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Sidney-Pacific2003-2004 House Government

Leadership RetreatMorning session

Sidney-Pacific2003-2004 House Government

Leadership RetreatMorning session

May 31, 2003 - Endicott HouseMay 31, 2003 - Endicott House

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Roles and responsibilities of the SP house government (residents)

Roles and responsibilities of the SP house government (residents)

- Creating a community where people can socialize - Offering to neighborhood

- Being a source of information for residents- Orientation very important (helping out new students)- Fostering fraternity and friendship- Safety issues- Determining how money/resources should be spent- Setting procedures- Taking ideas from other dorms - Increasing awareness between residents- Coordination between committees, coherence inside government-> giving the good example to residents- Talks and exposition of events - Asking the residents their opinion- Being transparent- Maintaining strong committees

- Creating a community where people can socialize - Offering to neighborhood

- Being a source of information for residents- Orientation very important (helping out new students)- Fostering fraternity and friendship- Safety issues- Determining how money/resources should be spent- Setting procedures- Taking ideas from other dorms - Increasing awareness between residents- Coordination between committees, coherence inside government-> giving the good example to residents- Talks and exposition of events - Asking the residents their opinion- Being transparent- Maintaining strong committees

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Recruiting and participationRecruiting and participation

- Hold events and ask for help- Publicity / SPTV / spread news- Get help from old residents who were helpful in the past- Role of the hall councilors- Orientation (again!)- Contest-type activities- Recruit members from other dorms (Zip Bike)- Get people involved early- Recruit people and train them- Organize the website by committees

- Hold events and ask for help- Publicity / SPTV / spread news- Get help from old residents who were helpful in the past- Role of the hall councilors- Orientation (again!)- Contest-type activities- Recruit members from other dorms (Zip Bike)- Get people involved early- Recruit people and train them- Organize the website by committees

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Recruitment challenges Recruitment challenges 1) Identify people that are interested

- Orientation and early year events - Word-to-mouth and publicity - Hall councilors2) Find something to make people stay and be involved - Make it fun - Swap roles within committees - Awareness of the committee chair - Diversity in events - Give freedom to committee members3) Keep track of what’s happening in the committee - Procedure/ report - Pre-event organization - Management skills - Show appreciation4) Continuity - Documentation of activities - Mentorship/ training - Website

1) Identify people that are interested - Orientation and early year events

- Word-to-mouth and publicity - Hall councilors2) Find something to make people stay and be involved - Make it fun - Swap roles within committees - Awareness of the committee chair - Diversity in events - Give freedom to committee members3) Keep track of what’s happening in the committee - Procedure/ report - Pre-event organization - Management skills - Show appreciation4) Continuity - Documentation of activities - Mentorship/ training - Website

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Summary Summary Roles and responsibilities

1) Represent residents- get their opinions- Get them involved- Be a source of information to them- Organize events and activities

2) Support officers - Provide advice

- Help coordinate between committees/ prevent overlapping events- Create a sense of family- Continuity

3) Building- Give the good example to residents (follow policies)- Safety- Make residents take advantage (and care!) of building - Ensure future/ maintenance

Roles and responsibilities 1) Represent residents

- get their opinions- Get them involved- Be a source of information to them- Organize events and activities

2) Support officers - Provide advice

- Help coordinate between committees/ prevent overlapping events- Create a sense of family- Continuity

3) Building- Give the good example to residents (follow policies)- Safety- Make residents take advantage (and care!) of building - Ensure future/ maintenance

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Recruiting/ParticipationIdentity

Recruiting/ParticipationIdentity

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Participation--Where are we?Participation--Where are we?• Low non-officer attendance• Agenda

– Residents lack ownership of agenda– Execution/efficiency

• Low event expectations (uncool)– Food events are well attended– Opportunity cost of time; low perceived value

• Limited time windows of introduction/interaction– Neighbor-hall interaction– Committee participation

• Low non-officer attendance• Agenda

– Residents lack ownership of agenda– Execution/efficiency

• Low event expectations (uncool)– Food events are well attended– Opportunity cost of time; low perceived value

• Limited time windows of introduction/interaction– Neighbor-hall interaction– Committee participation

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What do we want to see? What do we want to see?

• Internalize the value of each event/meeting (for residents)

• High attendance• “Cool” events – diversity of events• Get residents to know each other• Efficient activities• Valuable activities• Attract students with something other than

food

• Internalize the value of each event/meeting (for residents)

• High attendance• “Cool” events – diversity of events• Get residents to know each other• Efficient activities• Valuable activities• Attract students with something other than

food

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How do we get there?How do we get there?

• Forum to discuss concrete issues

• Run meetings more efficiently

• Make use of the narrow time window in the fall

• Have orientation/welcome week activities ready and organized

• Forum to discuss concrete issues

• Run meetings more efficiently

• Make use of the narrow time window in the fall

• Have orientation/welcome week activities ready and organized

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How--EventsHow--Events

• Block parties: people in a hall open doors and bring out food

• Floor potluck parties• Put emphasis on identity, such as

international background of residents• Provide an identity for residents to identify

with; get a theme for the dorm• Have specific events, such as musical events

like Ashdown; make use of un-tapped resources

• Block parties: people in a hall open doors and bring out food

• Floor potluck parties• Put emphasis on identity, such as

international background of residents• Provide an identity for residents to identify

with; get a theme for the dorm• Have specific events, such as musical events

like Ashdown; make use of un-tapped resources

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How--TechniquesHow--Techniques

• Personalization• Define the chain of communication; how to

disseminate information to residents: knock on doors; put posters on doors

• Make resources for postering etc. available to hall councilors

• Bulletin/picture boards for every hall• House Council should talk to their neighbors and

let them know about events• Make interaction more personalized; don’t just

use email, but talk to people or write on their white boards

• Personalization• Define the chain of communication; how to

disseminate information to residents: knock on doors; put posters on doors

• Make resources for postering etc. available to hall councilors

• Bulletin/picture boards for every hall• House Council should talk to their neighbors and

let them know about events• Make interaction more personalized; don’t just

use email, but talk to people or write on their white boards

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How—cont’dHow—cont’d

• Timing is critical• Figure out how to appeal to the MIT

“phantom” personality• Make people understand the value of getting

out of their room and meeting other people• Put ideas for events in a business

plan/roadmap• Spell out what each committees budget is

and where it comes from

• Timing is critical• Figure out how to appeal to the MIT

“phantom” personality• Make people understand the value of getting

out of their room and meeting other people• Put ideas for events in a business

plan/roadmap• Spell out what each committees budget is

and where it comes from

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How—cont’dHow—cont’d

• Increase transparency of resources and funds

• Make committee websites• Have a survey with different options for

events and have residents vote for what they want

• Get residents involved in decision making and allocation of funds at an early stage of planning events

• Inter-committee communication

• Increase transparency of resources and funds

• Make committee websites• Have a survey with different options for

events and have residents vote for what they want

• Get residents involved in decision making and allocation of funds at an early stage of planning events

• Inter-committee communication

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IdentityIdentity

• S-P should be the dorm of participation– want to stay in their room and not participate in

activities

• Diverse population• Democratic participation• Incredible facilities• Have neighborhood tours for new residents

with the architects who designed the neighborhood

• Get residents informed about history of the neighborhood

• S-P should be the dorm of participation– want to stay in their room and not participate in

activities

• Diverse population• Democratic participation• Incredible facilities• Have neighborhood tours for new residents

with the architects who designed the neighborhood

• Get residents informed about history of the neighborhood

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SP’s role in the Cambridge community

SP’s role in the Cambridge community

• It’s a good thing to be involved!

• Build goodwill in the community

• Unique position to interface with community

• Want to be a link between MIT and the Cambridge community at large

• It’s a good thing to be involved!

• Build goodwill in the community

• Unique position to interface with community

• Want to be a link between MIT and the Cambridge community at large

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What do we do?What do we do?

Requests from the community• Tax help for poor residents• Sports coaching (soccer, baseball etc.)

Ideas from our side• Mentoring students in schools• Hosting community groups • Movie night

Concerns• Safety, security• Being realistic out about what we can do

Requests from the community• Tax help for poor residents• Sports coaching (soccer, baseball etc.)

Ideas from our side• Mentoring students in schools• Hosting community groups • Movie night

Concerns• Safety, security• Being realistic out about what we can do

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SP’s role within the MIT community

SP’s role within the MIT community

• SP is for the residents and MIT community too!• Leadership position among dorms but promote co-operation

and lead by example• Build relationship with grad student community• Specifically liaison with Edgerton and the Warehouse

Ideas for the future• More communication between dorms • Build a standing committee between Edgerton, Warehouse and

us• Joint-orientation events• Image of SP among the other dorms

• SP is for the residents and MIT community too!• Leadership position among dorms but promote co-operation

and lead by example• Build relationship with grad student community• Specifically liaison with Edgerton and the Warehouse

Ideas for the future• More communication between dorms • Build a standing committee between Edgerton, Warehouse and

us• Joint-orientation events• Image of SP among the other dorms

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Roles and ResponsibilitiesRoles and Responsibilities

• House Government– Provide Support structure/Team work– Time Commitment– Recruitment– Improve relationship and visibility with

residents

• House Government– Provide Support structure/Team work– Time Commitment– Recruitment– Improve relationship and visibility with

residents

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House GovernmentHouse Government

• Bring social events into the dorm• Provide resources• Provide a support structure for the leaders

and the residents– Handbook– Web based information

• Raise awareness• Better planning

– more advanced notices

• More effective communication

• Bring social events into the dorm• Provide resources• Provide a support structure for the leaders

and the residents– Handbook– Web based information

• Raise awareness• Better planning

– more advanced notices

• More effective communication

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House GovernmentHouse Government

• Social Events– Hall Councilors Role:

• Persistency• Consistency• Flexibility and variety of events• Low maintenance events• Creativity

• Social Events– Hall Councilors Role:

• Persistency• Consistency• Flexibility and variety of events• Low maintenance events• Creativity

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Roles and ResponsibilitiesHall Councilors

Roles and ResponsibilitiesHall Councilors

• First contact with residents

• Coordinate events

• Facilitator for residents

• Help with other offices

• Teamwork

• First contact with residents

• Coordinate events

• Facilitator for residents

• Help with other offices

• Teamwork

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Roles and ResponsibilitiesOffice of Information

Roles and ResponsibilitiesOffice of Information

• Must know everything

• Send more emails regarding events around S-P and campus

• Must know everything

• Send more emails regarding events around S-P and campus

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Roles and ResponsibilitiesOffice of Residential Life

Roles and ResponsibilitiesOffice of Residential Life

• Must be involved and know every step in– Throwing events– Contacts– Logistics– Resources

• Must be involved and know every step in– Throwing events– Contacts– Logistics– Resources

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Roles and ResponsibilitiesOffice of Resources

Roles and ResponsibilitiesOffice of Resources

• Know the policies

• Know about the office of residential life

• Work closely with the Reslife

• Know the policies

• Know about the office of residential life

• Work closely with the Reslife

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Roles and ResponsibilitiesOffice of the President

Roles and ResponsibilitiesOffice of the President

• Institute Link

• Fight for money and get the MOST

• Integration of S-P with– The outside community– Rest of the MIT

• Institute Link

• Fight for money and get the MOST

• Integration of S-P with– The outside community– Rest of the MIT