FAQs
About summer conferences
- Are you a one-stop-shop? Yes. The summer conference coordinator will act as your campus liaison for all of your needs (i.e., parking, meeting rooms, food service, overnight accommodations). Whenever possible, your conference leader(s) will have an opportunity to meet with individuals from each area at a meeting to review your event needs and to ensure a smooth program.
- How can I arrange for a tour of campus housing and meeting facilities? Contact the summer conference coordinator at 313-577-7869 or send an email to ab0227@wayne.edu
- How long is the summer conference season at Wayne State University? In general, the summer conference season is from mid-May to Mid-August. Exact dates are dependent upon the academic schedule.
- How much walking will I have to do on campus? Wayne State's main campus in Midtown Detroit comprises 100 buildings over 200 acres. Parking and dining services are generally located within a walk of only a few minutes from any residence hall.
- What meeting room spaces/classrooms/auditoriums are available? How do I make a reservation? The summer conference coordinator is your one-stop-shop for all of your scheduling needs. Additionally, lounges within the residence halls may be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
Accommodations/amenities
- What types of housing accommodations are offered? Yousif B. Ghafari Hall or Leon H. Atchison Hall may accommodate two guests that would share a room that includes two extra-long twin size beds, two desks and closets, a private bath, and air conditioning. Towers Residential Suites are mostly suite-style containing four private bedrooms attached to a shared living space that includes a couch. Also included is a private bath per suite and air conditioning. A limited number of single rooms are available in each building. Chatsworth Suites are double occupancy 4 and 6 person suites. Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments are modern studio, 1-,2-and 4 bedroom apartments.
- Are there any single-sex buildings available? All buildings are co-ed. We will do our best to segregate the floor by gender, if possible.
- Are apartments available? A limited number of apartments may be available if eligibility requirements are met. Ask the summer conference coordinator if guest apartments are available.
- Are there room occupancy limits? The occupancy of a room may not exceed the capacity of that particular room.
- Do you have cribs available? We are unable to provide guests with cribs.
- Can I bring my linen or sleeping bag? Yes, however, guests sleeping on floors in sleeping bags are prohibited.
- If I order a linen package, what is included? The cost of a linen package is $10 per person. A linen package includes top and bottom sheets, pillow, blanket, bath towel, and a washcloth. The linen package is distributed during check-in. At check-out, please leave your linens in a pile in your room. Additional towels may be pre-ordered at a nominal fee.
- Is it possible to have exclusive use of a residence hall? Our residence halls are designed to be shared. Therefore, a group can't have exclusive use of a residence hall. We make every effort to segregate the floors by group. Gender segregation may also be available with advance notice.
- Are any ADA rooms available? Wayne State University residence halls are all ADA compliant. Please inform us as soon as possible if special accommodations are required.
- Is smoking permitted? WSU has adopted a smoke and tobacco-free policy for all indoor and outdoor spaces.
- Can I bring a pet?
- Pets, other than those required for accessibility assistance, are not permitted.
- I've lost my key and my access card. Now, what do I do? Report the lost key and access card to the front desk of the housing facility. The fee for a lost card is $20 per instance, and the cost of a lost key is $170, which will be added onto the final invoice.
- I've locked my key inside my room. Now, what do I do? If you are unable to find your roommate to let you into your room to retrieve the key, contact the front desk of the housing facility. The fee for a lockout is $20 per instance.
- What are some of the things I should bring?
- Clothes hangers
- Personal hygiene products (i.e., soap, shampoo, toothbrush, hairdryer)
- Linens/pillow for an extra-long twin bed (if not pre-ordered)
- Extra bath towel
- What if there is a maintenance issue during my stay? Contact the front desk of your housing facility with your concern to place a work order.
- What if my access card does not function correctly during my stay? Contact the front desk of your housing facility and/or the summer conference coordinator.
- Are there ice machines in the residence halls?
- There are no ice machines in the residence halls.
- Can luggage be stored in a residence hall? Luggage cannot be stored in a residence hall. The summer conference coordinator and residence hall staff will be happy to work with you to make some other arrangements.
- Is Internet access available? WSU-Public is a Wi-Fi network designed for Wayne State guests and visitors and is available across campus. To connect to WSU-Public: 1. In the wireless internet options of your computer or mobile device, select SSID (network name) WSU-Public. Launch a web browser. The WSU-Public login should appear automatically. If not, enter a URL to see the WSU-Public login page. 3. Review the terms of use and click login. Click take me to the internet, and you are connected. Note: The network is available to the public, but usage is subject to certain restrictions.
- Is there a television in the room? A television is not in the room. However, there is a television in the first floor community/activity room.
- Can I request a mini-refrigerator? Unfortunately, at this time, we do not have mini-refrigerators.
- Is there a telephone in the room? No, telephones do not come with the room.
- Is there a laundry room? Laundry rooms are provided throughout each facility.
- Is daily housekeeping available? All rooms are cleaned before arrival, and we are not able to provide daily housekeeping services.
- Are kitchenettes available? Community kitchenettes are located on the third and fifth floors of Atchison and Ghafari Residence Halls, and on the odd-numbered floors in Towers Residential Suites.
- Is there a recreation facility on campus? Unless stipulated in your contract, recreational facilities are not included in your rate. The Mort Harris Recreation and Fitness Center is available for special group programs. Consult the summer conference coordinator for details.
- Is there a Lost and Found on campus? The Lost and Found Office is located at the Information Desk on the first floor of the Student Center and can be reached at 313-577-0295.
Background check/child safety
- Our group has participants under the age of 18, what is required? The group leadership team that will interact with minors during their stay on campus MUST attend a Child Safety Awareness workshop that is presented by the WSU Department of Internal Audit. The workshop lasts approximately 30 minutes. Your summer conference coordinator will assist you in scheduling this workshop at a convenient time and location. If the group leadership team already attended a similar workshop, documents may be submitted for review to Internal Audit to see if the WSU Child Safety Awareness workshop may be waived. Additionally, adults who will be interacting with minors on university-owned or managed property must receive a criminal background check within six months of check-in. Proof that the background checks have been completed must be submitted to the university before check-in. The summer conference coordinator can provide more details on the requirements and the contract language.
Check-in/check-out
- What time is check-in? Check-out? By contract, we ask for a two to three-hour window of time in which conference delegates may check-in. This is so we can supply a sufficient amount of staff to move participants through the process as quickly as possible. We also ask that all delegates check-out no later than noon on their departure date. Exceptions for flight or bus schedules will be made on a case by case basis.
- Can conference delegates arrive earlier or stay later than the contracted dates? Unfortunately, we are not able to permit conference delegates to stay on campus outside of the contracted dates.
- Are we able to assign rooms to our delegates? You will receive a spreadsheet with the room numbers about a month before check-in. Once you assign the delegates to their rooms, return the spreadsheet to your summer conference coordinator. The completed spreadsheet is due no less than two weeks before the first delegate check-in.
- Can I make changes to the room roster? Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate walk-in attendees. No changes can be made to the delegate roster within two weeks of the first delegate check-in.
- Can I bring a guest? All guests must be registered and paid as part of the summer conference group and listed as a delegate on the conference roster.
Contact us
- Who is my main point of contact on campus? The summer conference coordinator is your main point of contact. For issues involving accommodations after check-in, it is recommended that you speak with the front desk personnel in your assigned building.
- I still have a question, who should I contact? Contact the summer conference coordinator at 313-577-7869 or email at ab0227@wayne.edu.
Contract
- Are we required to sign a contract? Each group must sign a contract prepared by your summer conference coordinator. A 50% deposit is required at the time of signing.
- What guarantees do I need to provide? A 50% deposit of the estimated total is due at the time the contract is signed. A guaranteed final count is due fourteen days prior to check-in. The balance of the contracted amount is due the business day prior to check-in.
- What types of taxes will be included in the contract? Organizations that are not exempt from sales tax will have a 6% State of Michigan tax applied to the cost of beds and linens. Sales tax exempt organizations should submit their information to the summer conference coordinator as soon as possible. A 1% Wayne County Stadium tax will be applied to the cost of beds and linens of all organizations, sales tax exempt or not.
- What happens if I reduce or cancel services? If the reduction or cancellation of service takes place before the two week deadline, the final invoice will reflect the reduced amount due. Your group will be charged the full contracted cost if there is a reduction or cancellation of service after the two week deadline.
- Are meals included? Wayne State Dining Services is available to provide meals based on a meal plan, by catering and by having funds placed on the delegates' access cards. The summer conference coordinator will be happy to assist you in developing the best dining program(s) for your group. Vegetarian, Kosher Dairy and special dietary needs can be pre-arranged as well. Ask for a campus dining brochure or click on Campus Dining Options.
- Does every group require a certificate of insurance? In most cases, every group is required to present certificate of liability insurance no less than two weeks prior to check-in. Fees associated with a certificate of insurance are the responsibility of the summer conference group and is not included in your contract. Specific liability amounts are listed in your contract or contact the summer conference coordinator for complete details.
Making a reservation
- I am interested in holding a conference and would like to use Wayne State University for overnight accommodations and meeting rooms. How do I make arrangements? Contact the summer conference coordinator at 313-577-7869 or email at ab0227@wayne.edu.
- How soon can I request housing for my conference group? Your housing request can be accepted at any time, however, specific building requests by returning groups will be given priority.
Parking and transportation
- Is on-campus parking available? The summer conference coordinator will help you arrange for secure parking on campus. Pre-arranged bus parking is also available at a fee of $40 per bus per night. Day guests may park in any unassigned lot or structure. Machines at the entrance gates accept $9.00 by credit card. Cash is not accepted. It will also be necessary to swipe the same credit card upon exit, however, a charge is applied upon entry only. Overnight guests require a hangtag. This must be pre-arranged through the summer conference coordinator. When arriving for your first night of stay on campus, please check-in at your assigned residence hall to get your access card first.
- . Be sure when entering a parking structure with your access card, to swipe the card on the box marked, "WSU ASSIGNED."
- How do I access public transportation? The summer conference coordinator can provide you with some contact information for local transportation companies.
Security
- Are the buildings secure? Wayne State University has many procedures in place to make campus safe and secure, whether you are inside WSU buildings or walking across campus. Housing facilities are restricted to residents, university employees, and registered guests. Your guest access card establishes your affiliation with WSU and is not transferable. Residence halls and apartments are locked 24 hours a day and require an access card for entry. Always lock your door whenever you are leaving your room.
- What about security on campus? The Wayne State University Police Department was formed in 1966 and provides a full range of professional police services to both the main and medical center campuses as well as the surrounding neighborhoods. They are committed to providing students, staff, faculty, visitors, and guests with prompt, courteous, and professional police services. Approximately 297 emergency telephones blanket the WSU campus. One hundred seventy-six of these blue light emergency phones are located at outdoor locations across campus. One hundred twenty-one emergency phones are indoor emergency phones, with one located inside every elevator of every campus building. All of these phones are easy to operate and may be used as either a direct line to the WSUPD Dispatch Center or to make free calls to on-campus telephone numbers. To operate these phones in an emergency, push the red "emergency" button of the front of the phone panel. There is no need to dial a phone number as the emergency phone will make a direct connection to the WSUPD Dispatch Center automatically, and the call will be received as an incoming emergency services request. Many individuals carry a personal cell phone. This can be a valuable asset in reporting any emergency or routine service request anywhere on campus or in the surrounding area. The WSUPD emergency number is 313-577-2222.