This IAP, we invite all members of the community interested in improving student life to our School of Community Activism seminar series. During this week-long seminar, we will cover a variety of topics critical to effectiveness in student activism, including information about MIT (both "offical" and "underground"), general strategies for influencing the Institute, negotiation, communications skills, and project and process management.

We believe that all those involved in student government (at any level), and those students returning from LeaderShape, would have a special interest in this program. Participants in our IAP seminars from previous years have found them very helpful in all aspects of getting things done at MIT -- from getting projects on the Institute's agenda to ensuring that the policies resulting from those projects truly improve student life. They'll also get free stuff: a copy of our 60-page Guide to the MIT Administration and Student Resources, and our seminar lecture notes (about 40 pages).

The seminars are described below. Participants are free to attend individual sessions. We expect individual sessions to be quite popular -- particularly the sessions on Project Management, which in the past have been heavily subscribed. All members of the community are welcome to attend any of the sessions, except the second two hours of the January 18th session ("Underground Guide to the MIT Administration and Student Resources") which is open to students and alumni only.

If you are interested in attending the 2000 School of Community Activism (or any of its sessions), please register with resources@mit.edu. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in January.

-- The Institute Foundation of MIT

Tuesday, January 18: Welcome to Activism@MIT

1. Why MIT Needs Student Activists: An appeal for why MIT needs student activists, and a discussion of how student activists can be most beneficial to MIT.
2. Influence, Power, and Getting Things Done at MIT: The idea of intentionality and the structure of power, and relates these ideas to MIT. Key strategies to understanding decision-making and priorities in any organization. Intentionality and planning applied to personal development. Consideration of MIT's history, and how it affects MIT's objectives and organizational norms. Approaches to improving particular aspects of the Institute.
3. The Undground Guide to the MIT Administration and Student Resources: Covers the absolute must-knows for dealing with the MIT Administration: who to see, when to see them, and how to see them. We'll also discuss our insider tips for influencing faculty and staff, and how to find out what's really going on at MIT. [NOTE: this session is restricted to students and alumni.]

Wednesday, January 19: Negotiation and Communications

1. Active Listening: How to really listen to people and understand what they are saying (it's more involved than you might think).
2. Negotiation: Negotiation from a theoretical perspective, plus a discussion of practical negotiation techniques. (Note: this will be a brief overview of negotiation. Those interested in learning negotiation should consider the Institute Foundation's "Project Negotiation" seminar, taught the fourth week of IAP. Contact Jeremy Sher at jdsher@mit.edu for more information.)
3. Persuasion: Writing persuasive letters and leters of complaint. Strategies and techniques for meetings with MIT administrators.
4. Supportive Confrontation: A widely-taught method for "dealing with difficult people and difficult people problems."

Thursday, January 20: Project Management

[Note: this session and the session following it have historically been heavily oversubscribed. Those wishing to attend these sessions should preregister with resources@mit.edu immediately.]

1. Project Management: Covers the major techniques included in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (similar to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). Duties of a project manager. Project planning: project scope, scheduling, budgeting, and elementary risk assessment. Project execution: evaluation, change control, and formal project closure. Techniques for running successful meetings.

Friday, January 21: Special Topics in Management and Design

1. Dealing with Unplanned Processes: Discusses ways to deal with unplanned and/or undermanaged processes and committee projects. Also covers ways to salvage a "failed" project.
2. Organizational Learning and Capability Maturity: Discusses the importance of organizational learning, and formal techniques to improve it. Material is focused around the Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model, which formalizes organizational learning. Material covers levels of organizational learning, standard processes, metrics, and continuous improvement techniques.
3. Design of Complex Systems: Discusses methods for designing complex processes and systems, including "student life systems" like the new residential system. Includes: A general framework for creating complex processes. Techniques for finding needs and constraints for the new system. Understanding the new system holistically. Generating options for the new system. Making decisions to design the new system. Community involvement mechanisms and best-practices research techniques.

Saturday, January 22: Welcome to the Revolution

1. Seminar Wrap-up: We will answer any questions about any part of the course, and how the material might be applied to actual situations. We'll also present our plans for the Spring -- a regular discussion seminar for student leaders.
2. Opportunities for Student Activists: A review of opportunities available for those wishing to improve student life, including student government groups, advocacy groups, Institute committees, and other opportunities.
3. Student Activism in Action: We will plan a real project to improve some aspect of student life. Then, in the Spring, we will carry out the project.