Center for Mathematics & Science Education

Logistics

The maximum number of students that can be accommodated per day is 350.

The planetarium will hold approximately 25-30 children at a time. Each session last 25-45 minutes, according to your school’s needs. This time includes 5-8 minutes to enter/exit safely.

The planetarium dome is roughly 16 feet in diameter and height. It is best to have space (typically a gym) that is at least 25 feet across and 17 feet high in order to set up the planetarium. Due to the sensitive nature of the projector and fan, the planetarium cannot be set up outside.

The planetarium is housed in a large trunk and duffel bag. Please ensure CMSE employees have an entrance with handicap access to the set-up location.

Costs

A base fee will be charged based on the table below.

If the showing will be held outside of Lafayette County, mileage will be calculated based on the federal mileage rate. The federal rate is currently $0.545 per mile.

If the showing address is more than 70 miles from the CMSE office, a lodging fee of $150 per night will be included.

Procedures

At least one teacher must accompany each group of students while waiting for and viewing the planetarium show.

The show facilitator reserves the right to dismiss students and/or end the show as a result of disruptive behavior.

Be mindful of the unique behavior expectations related to the acoustics within a planetarium dome. Help the facilitator ensure that students refrain from yelling, clapping, and leaning on the dome walls. Please do not “shush” students as this sound is amplified by the acoustics of the dome.

Please note that the planetarium is an air-inflated, enclosed dome. While we encourage all students to participate, you may need to make necessary arrangements/preparations for students with claustrophobic tendencies. Please speak with the facilitator if special accommodations are needed for any student.

Cancellation

If you need to cancel your confirmed planetarium showing reservation, please do so at least fifteen calendar days before your scheduled event. It is the goal of the STEM Experiences division of the Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE) at the University of Mississippi to provide high-quality STEM experiences for K-12 students. In order to fulfill the many teacher requests that we receive, it is respectful to allow teachers on the waitlist adequate time to prepare for a large-scale event such as this at their school. Therefore, registrants who need to cancel their registration must do so no later than fifteen calendar days prior to the event.

Registrants who cancel before fifteen days prior to the event will receive a full refund of all fees paid in advance. However, registrants who cancel less than fifteen days prior to the event will be charged a cancellation fee of $100. Likewise, if a purchase order is submitted as payment for registration and a registrant cancels less than fifteen days prior to the event, an invoice will be sent to the originator of the purchase order in the amount of the cancellation fee.

It is the responsibility of the registrant to notify the CMSE of an inability to host the planetarium.

In addition to any cancellation, please contact the CMSE at cmsek12stem@go.olemiss.edu or call 662-915-6621 concerning any changes related to your scheduled event.