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Guest Guidelines

Caltech maintains informal relationships with other organizations and individuals in the scientific and business community. Individuals who are conducting short-term projects or collaborating with Institute employees on research projects are identified for Caltech purposes as Guests.

Caltech Guest Definition

In general, a Guest has no formal appointment or contract with Caltech, is not on the Caltech payroll and is not volunteering services to the Institute, but is on campus as a "guest" of an Institute Department or Division for a predetermined length of time up to a two-year maximum. Although Guest usually identifies individuals who are conducting short-term projects or collaborating with Institute employees on research, this term may also include closely-allied ancillary groups needing campus access, such as JPL employees working with research projects on campus.

An employee may not become a Caltech Guest at the Institute in the same capacity in which they were employed at the Institute, or which is essentially similar to the individual's regular work at the Institute. Guests should not displace regular employees or duties that a paid employee would otherwise perform.

Undergraduate and graduate students from other institutions who wish to engage in research activities at Caltech are not eligible under the Guest or Volunteer status. Visiting undergraduate and graduate students who wish to perform research at Caltech may apply to one of Caltech's approved programs: the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF), the Visiting Undergraduate Research Program (VURP), Visiting Student Researchers (VSR), Special Students.

Foreign nationals may not have guest status unless they have an appropriate visa status. A visitor for tourism authorization (WT or B-2) does not authorize an individual to engage in the performance of guest services at Caltech.

Guest Process:

Human Resources enters Guest personal, organization and location information into the Oracle HR system for the following reasons:

  • Access - Guests may be provided access to email, computer systems, buildings or labs, on-campus parking, the library, and other services on an as-needed basis, as determined by the sponsoring Division or Department.
  • Safety – Since these individuals are collaborating on campus, their safety is important to Caltech. Entering the guest's information into Oracle provides Caltech with basic contact information and links them to our automated security notification system should an emergency arise.
  • Foreign Persons may need Export Compliance review. Please see our Foreign Person Questionnaire chart or contact us at [email protected] for guidance.

Guest Documents:

Please submit completed documents to Human Resources at [email protected].

If the Guest will be on campus for more than ten days, the Division or Department works with the Guest to complete the following forms and forward them to Human Resources at [email protected] for entry into Oracle.

  • Guest Data Sheet--- The data sheet includes required personal information and a section describing the guest's proposed activities (which organization, when, what kind of activities, etc). If the Guest has not been at Caltech before, the information in this form will be used to set up a new Oracle record and a Caltech UID will be generated. If the Guest has an existing Oracle record, the information will be used to update the original record.
  • Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement for Guest Assignments signed by the Guest.
  • Patent Agreement signed by the Guest.
  • Other forms may be required by the Division or Department, depending on the activity.

If the individual will be on campus for ten days or less, it is up to the Division or Department to maintain documentation on the individual for safety/security purposes.

Guest assignments can be up to two years. To extend a guest's assignment, please submit a new Guest Data Sheet to Human Resources at [email protected].

Division/Departments may contact the Card Office at [email protected] if Guest requires a Caltech ID.

When the guest's assignment ends, the Division or Department collects ID card (if applicable) and notifies Human Resources via email ([email protected]) of the departure. Human Resources will terminate the record in Oracle and access privileges will close.

For further inquiries, please contact Human Resources at (626) 395-3300 or [email protected].