Facility Policies

Supervision of Children & Age Restrictions

Children under the age of 16 may use all recreational facilities (except the fitness center) if they are actively supervised by an adult. NOTE: Active supervision means maintaining visual contact and ensuring a barrier free physical proximity of no more 70 feet. We allow children to use the swimming pool without supervision starting at age 12. All children over the age of 7 may use the climbing wall, but must have a parent or guardian serve as their belayer until they reach age 18.
[last update 6/30/14]

Inclement Weather / Closures

The recreation center follows the College’s opening schedule with weather related delays. Please note that due to the timing of the college’s announcements, it is sometimes necessary to make our decision sooner than 5 am. The recreation normally maintains a reduced/modified schedule during early closings or full closures of the College. Information regarding fluctuations in recreation center hours are communicated via the recreation services web site, push notifications from our mobile app, and on the voice mail at our reception desk phone (610-330-5770).  If conditions change, these resources will be updated to reflect how our facility and programs will be affected.

Locker Rentals
The rental period is from June 1st to May 31st of each year, unless a designated period is chosen. It is the renter’s responsibility to renew a locker before the expiration date each year or designated term rented. The annual renewal period is April 15th – May 15th. The following policies apply to the locker rooms and the rental locker program:

  • Emptying once a year from May 15th to May 31st is required for thorough cleaning.  Does not apply to student partial year rentals.
  • Annual locker rental fees apply to employees, plus one and recreation swim members.
  • Use of devices capable of recording photo or video is prohibited in the locker rooms.
  • A lost key or lock will result in a $10 replacement charge.
  • Locker rental fees are non-refundable after 30 days from payment and are non-transferable.
  • Lafayette College is not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged items stored.
  • Renter agrees to full responsibility of the contents in the rented locker and ensures the items placed in the locker do not pose a threat to the facility or users of the facility.
  • Lafayette College reserves the right to terminate a locker rental at any time and to remove locker items such as un-returned equipment or known hazards that may pose a safety risk to the campus community.
  • Any expired lockers or those with unauthorized locks will have the contents removed. Confiscated items will be kept for four months, and unclaimed items will be donated to charity. Inquiries about retrieving locker contents which have been removed must be made to a professional staff member in Recreation Services.
    [last update 4/7/2020]

Private Instruction/Coaching

In all of our recreational facility settings, the act of providing personal individual instruction is restricted to those individuals who have been specifically employed by Lafayette for the purpose of conducting private, semi-private, or group instruction for our patrons. A person who is observed to be conducting, or suspected of conducting, personal instruction or coaching for another person(s) in the recreational facilities may be approached regarding unauthorized individual instruction if any of the following (or related) behaviors are observed:

  • writing or designing a fitness program for another person
  • explaining and providing or demonstrating exercise technique to one or more people
  • meeting with several different people within a given time period
  • collecting or receiving payment from a person
  • assisting a person with spotting, technique, or any specific instruction on consecutive exercises, but not exercising with that individual or on their own

Exceptions exist when a current Lafayette employee requests space and equipment for the purpose of a rehearsal (not compensated), those individuals will be permitted up to 4 hours per semester: Fall (Sept to Dec), Spring (Jan to April), or Summer (May to August). Rehearsal hours must be requested at least 48 hours in advance through the Assistant Director. Requests for equipment and space will be approved based on whether:

  • equipment and space are readily accessible
  • the rehearsal interferes with or competes with department sponsored instruction or program
  • the same or a similar department sponsored instruction or program was canceled due to low enrollment.

If an instance of unauthorized private instruction is discovered, both instructor and student(s) will be required to stop activity and may also be asked to leave the facility.
 [last update 6/30/14]

Communication and Personal Electronic Devices

Since the department values the welfare and privacy of its facility patrons and program participants, we have created a policy which limits or prevents the use of electronic devices in certain parts of the facility. The use of any device capable of recording photos or video in all restrooms and locker rooms is prohibited. Additionally, talking on personal electronic devices within the fitness center is prohibited.  [last update 6/18/2014]

Cycling Room Rental

Groups who wish to use the cycling room for their organization’s purposes can do so if the hire one of the department of recreation services instructors or provide proof of their own fully certified instructor. Once a qualified instructor has been secured, the cost associated with using the room will be $7 per class – for those classes scheduled in advance through reserve@lafayette.edu OR $12 per class for those reserved through reserve@lafayette.edu less than 7 business days in advance. Charges will be applied based on the dates reserved in the College’s scheduling software and after the last scheduled class in a given semester.  If a class is canceled, the reservation must be changed through reserve@lafayette.edu and a new confirmation issued.
[last update 7/17/2017]