Basic Event Planning

Who's Who


Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement Office (SOLE)

W20-500,
Stratton Student Center
253-6777
e-mail: sole@mit.edu
website: studentlife.mit.edu/sole

The Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement Office provides a number of services that help students plan events effectively and efficiently. Whether you have an event in mind, or want to think about your group's goals for the year, the Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement Office can help you make sure you have all of your event planning bases covered. In addition, the staff provides individual and group workshops for new presidents, treasurers, and general body members. Staff is also available to work with groups on goal setting and transitioning. The office also provides financial services, including account maintenance and assistance with internal financial transactions, to make your budgeting and payment processes easier. If you need funding to make your event happen, the staff can also point you in the right direction with student government and supplemental funding sources around campus. And finally the staff owns a number of resources including books on leadership development, icebreaker ideas, games for trainers and activities on diversity. They also provide information on possible vendors for large events, catalogs on promotional items, information on group sales, etc.


Campus Activities Complex (CAC)

W20-500,
Stratton Student Center
253-3913
e-mail: campus-activities@mit.edu
website: studentlife.mit.edu/cac

The Campus Activities Complex is responsible for operating, maintaining, and scheduling six multipurpose buildings and numerous other event spaces on campus. The buildings managed by CAC include the Stratton Student Center, Kresge Auditorium, MIT Chapel, Walker Memorial, the Stata Center, and the Religious Activities Center (W11). The CAC staff coordinates reservations in the Stratton Student Center, Kresge Auditorium, MIT Chapel, Walker Memorial, Religious Activities Center, the Kresge Barbecue Pits, Memorial Lobby, Lobby 13, Ting Foyer, Wong Auditorium, Dertouzos Amphitheater, Forbes Family Café, other Charles Vest Student Street public areas, Kresge Oval and Lawn, Walker Lawn, and McDermott Court. The staff also coordinates programs that happen in Student Center including the First Floor Lobby and Coffeehouse Lounge. Most of your operational needs for event programming in CAC spaces can be coordinated through the CAC, and it is important that you meet with a member of their staff when planning a large event! A CAC operations manager will be on-site for all events in CAC space.


Student Organization Registration and Recognition

The Association of Student Activities (ASA) is the student-run governing body responsible for recognizing and registering student initiated undergraduate or graduate groups on campus. There are currently over 500 active student organizations on campus including cultural organizations, performing groups, club sports, honor societies, and religious groups. If you have an interest that is not already represented by an organization, you can start your own group. Please visit the ASA website for more information at web.mit.edu/asa.


Benefits of Registering a student organization with the ASA

  • Use of MIT identification in association with the name of your organization.
  • ASA support with recruitment through the Activities Midway, and First Year Summer Mailing. ASA designation of office space, bulletin board space, mailboxes, and storage space when available.
  • The ability to schedule the use of MIT facilities and classrooms for programs, events, and meetings.
  • Consultation and advice from Student Activities staff, CAC staff, and Police at MIT including program resource information and services.
  • Institute rates (including tax exemption) and financial services through Student Activities Finance Office including fiscal advice and training about budgets, accounting/bookkeeping procedures.
  • Inclusion in Institute calendars and listings, and disseminating of your organization's publicity and information on campus.
  • Eligibility for funding through the student governments on campus including the Large Event Fund and ARCADE.
  • Access to supplemental funding through the Student Activities Request for Funding process.

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Loss of Recognition

  1. It is the responsibility of the student organization officers to update their information on Engage at least once every six months, or the ASA will assume the group is defunct.
  2. It is the responsibility of a student organization to know and follow all Institute policies as well as all federal, Commonwealth, and local laws. If any law or Institute policy is unclear, it is your responsibility to seek an explanation from the Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement Office.
  3. Failure to comply with laws of the federal, Commonwealth, or local government could result in an organization facing criminal charges, civil charges, as well as Institute disciplinary proceedings.
  4. Any misrepresentation of MIT, your organization and/or its intentions, or failure to comply with Institute policy could result in loss of recognition of your organization.

Student Organizations,
Leadership and
Engagement Office (SOLE)
W20-500, 253-6777
sole@mit.edu

Campus Activities
Complex (CAC)
W20-500, 253-3913
campus-activities@mit.edu

Information Center
7-121, 253-4795