Student organizations seeking to recruit new members, run successful events, make connections to other groups, or otherwise contribute to the MIT community will be faced with the task of promoting or publicizing content or ideas.
In all promotional and publicity activities, student organization leaders and members should strive to represent the collective voice of their group with integrity and respect. It is also their responsibility to make sure that their organization’s advertising materials and methods are in compliance with Institute policies.
Advertising events
Organizations must have a confirmed space reservation before advertising any event with a specific date or location. The principle methods to advertise on-campus events include:
- Advertising spaces:
- Events calendars:
- Newsletters and publications:
Using Social Media
When using social media on behalf of a student organization, we recommend that you follow these best practices (adapted from Social Media Best Practices from the Institute Office of Communications):
- Be transparent. Don’t post anonymously or use pseudonyms or false screen names when posting or creating content on behalf of your organization.
- Think carefully when you “friend,” “like,” or “follow.” Is it an appropriate relationship? Is there a chance for misinterpretation by your audience?
- Slow down—think before you post. Consider the content carefully and be cautious about disclosing personal details or making statements that you may regret later.
- Respect the privacy of others. It is not okay to disclose personal, confidential, or proprietary information concerning the Institute, other students, faculty, or staff in any form of media.
- Respect the intellectual property of others. Remember that copyright, trademark, patent, and fair-use laws apply to social media and other electronic content, as do MIT’s policies regarding the use and ownership of intellectual property. When using music in promotional social media content, use only music that is appropriately licensed for that use. Music available through TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, or a personal account is likely to be limited to personal use only and may not be cleared for promotional content. Use music from a commercial-use library or another source that provides the appropriate rights.
- Respect your audience and the MIT community. MIT reflects a diverse range of customs, values. When speaking on behalf of your organization, be yourself, but respectfully and with good judgment.
- Be the first to respond to your own mistakes. If you make an error, be up front about your mistake and correct it quickly. If you choose to modify an earlier post, make it clear that you have done so.
- Use discretion when deleting comments. MIT’s policy for its main social media accounts is to only delete comments if they are off topic and include marketing spam or hate speech, or if they’re obscene, profane, or contain someone’s personal or private information. Feel free to adopt the same principles.
- Comply with the terms of service of third-party entities. Most social networking sites have their own rules, policies, and procedures, and you will likely be required to accept their terms of service before you can begin to use them.
Promotion and Publicity Policies
Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom
MIT has a long tradition of celebrating provocative thinking and nonconformity. We believe that a commitment to freedom of expression is integral to our mission and community. At the same time, we deeply value a culture of civility, mutual respect, and compassion alongside the robust exchange of views. In this spirit, we celebrate the open exploration of scientific, social, and ethical truths that advance human understanding.
MIT has a website dedicated to helping the community understand what freedom of expression means for the Institute. For more detail, the Report of the MIT Ad Hoc Working Group on Free Expression is also a useful resource.
Postering
There are various ways for groups to advertise themselves and their events at MIT. These include postering on bulletin boards, digital signage around the Institute, and advertising in some newsletters and calendars.
Public Postering Boards
The ASA manages a number of postering boards around campus, including in the Infinite Corridor, Stata Center, and other buildings. Student organizations may poster on these public boards to publicize their events. When postering, student organizations must follow the MIT bulletin boards, postering, and display spaces policy and the ASA postering policy, the key points of which are:
- One poster per group per board.
- Up to 22″ x 17″ poster area per group per board.
- Poster only in designated spaces.
- You must include the sponsoring party and an MIT email address as contact information.
- You must date your posters:
- If you are postering for an event, include the date of the event.
- If you are providing general information about your group, include a date 2 weeks after you put up the poster.
- Facilities reserves the right to take down posters, especially if they have been up for multiple weeks.
Private Postering Boards
The ASA may allocate dedicated postering boards to recognized student organizations for use as group advertising and information spaces. Applications for private postering boards are typically opened annually.
Organizations assigned a private postering board are responsible for maintaining their assigned space. Groups must:
- Keep the board active, neat, and up to date.
- Clearly display the organization’s name and MIT contact information.
- Use the board to share information about the organization, its activities, events, or relevant issues.
- Maintain the condition of all posted materials.
- Remove or replace outdated, damaged, or fallen materials.
- Monitor the board regularly and remove unauthorized posters placed by others.
- Notify the ASA of vandalism, damage, or repeated unauthorized use of the board.
- Obtain permission from the ASA before permanently modifying the board or adding materials beyond standard paper or poster-board displays, including display cases, plexiglass, or protruding objects.
Private postering boards are assigned to specific organizations and are not available for general public postering. Groups may only post on private boards assigned to them unless they have permission from the assigned organization or the ASA.
Posters placed on another group’s private board may be removed by the organization assigned to that board and may be referred to the ASA for follow-up.
Facilities generally clears public bulletin boards on a regular schedule, while private boards are maintained by the organizations assigned to them. Groups should not assume that Facilities will remove outdated or unauthorized materials from private boards.
Use of MIT Name and Brand
Any use of MIT’s name logos, and seal in advertising and other promotional material must be approved by the Institute Office of Communications in accordance with MIT’s use of name guidelines and the Institute’s use of name policy.
MIT has posted guidelines on how the community can use the MIT logo, including specific guidance for student organizations. In particular, the MIT logo can’t be altered or combined with other graphics or text, nor can it be used as your student organization’s social media icon.
- Contact mit-brand@mit.edu if you have questions about whether your student organization’s logo needs to be modified and/or to submit proposed updates for review and approval.
- Contact student-merch@mit.edu for questions on how to order merchandise for your student organization. This includes new or reordered items that will use the MIT logo, MIT seal, Tim the Beaver, or MIT acronym.
Website Domain Names
Recognized student organizations may be eligible to request an official mit.edu website domain. Organizations requesting an MIT domain must comply with the Institute’s Website Domain Name Policy governing eligibility criteria, standards, naming, accessibility, branding, website maintenance, and other requirements.