Ideas for Welcoming New Members and Building Group Cohesion

There are many alternatives to hazing that can help provide positive, inclusive experiences for new members of your team, group, organization or living community.

A successful new member program should…

Encourage individual development and success.
Assist first-year students and/or new members in their transition to college life, MIT, and your team, group, organization or living community.
Build respect for the individual.
Stimulate intellectual, social, and emotional growth.
Promote an understanding of the organization and its history, mission, purpose, and values.
Promote social responsibility and a healthy lifestyle.
Promote friendship and interpersonal skills.
Promote a sense of community within the larger MIT community.
Promote diversity and the exchange of ideas.

Examples of positive new member experiences:

Social

Participate in a leadership retreat/weekend with a ropes course and teambuilding activities.
Hike some of New England’s finest trails.
Host a dinner and movie night or choose a documentary to make the event more educational.
Have a trivia night, including Institute and organizational history.

Athletic

Create an intramural team. Have new members compete in basketball, volleyball, or softball games against current members or other groups.
Attend an MIT athletic event on campus.
Attend a professional sporting event in Boston (e.g. Red Sox, Bruins, or Patriots).

Community Service/Philanthropy

Mentoring
- Set up a “big brother/big sister” mentoring program. Assign the mentor responsibility for teaching about the values of the organization and check-in regarding their involvement and experience within the organization as well as academic performance.
- Have the mentor take a new member out to dinner or to an athletic or cultural event at least three times.
Participate in a group community service project on campus or in the community.

Academic/Intellectual

Sponsor roundtable discussion on topics important to the team or organization.
Attend an educational speaker program of new members’ choice and discuss as an organization.
Invite alumni to come back and share post-graduate advice, how to navigate life after college.