Teach Learn Volunteer

MIT Educational Studies Program 84 Massachusetts Avenue, Room W20-467 Cambridge, MA 02139 Tel: 617-253-4882 contact us FAQ

need help?

Constitution

Constitution of the MIT Educational Studies Program

Adopted December 12, 2001

I. Statement of Purpose

The MIT Educational Studies Program (ESP) is a service activity dedicated to providing explorational opportunities in education. In accordance with this purpose, ESP runs programs by and for the MIT student community and for the service of the Greater Boston community as a whole.

II. Membership

1. ESP membership is open to anyone interested in serving its purpose.
2. Membership may be granted by the executive board, or by provisions in the by-laws. Membership may be removed by a two-thirds majority of the executive board.
3. The executive board is responsible for insuring that more than half of the members are MIT students, and that the membership meets any other ASA requirements.
4. Membership is for one year, unless explicitly granted otherwise.
5. A meeting of the full ESP membership (the membership meeting) should occur at least once per year in late spring. (This membership meeting is also called the election meeting.) There is no quorum for the membership meeting. Additional meetings may be called by the executive board as they feel necessary.
6. The executive board has the responsibility for calling all membership meetings.Written notice must be sent to the full membership at least two weeks before the membership meeting is scheduled to occur.

III. Permanent Officers

Chairperson

1. The chairperson runs all ESP meetings. (He or she is free to surrender the chair for part or all of a meeting, e.g. the HSSP director may run a meeting or portion of a meeting devoted to HSSP business.)
2. The chairperson is responsible for all MIT interactions (e.g. ASA, UA, CAC, UASO, other alphabet soup). The chairperson may appoint members to perform specific tasks, (e.g. attend an ASA meeting).
3. The chairperson must be an MIT student.

Treasurer

1. The treasurer is responsible for maintaining ESP’s financial accounts as specified in the bylaws.
2. The treasurer is responsible for preparing budgets for all ESP activities. This responsibility is shared with the program director when possible.
3. The treasurer must be an MIT student.

Notes

• The offices of chairperson and treasurer must be held by different people.
• The offices of chairperson and treasurer can be held by either one or two people (each). That is, there can be two chairpersons (co-chairpersons) or two treasurers (co-treasurers). It is required that at least one of the two be an MIT student.
• The above officers are to be elected at the election meeting. The term of office is from election until the election of a successor. In the event that one or more officerships is vacant, acting officers may be appointed by the executive board.
• The chairperson or treasurer may be recalled (thus requiring acting officers to be appointed) by a three-fourths majority of the executive board (excluding the officer being recalled).

IV. Executive Board

1. The executive board is responsible for planning ESP’s activities, and appointing sufficient members to carry out such activities.
2. The executive board consists of the chairperson, the treasurer, and others specified in the by-laws.
3. Except for the chairperson and treasurer, positions in the executive board are filled by majority vote of the existing executive board. Terms are one year, unless specified otherwise in the by-laws.
4. Each member of the executive board has one vote regardless of the number of positions held.
5. Except for the chairperson and treasurer, executive board members may be recalled for mis-, mal-, or non-feasance by a two-thirds ma jority of the executive board (excluding the member being recalled).
6. The executive board shall conduct business in regular meetings (called general meetings).
7. The time of the general meeting is to be posted on the ESP door. General meetings should be held approximately once per week. Any ESP member may attend a general meeting and speak on any business at hand.
8. Any ESP member may bring guests to a general meeting, or initiate business at a general meeting, providing such are consistent with the purpose of ESP.

V. Activities

1. The bulk (but not the whole) of the activity of ESP consists of running programs conforming to ESP’s purpose. The programs are to be described in the by-laws.
2. The executive board may operate experimental programs, which may later be added to the list of programs by amending the by-laws.
3. Unless specified otherwise in the by-laws, a program will have a director (responsible to the chairperson), several coordinators (responsible to the director), a budget, and a schedule (of classes, of mailings, etc.). The director of a program becomes a member of the executive board. The director’s term of office is the period during which the program is current.
4. The current programs are those that are currently experiencing activity, ranging from preliminary planning, to full operation, to final cleanup. The expected range of time a program is current is to be specified in the by-laws. Specific dates and times are too be determined by the director (or by the executive board if no director has yet been appointed).
5. The director shares with the ESP treasurer the responsibility for preparing a budget for the program. The budget (in outline at least) must be approved by the executive board. The director may delegate spending authority to coordinators or teachers, consistent with the budget. The budget must specify the amounts of any registration fees or tuition fees and the amounts of any stipends. The director may award financial aid to students attending the program. Financial aid is to be factored into the program budget.
6. The director is responsible for producing publicity for the program (to attract both teachers and students). The director is responsible for maintaining a structure whereby teachers and students are informed about the ongoing program, and emergencies can be dealt with. This will usually consist of having a staffed room during class hours (called the front office) and regular notices to teachers and students.
7. The director may make exceptions to the age or grade requirements specified in By-Law Article II. The director has the power to remove any student or teacher from the program. Notice of such action should be given to the executive board at the next general meeting.
8. Any decision of the director may be over-ruled by a three-fourths ma jority of the executive board.
9. Teachers in programs are granted ESP membership effective the first class date they teach, and valid until one year after the last class date they teach.

VI. By-Laws

1. The by-laws specify activities and procedures that are anticipated to change over the years. By-laws must be consistent with the constitution.
2. The by-laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the executive board at any general meeting.

VII. This constitution may be modified by a three-fourths majority of the executive board, with the concurrence of a ma jority vote of a membership meeting. Text of the proposed change must be sent out with the notice of the membership meeting.

VIII. ESP agrees to abide by the rules and regulations of the Association of Student Activities, and its executive committee. This constitution shall be subject to review by the ASA Executive Committee to ensure that they are in accordance with the aforementioned rules and regulations.

By-Laws of the MIT Educational Studies Program

As of December 12, 2001

I. Programs

High School Studies Program (HSSP)

1. HSSP runs classes for 7th–12th grade students in a wide variety of subjects. Classes are designed by people interested in teaching, and are accepted into HSSP by the director, or persons designated by the director. Students are accepted into HSSP by completing registration. Students are accepted into individual classes in HSSP by the instructor of the class.
2. Classes run approximately 10 weeks, preceded by registration, on Saturdays. Each class meets for 1 1 2 or 2 hours each week, in one of three time periods.
3. HSSP is current from the beginning of IAP until the end of MIT’s spring term.

SAT Preparation (SATP)

1. SATP runs courses preparing students to take the SAT college entrance exam. Courses and curricula thereof are determined by the director. Teachers are accepted by the director. Students are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at registration until the advertised capacity is reached.
2. SATP meets for 5–7 weeks, preceded by a registration, on Sunday afternoons. SATP runs in both the fall and the spring. Fall SATP will normally end the weekend prior to the November SAT date and Spring SATP the weekend prior to the May SAT date.
3. SATP is current during both fall and spring terms, until two weeks after the final SATP class date of that term. The executive board may declare SATP current earlier if necessary.

Splash

1. Splash runs lectures, workshops, and seminars for 7th–12th grade students in a wide variety of subjects. Courses are designed by people interested in teaching them. Courses and teachers are accepted by the director. Students are accepted into the program by a mail-in registration, which places them into courses on a first-come, first-served basis. Instructors may place minimum and maximum sizes on their course(s).
2. Splash meets for one Saturday and the following Sunday afternoon in late November or early December, for a total of 12 hours. Individual courses meet for some subset of that time.
3. Splash is current from the beginning of August though the end of MIT’s fall term.

II. Executive Board Members

1. The secretary is responsible for maintaining records of all ESP meetings, and for ensuring that all ESP correspondence (paper mail, e-mail, and telephone messages) are dealt with suitably.
2. The publicity chair is responsible for assisting directors in all publicity events, including new membership and mailings to potential students.
3. The membership coordinator is responsible for keeping current members of ESP aware of teaching opportunities, meetings, and other events.
4. The historian is responsible for maintaining up-to-date and usable archives of all ESP activities.

III. Advisory Board

1. The advisory board gives advice to the executive board, based on experience, wisdom, or voices from Mars.
2. Appointment to the advisory board (advisors) may be made by the executive board, or by election at a membership meeting.
3. There are also the following positions, which are either appointed by the executive board or elected at a membership meeting:
4. The outreach coordinator, in addition to advisory board duties, is responsible for assisting the publicity chair in mailings to potential students and schools at which ESP wishes to conduct recruitment.
5. The database commando is responsible for maintaining the (electronic and/or paper) ESP database of students and teachers.
6. The student rep coordinator can be a high school student. He or she is responsible for coordinating student rep events and recruitment at schools, and reports to the outreach coordinator.
7. The social chair is in charge of maintaining a sense of community within ESP. The social chair will organize events for members that are apart from classes, so as to be relaxing and to allow members to get to know each other.
8. Membership on the advisory board continues until resigned, or recall by a two-thirds vote of the executive board.

Treasury Procedures

1. The bulk of ESP’s money is held in a Fleet NOW account. A smaller amounts (for internal MIT expenses and MIT payroll) are in MIT internal accounts.
2. The executive board has the authority to accept budgets for an ESP activity, and to grant authority to spend ESP money.
3. Any two people on the Fleet check-signer list may sign a check for an authorized expense. The check-signer list should consist of several members of the executive and advisory boards as specified on the Fleet signature card and accompanying documentation.
4. Cash in excess of $100, or checks in excess of $1000 should be deposited within 72 hours. If an immediate deposit is not possible, then the money should be stored in the Campus Police safe. Smaller amounts should be deposited at the treasurer’s earliest convenience.
5. The treasurer shall maintain records of expenditures, account balances, receipts, and any other financial records deemed necessary by the executive board or any body having supervisory authority over ESP finances.

Student Representatives

1. Any student in an ESP program may volunteer to be a student representative (rep).
2. Reps receive additional program information in the mail, are asked to help with ESP programs, and encouraged to provide feedback on ESP.
3. Removal of Rep status may be done by a majority vote of the executive board.

The executive board has the power to send people to conferences, and the responsibility for budgeting such activity and ensuring that it is consistent with ESP’s purpose.