be sent via email. View the form at mediastockroom.smfa.edu.

°          Permission for overnights in Print and Paper will be given to advanced undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and graduate students ONLY. Permission is by approval from the Area Rep and/or Area Manager. Students MUST sign the Overnight Sheet posted on the Area Manager’s office door before 5 pm the day of the overnight. Students are also required to work with a buddy who is also approved to work overnight. Failure to comply with studio rules and procedures could result in overnight status being revoked, at the discretion of the Area Rep and/or Area Manager. No overnights are permitted in the Silkscreen print shop.

Any student who fails to comply with these policies will have overnight privileges revoked.

Questions? Contact Student Affairs.