Indiana's gold-certified LEED building
Dedicated in 2007, the Prindle Institute for Ethics is nestled in the heart of DePauw’s Nature Park near the main DePauw campus. The innovative, sustainable design provides a space for students, faculty, and other members of our community to get away from their busy lives and reflect or work in peace. The Bartlett Reflection Center, connected by a series of streams and waterfalls to the Prindle Institute, is a complementary space conducive to meditation and contemplation. The Wood Library (named in memory of Steven Wood) is housed in the Prindle Institute and includes over 1,500 books on ethics and related publications. Lake Flato Architects, leaders in green architecture, created our building’s award-winning design. In May 2008, the Prindle Institute became Indiana’s first Gold-rated building certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Our LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified facilities minimize impact on the surrounding DePauw Nature Park and feature a configuration around a landscaped courtyard that decreases energy use. Locally-quarried limestone and regionally-harvested woods provide color and texture that meet the rigorous standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Guidelines for Building Use
If you are a student planning an event at the Prindle Institute, please head over to our student event application!
The Prindle Institute is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. while DePauw classes are in session. The building is open to DePauw students, faculty and staff members as long as a scheduled event is not taking place at the Prindle Institute. The Wood Library is a quiet area reserved exclusively for study.
The Prindle Institute auditorium and conference rooms are available to all members of the DePauw community. We welcome all ethics-related programming including retreats, lectures, presentations and small-group discussions. Please schedule your event at the Prindle Institute as far in advance as possible.
Priority Given to the Following Groups:
- Activities sponsored by the Institute and ethics-related activities sponsored by Faculty Development.
- Other ethics-related activities sponsored by student, faculty, and staff groups at DePauw.
- General lectures or retreats, planning meetings or small-group discussions sponsored by student, faculty and/or staff groups, subject to availability. On rare occasions, events which are not ethics related may have to be cancelled due to conflicts with student programming; in all cases, sponsors will be given at least four weeks advance notice of any necessary cancellation.
- Other events are at the discretion of the Director of the Institute.
- Major events should be scheduled at least a month in advance. If two events are scheduled at the same time, preference will be given to the group highest in assigned priority.
Fill out this application to get authorization to reserve a room or rooms at the Prindle Institute
Prindle Event Planning FAQs and Guidelines
How do I book a room at the Prindle Institute?
- Get authorization. For faculty, staff or Greencastle community event requests, fill out this form. For student events, visit our student event page.
- Once you receive authorization from the Prindle Institute, you can make your reservation on e-services.
When I look on e-services, I only see room numbers. What are the rooms called?
- Auditorium = room #165
- Great Room (the one with the fireplace) = room #136
- Conference rooms on either side of the Great Room = room #135 (south side), room #138 (north side)
- Classroom / conference room = room #152
- The Wood Library cannot be reserved for events
What are the room capacities?
- Auditorium seats 113
- Great Room can be set up for a seating capacity of 96
- Conference rooms on either side of the Great Room each seat 20
- Classroom / conference room seats 25
What if I have technology needs?
- The auditorium is equipped with a projector and screen. In order to use these, you need to contact Media and User Service Team (MUST)
- Contact MUST to use the flat screen TVs and computer stations in any of the conference rooms.
- Contact MUST to arrange for microphones or to film in any area of the Prindle Institute.
What if I want to have refreshments?
- You can arrange to have refreshments catered by Bon Appetit or a catering service of your choice. Only licensed catering companies are authorized to use the commercial kitchen at the Prindle Institute.
- Please ensure that the kitchen is clean when the catering service leaves. No leftover food or garbage should be left in the kitchen after your event is over.
- Contact Facilities to request the appropriate table and chair setup.
- Food and beverages are not allowed in the auditorium.
Do I need to lock the building when I leave?
- After hours, the doors are locked electronically.
If the gates are closed, how go I get out?
- The exit gate will automatically open when your vehicle gets close enough.
What if I need extra tables or chairs?
- Contact Facilities to request the appropriate table and chair setup. If you need tablecloths or skirting, you must also request these from Facilities. Please do not move furniture yourself.
Parking information
- Carpool, alternative fuel and handicapped spaces are located at the top level of our parking area. All other vehicles should park in the lower level and use the footpath attached to the parking lot to walk to the building.
What if I need to cancel my event?
- If you need to cancel your event, please ensure that you delete the event from e-services and contact the Prindle Institute to notify them of your cancellation.