Chapter Alumni Risk Management Advisor Program (CARMA)

PURPOSE:

MIT has been working with alumni to develop this program since 2004. The purpose of this program is to open dialogue and develop strategies to effectively address risk and provide support for the undergraduate risk managers in our living communities. The Alumni Risk Management Advisor Program seeks to establish an ongoing working relationship between alumni and the MIT administration to provide another level of support for the Fraternity, Sorority, and Independent Living Group (FSILG) community and their membership. This is a specific, time-limited role, but one that can really help in young people’s unfolding lives. More than eighteen FSILGs have now defined such a role and more plan to do so.

The program also sponsors periodic larger group meetings for the larger community on topics aligned with our interests. These are the meetings for the Spring 2012 Term. Food and refreshments are provided.

  • Thursday, February 9. 6:30-8PM. W11-Main Dining room. An Evening with the MIT Police –  Navigating Neighbor Relations, Safety, and Security
           The CARMA Team is pleased to host our colleagues from the MIT Police in a discussion on Campus Safety, Neighbor Relations, and Hot Topics. This session will engage participants in the sharing of best practices for safety and security related to FSILGs as well as touch on ways to positively interact with neighbors and city entities. Participants will learn about recent trends related to safety and will take away practical tips on how to best support our undergraduates with navigating safety issues.
  • Wednesday, April 18th. 6:30-8PM W20 – Room 491.  Sexual Assault Awareness
           April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month at MIT, and our CARMA session for April will focus on this topic as well. Kelley Adams, Program Manager from the Program for Violence Prevention & Response at MIT Medical and one of MIT’s Victim Advocates, will lead April’s CARMA session, along with Greg Baker from Community Wellness at MIT Medical. We will provide a current snapshot of the climate around sexual violence on MIT’s campus, empower CARMAs to be able to have difficult conversations with their members around these topics, and share information about campus and community resources that you may find useful.

 

ROLE DESCRIPTION:

Each Alumni Risk Management Advisor is provided with several opportunities throughout the year to meet with student risk managers, Alumni Risk Management Advisors from other communities, and MIT administrators. They will learn what resources are available in the MIT community and also have opportunities to provide feedback on current educational initiatives like the Panhellenic Risk Management Program, the ENTICE program, or the social host/server training, which is now required for two-thirds of the house membership as part of the Interfraternity Council alcohol certification process.

The Chapter Alumni Risk Management Advisors (CARMA) role description was first developed by several of the early alums who took on this role. Recently, the scope of the program was broadened somewhat include wellness and related student health issues. Several recommended activities and discussion questions with chaper officers were also collected. As noted above, we also try to have at least one large group session each term, with an invited guest. We typically meet with MIT administrators, IFC and Panhellenic leaders, and MIT Police to discuss issues such as the following:

      • Current climate in the cities of Boston and Cambridge
      • Student health and wellness issues
      • IFC policies and IFC Judicial Committee bylaws
      • Panhellenic Association programs and key initiatives
      • Emergency Medical Services and other MIT Medical resources
      • Strategies to respond to substance abusing or at-risk individuals before their behavior impacts the community
      • Role of the Alumni Risk Management Advisor & questions for discussion with the student risk manager

This Program is sponsored by the AILG. If you are interested in participating, please contact Bob Ferrara ’67, Senior Director in the Division of Student Life at rferrara (at) mit.edu & 617-253-7495, or Marlena Martinez Love, Assistant Dean for FSILGs, at marlenam (at) mit.edu or 617-258-9762.

RESOURCES:

Here are some other useful handouts (as PDF files) from previous group meetings.