Planning a Trek

 

  1. 1

    Get Approved to Run a Trek

    Complete the Trek Application
    This gives you permission to use the MIT Sloan name when organizing your Trek.
    It must be completed at least two months before your Trek.

  2. 2

    Plan Your Trek Itinerary

    After completing the Trek application, meet with the following staff members:

    1. Student Life - Elizabeth Sideri for Domestic Treks, Paul Buckley for International Treks

    This meeting is mandatory.
    Elizabeth or Paul will answer any questions you have on Creating A Trek On SloanGroups in order to collect deposits and trek fees, participant info (including emergency contacts), and liability waivers. They will also instruct you on final deliverables due to Student Life prior to your departure as well as explain payment, safety, and emergency protocols.

    2. Gregory Batcheler, Office of External Relations
    Gregory can introduce you to local clubs and regional representatives who can help host and co-host events, introduce you to alumni with expertise in your field of interest and target geography, and discuss how to effectively contact and communicate with alumni.
    In your email, include a sentence about your club and your upcoming Trek, and suggest some times to meet.

    3. Career Development Office 
    Your CDO club liaison can help you prepare your outreach to companies and organize meetings. Not sure who your club liaison is? Find out here!

  3. 3

    Post Trek to SloanGroups with Detailed Itinerary

    Trip must be posted to SloanGroups using the Student Organized Travel template.  Must include:

    • 1. Final detailed itinerary (including all companies you plan to visit) must be listed in the event description on SloanGroups.
      2. All attendees must be registered via SloanGroups.  The Student Organized Travel template includes mandatory information required by MIT. Student Life will then go in and pull the list of participants with phone numbers, email addresses, MIT Sloan program (MBA, MFin, etc.) and graduation year, emergency contacts, and liability waivers.

Some Helpful Links when planning a Trek

Trek Checklist
Make A Travel Health Appointment

Trek Overview

Some clubs also organize treks for purely social or community-building purposes. This type of travel still requires submitting a branding rights application for approval. Club-organized travel in the Boston area also qualifies as a trek.

If your club is visiting only one company, it is considered a company visit.
If your club is visiting more than one company, it is a trek.

The "Student Organized Travel" template on SloanGroups MUST be used to manage the trek. This template includes a mandatory waiver and asks for emergency contact information for attendees – required by MIT. A detailed itinerary must be listed in the event description.

MIT also requires all MIT-related domestic (more than 100 miles from MIT's Cambridge campus) and international travel be registered via the MIT Travel Registry per the current MIT travel policy. Please instruct your attendees accordingly.

A Few Things to Keep In Mind

Do not sign any contracts: If you are asked to sign a contract, please reach out to Rebecca Bourke so that an appropriate MIT signatory can review and sign the contract. You are not allowed to sign contracts on behalf of MIT.

Do not use Venmo or private accounts to manage funds related to your Trek and related official club business. You must use an MIT student organization account.

When planning your Trek, please keep in mind that all planned trip activities need to be open to ALL members of the group traveling.

Key things to Remember:

  • To use the MIT Sloan name, and club funds, treks must obtain Branding Rights through the Trek Branding Rights Application.
  • Participants may NOT travel when classes are scheduled.
  • Treks MAY be scheduled during SIP week. However, please note that planning a trek during SIP would exclude the following groups due to required programming: MBAn students, EMBA students,1st year MBA students, students participating in Action Learning
  • Treks may not take place during orientation week(s).
  • ALL activities that take place during a trek MUST be open to and accessible to all attendees.
  • Treks cannot take place in a country listed under a travel warning by MIT or the U.S. State Department.

Insurance

Health Insurance while Abroad

If you are traveling internationally, ensure that every participant speaks to their health insurance provider in advance to determine what coverage they have. If your health insurance does not provide sufficient coverage for the destination you are travelling to, we recommend obtaining travel insurance. Travel insurance can cover a range of circumstances, including medical expenses, stolen or lost baggage, and cancellation.

International SOS

If you are travelling internationally, we strongly encourage you to register with International SOS (ISOS). You must pick up an SOS card for each participant at the Student Life Office.
MIT has contracted with International SOS to provide emergency medical and security evacuation services to students travelling abroad on MIT business. ISOS does not cover medical expenses and is not a substitute for personal health insurance.

Is your health insurance through MIT?

MIT Health offers the following advice: "If you are traveling abroad and are covered under one of the MIT insurance plans, you should be aware of the Blue Cross Worldwide Program. With this program, you can identify doctors and hospitals across the globe that have contracted with Blue Cross to provide care for patients. If you have your Blue Cross card with you, then the doctor or hospital will be able to bill Blue Cross directly for services. A list of participating doctors and hospitals is available on the Blue Cross Worldwide website."

Making a Travel Health Appointment

MIT Health has a Travel Clinic with specially trained medical professionals to help you prepare for your trip. Make an appointment eight weeks before you leave to make sure you have all of the immunizations and prescriptions you need for safe travel.