Grad Center Spaces

Looking for a quiet place to study, space to relax and meet up with friends, or rooms to reserve for your group meeting or event? The Grad Center has study and meeting rooms on our 3rd floor that are available to reserve Monday – Friday during normal Graduate Student Center hours throughout the academic year. There are also a number of other spaces on campus available for graduate students to reserve. 

Grad Center Spaces

Other Campus Spaces 

Grad Center Hours

Grad Center Spaces

First Floor
Welfer Common Room

The Welfer Common Room, located on the main floor, is the Grad Center's primary space for hanging out. Whether you come for relaxation or work, its comfortable couches, large tables, Andy Wu fireplace, coffee service, and signature French doors overlooking Locust Walk make it the perfect place to connect with Penn's graduate community.

The Welfer Common Room's primary purpose is to provide lounge space for graduate and professional students during consistent times. Therefore, we do not reserve the space during our normal hours.

Very occasionally, the Welfer Common Room is used for events sponsored by the Office of the Provost or Grad Center programs open to all graduate and professional students. Signs will be posted in the room when such uses are scheduled.

The Welfer Common Room is only available after hours/weekends for special events and therefore always incurs housekeeping and staffing fees. If you are interested in reserving this space, please contact gradcenterops@pobox.upenn.edu for more details well in advance of the event date. 

Photo of Common Room FrontAndy Wu Fireplace

Room 300
"Break" Room

The Grad Center "Break Room" has an array of games, activities, and a digital screen for screening content or playing games. The room comfortably seats 4-6 people without crowding. 

This room features:

  • wall-mounted digital screen with HDMI input 
  • seating for 4-6

This room requires advance registration. 

Room 301
Student Support Services Office

The Student Support Services Office is a space available to campus partners for regular and pop-up advising and outreach for graduate and professional students. Upcoming advising sessions and services are posted to our events calendar at www.gsc.upenn.edu/events. 

For more information, please contact gradcenter@upenn.edu. 

Room 302
Group Study Room

The #302 Group Study Room located on the third floor is intended for those seeking a quiet meeting space for groups of 4-8. If you need a refuge from the vibrant activity of the main floor's Welfer Common Room, look no further. Generously proportioned worktop tables are ideal for collaborative projects (and provide plenty of unhampered legroom). Lacking visual clutter, these rooms assure that you can get down to work without distraction.

The room features:

  • three easy-glide wheeled worktop tables
  • seating for 4 -8

If this space is not reserved, you can use and share the space with other graduate students for quiet study or a group meeting.

Room 303
Group Study Room

The #303 Group Study Room located on the third floor is intended for those seeking a quiet meeting space for groups of 4-8. If you need a refuge from the vibrant activity of the main floor's Welfer Common Room, look no further. Generously proportioned worktop tables are ideal for collaborative projects (and provide plenty of unhampered legroom). Lacking visual clutter, these rooms assure that you can get down to work without distraction.

The room features:

  • three easy-glide wheeled worktop tables
  • seating for 4 - 8

If this space is not reserved, you can use and share the space with other graduate students for quiet study or a group meeting.

Room 304
Multipurpose Room

The third floor Multi-Purpose Room provides you the opportunity to enjoy a large, versatile room prepared to your specifications. Whether arranged in a classic conference table configuration or classroom style with individual worktop tables for participant pairs, this light-filled space is generous without feeling impersonal. Catered group meetings or multimedia presentations have access to everything necessary for a successful and memorable event sure to be cherished by participants for at least a couple of hours.

This room features:

  • easy-glide wheeled worktop tables
  • LCD screen with HDMI inputs
  • flexible furniture configurations with capacity for:
    • 20 seated at a conference table or classroom style
    • 30 seated theater style

If this space is not reserved, you can use and share the space with other graduate students for quiet study or a group meeting.

Lower Level
Family Resource Center

Located in the Lower Level of the Graduate Student Center, the Family Resource Center at Penn is a hub for information, resources, activities and advocacy for students and post-docs with children. The Family Center provides a forum for student parents to connect and develop supportive networks, and offers a welcoming and family-friendly environment for Penn students, post-docs, caregivers, and children.

The Family Center is a membership based facility, all University of Pennsylvania students and post-doctoral fellows with children are eligible to join and memberships are free.

 

To reserve a room in the Grad Center, visit our Room Reservations page

 

Other Campus Spaces for Graduate Student Use

Looking for a quiet place to study or for your group meeting or event? The following spaces are available for all Penn graduate & professional students: 

  • Graduate Student Reading Room 
    Van Pelt Library Class of 1937 Reading Room, 5th Floor 
    Includes 34 carrels, 2 large reading tables, and soft seating for 8. 
    Daily during Library hours; PennCard required for entrance 
     
  • Career Services Private Interview Rooms 
    Current Penn students may reserve a private space in the On-Campus Interview Suite (Suite 90 in the lower level of the McNeil Building at 3718 Locust Walk) for a quiet place for phone and virtual interviews or calls. Interview rooms are available for reservation on a first-come, first-served basis Monday-Friday from 9:00 – 5:00.  Students may reserve an interview room for a maximum time block of three hours per day and must supply their own laptop/telephone/devices. To reserve a room, please use this form: https://libcal.vpul.upenn.edu/
     
  • Greenfield Intercultural Center 
    The Greenfield Intercultural Center (GIC) can accommodate meetings and programs to support various educational, cultural, and social programs. See space details and reservation policies on the GIC website. 
     
  • LGBT Center
    The LGBT Center has multiple spaces available for reservation, including a large events space with catering kitchen, an informal lounge and meeting space, and a medium-sized conference room. Space details and policies are on the Center's website. 
     
  • Penn Libraries 
    View and search public and by-reservation spaces across all Penn libraries. Spaces include group study and meeting rooms, classrooms, carrels, and more. 
     
  • Penn Women's Center
    The Penn Women's Center prioritizes educational, artistic, networking, outreach and/or civic engagement programs that empower women and promote gender equality at Penn and beyond. Reservable spaces include the Penn Environmental Education Kitchen (PEEK) Kitchen. Space details and reservation policies on the PWC website. 
     
  • Perelman Quadrangle
    Includes Houston Hall, Irvine Auditorium, ARCH Building, Iron Gate Theatre, and selected classrooms and outdoor spaces. Student organizations receive first priority in booking and do not have to pay space rental fees. 
     
  • Perry World House 
    Perry World House has a range of meeting and event spaces available by reservation, several at low or no cost to Penn students. Penn affiliates and non-affiliates may submit an online Perry World House Room Reservation Request Form.