Student groups are an essential part of the Jacobs community. This page describes how resources here can support clubs and DeCals exploring human-centered design and technology innovation. To add your group to the list of design-related student organizations on our website or discuss other ways that Jacobs can work with your group, contact our student services advisors.
Student groups must submit requests for using Jacobs Hall space for their activities, both one-off and recurring. Recurring activity requests (e.g., club and DeCal meetings) are reviewed once a semester; one-off requests (e.g., events) are reviewed on an ongoing weekly basis.
When submitting space requests, student groups will be asked to provide more information about their group and planned activities, which will help Jacobs understand how their activities connect with our mission and further our values.
All student groups using Jacobs Hall space will be invited to an orientation meeting at the beginning of the semester to get an overview about Jacobs resources and policies, and to allow student group leaders and staff to get to know each other better.
Student groups are responsible for leaving the space used in good condition. This includes furniture being reset, no spills or damage, waste being properly recycled/composted/disposed of, etcetera.
Jacobs staff will review whether student groups are following access policy and will contact groups in violation of the policy as a reminder of our agreement. Use of Jacobs Hall facilities may be revoked if a student group is consistently found to be in violation of building access and safety policies after multiple warnings.
Jacobs Hall provides meeting space for student clubs & teaching space for DeCal facilitators exploring human-centered design and emerging technology.
Student club officers can request regular club meeting space for Spring 2025 using the following form:
Spring 2025 Club Meeting Space Application
DeCal facilitators are welcome to submit their teaching space requests for Spring 2025 via the following form:
Spring 2025 DeCal Teaching Space Application
Room reservations start on the third week of the semester and end on the final week of class.
Please contact trogers@berkeley.edu with your request if you need to start your DeCal and/or club meetings earlier than the third week of the semester. Apply by Monday, December 9th for priority consideration; applications submitted after that date will be considered on a rolling basis.
To reserve space at Jacobs Hall for one-time student-led events, visit the student events section of this page for more information regarding the process.
The Maker Pass is a point of entry to hands-on making in Jacobs Hall and the CITRIS Invention Lab. The Jacobs Institute Club Maker Pass program offers Maker Passes to student clubs at a reduced annual rate (50% discounted from the standard Maker Pass fee) to recognize the important role of student clubs in the our community. In exchange, each participating club volunteers at one Jacobs event per semester to support the student community.
At this time, Club Maker Passes are only available on an academic year-long basis, with applications taking place during the end of the summer into the beginning of the Fall semester.
Club officers can apply for Club Maker Passes for the Fall 2024 & Spring 2025 academic year via this form. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 100 Club Maker Passes total have been distributed or the final deadline at the end of September.
Club officers are responsible for allocating their Club Maker Passes, and for submitting a list of designated members so that their access can be activated. Club Maker Passes cannot be transferred between different individuals during a semester; clubs can, however, update their lists at the start of the spring semester. Club members who are assigned Club Maker Passes must still complete General Workshop Safety training (gws.jacobshall.org) in order to activate their access.
The annual fee is due at the end of October, is nonrefundable, and must be paid via club funds. Failure to submit annual fees will result in Club Maker Passes being disabled until the payment is received.
For questions about the Club Maker Pass program, please contact Janrey Javier (janreyjavier@berkeley.edu).
The DeCal Program (or just DeCal) is an aggregate of student-run courses at the University of California, Berkeley – here, students create and facilitate their own classes on a variety of subjects, many of which are not addressed in the traditional curriculum. Learn more here.
Each semester, the Jacobs Institute sponsors DeCals that explore topics in design and technology innovation. To apply for your course to be sponsored as a DES INV DeCal in Spring 2025, submit all required documents to this form no later than the relevant deadline below; late submissions cannot be accepted.
The list of required materials, plus some tips, are listed below. To get the documents and more detailed instructions for filling them out, visit the Academic Senate’s Student-Facilitated Course Information webpage. Please contact janreyjavier@berkeley.edu for questions.
The Jacobs Institute supports student events related to design and technology innovation by providing Jacobs Hall event space. If your student group is interested in hosting an event at Jacobs Hall:
Please note that the building use policies outlined on the Jacobs Hall Space Rental page apply to all events, including student-run events, with the exception of some of the fees and the hiring of a UCPD Security Patrol Officer (SPO). Jacobs does not charge room rental fees for student design events, but organizers of large, after-hours events may need to pay for janitorial services from Bear Brigade.
For questions about student event requests, please contact Janrey Javier (janreyjavier@berkeley.edu).
Closet storage space is available for use by clubs and DeCals, but bear in mind that it is a shared space, so not recommended for large, delicate, or valuable materials. All materials must be cleared out of the closets by the last day of the semester.