IAP 2012
overview participate organize offerings calendar
Organize

Who Offers IAP Activities

Planning an IAP Activity

Individual / Group Activity Sponsorship

Appropriateness and Standards

Funding IAP Activities

Safety and Liability

Rooms and AV Equipment

How to Post IAP Activity

 

Also see the following pages:

Using the Posting Form for Non-credit Activities

Role of IAP Coordinator / Administrator

Dates to Remember

Reserving Rooms / AV Equipment

Post / Revise Your IAP Activity

 

ORGANIZING NON-CREDIT ACTIVITIES

The information below is provided for IAP activity organizers and includes details on organizer eligibility, IAP activity sponsorship, appropriateness and standards for IAP offerings, safety and liability, reserving rooms and equipment, and activity posting instructions.

NOTE: If you wish to bypass this information and begin using the IAP posting system, go to the Post/Revise Your IAP Activity or Subject page.


Who Offers IAP Activities?

  • Only members of the MIT Community (i.e. faculty, students, and staff) are eligible to offer non-credit activities.

  • While most non-credit activities are sponsored by academic and administrative departments, laboratories, centers, and student groups, members of the MIT Community can always individually sponsor activities.

  • Individuals designated as the authorized representative of a MIT department or group may submit activities sponsored by that group. Only members of the MIT Community may serve in this role. For a list of current authorized representatives, go to the IAP Sponsoring Groups and Authorized Users page.

  • IAP activities are organized and sponsored by MIT departments or individually by members of the MIT Community (faculty, staff, students). While event logistics, participant registration, and responses to inquiries are handled by MIT-based individuals, activity leaders may invite non-MIT individuals to present at their activities, as appropriate.

  • MIT alumni are welcome to offer activities, but must be sponsored by an individual, department or group located on campus.

Planning an IAP Activity

Activity planners should consider the following:

  • Designing programs that promote student-faculty interaction.

  • Creating activities aimed at freshmen.

  • Providing faculty and others with opportunities to try new teaching methods and learning formats that may improve the regular academic program.

  • Developing more Institute-wide activities to create a sense of community at MIT.

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Activity Sponsorship

Every IAP activity has a MIT sponsor who is fully responsible for the activity and ensures that it meets MIT guidelines for activities. Every IAP activity has a MIT sponsor. While many activity sponsors are MIT academic and administrative departments, sponsors may also be an individual or a group (see Group Sponsorship). Activity sponsors (or sponsor representatives) should be able to answer questions about the activity, and plan to attend it.

The sponsor (an individual sponsor or a representative on behalf of the sponsor group) is responsible for reserving the room or location. For more information, go to the Reserving Rooms/AV Equipment page.

Group Sponsorship

Non-departmental groups must be recognized by the Institute as follows:

  • Undergraduate and graduate student groups must be recognized by the Association of Student Activities (ASA).

  • Faculty groups must be recognized by the Provost.

  • Staff and employee groups by the Vice President of Human Resources.

Groups may not be organized on an ad-hoc basis merely for IAP.

Appropriateness of Activities

  • IAP activities are for members of the MIT Community (i.e. students, faculty, staff, and alums). Activities should not be opened to non-MIT individuals, nor should they be advertised as such.

  • Profit-making or promotional events for a private enterprise are not appropriate IAP activities, and will not be listed in the online IAP guide.

  • Advertising IAP offerings in MIT publications such as The Tech and Tech Talk is acceptable. Off-campus advertising, newspaper listings, or posting notices outside the MIT campus is not appropriate.

  • All subject and activity descriptions submitted to the online IAP 2011 Guide will be reviewed for appropriateness by the Office of the Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP) before appearing online.

Standards for Activities

  • Inclusion of a non-credit activity in the IAP Guide does not imply MIT endorsement.

  • Responsibility for a non-credit activity lies with the sponsoring MIT individual or group.

  • All activities are required to meet safety, health, legal and general regulations governing the use of MIT facilities.

  • The online MIT Bulletin lists policies concerning credit, tuition, food, housing, veterans' benefits, special students, and student exchanges. They should be reviewed by students and faculty involved in activities.

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Funding IAP Activities

MIT departments and groups are encouraged to provide financial and logistical support to activitiy organizers. As early as possible in the planning process, IAP activity organizers are encouraged to approach the appropriate MIT departments and groups to seek the necessary support. For contact information, please refer to the IAP Sponsoring Groups and Authorized Users list. For questions on IAP funding, contact UAAP staff at iap-www@mit.edu.

Safety and Liability

Institute Guidelines for health, safety, and legal regulations, as well as policies for the use of MIT facilities, must be met for all activities. The MIT Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Office must be consulted if your subject or activity involves any of the following:

  • high voltage
  • pressure vessels
  • ballistics
  • aircraft
  • large balloon
  • structures
  • use of hazardous materials, equipment, or machinery
  • explosives
  • open flames
  • hazardous wastes
  • public art displays or performances
  • building, tower, or bridge construction on MIT property
  • anything that might endanger life, limb, sight, or hearing of participants or bystanders.

For more information on safety, go to the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Office web site.

Reserving Rooms and Audio-Visual Equipment

Activity organizers are responsible for scheduling and reserving rooms for their offerings; indicating a location on the IAP online activity posting form does not reserve the room. Organizers also assume responsibility for ordering audio-visual equipment when needed.

For detailed information on reserving rooms and renting AV equipment for IAP activities, go to the Room Reservation / Audio-Visual Information page.

Posting an IAP Activity

  • IAP 2011 non-credit activities must be submitted and posted online. In order to post activities, you must first have your personal certificate. If you don't have a certificate, you may obtain one by going to the MIT WebSIS - Student Information System. Note that you must first have a MIT username with password (generally this is your MIT Kerberos ID).

  • For detailed information on using the online IAP activity posting system, including posting a new activity, rollover an activity from a prior year, and develop a "series" posting, go to the Using the IAP Posting Form for Non-credit Activities page.

  • Once you have prepared your activity description online you may submit it for review. When your activity has been approved, it will automatically be posted in the online IAP 2011 Guide.

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