OKPOLICY.ORG
2018 Summer Policy Institute FAQs & Logistics
Before SPI
What if I have questions prior to SPI? You can call or email Shiloh at 918-406-5270, skantz@okpolicy.org, or Andrea at 918-406-4792, amcneil@okpolicy.org.
How do I pay for my SPI attendance? If you are paying for all or part of your SPI tuition, payment is due Friday, July 20th. Payment can be made with a check payable to Oklahoma Policy Institute and mailed to 907 S. Detroit, Ste, 1005 Tulsa, OK 74120.
Where is it? Where can I park? The majority of the program will take place in the Allen Chapman Student Union (ACSU) at the University of Tulsa, 440 S. Gary Ave, Tulsa, OK 74104. You can either park in the Union Lot, the McFarlin Library Lot, or the LPC Lot (Lorton Performance Center). If you get a ticket from TU campus police in any of these lots, write “visitor — OPI” on the ticket and mail it back to Campus Security.
How can I get there? If you are commuting, you are responsible for your own transportation to SPI. If you’re interested in carpooling, let us know where you’d be leaving from and we can try to connect you with fellow participants willing to carpool. You can also reach out to fellow participants via the Facebook group.
Will all of the events be happening at the ACSU? No, there will be events on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings that will all be off-campus. You will be responsible for your own transportation to and from those events. If you do not have a car, please coordinate with another student or staff person to carpool to the off-campus events. Details regarding directions and parking for these events will be provided at check-in.
What should I wear? The attire for the majority of SPI is business casual, so try to dress as you would for work in a professional, but not formal setting. For the banquet on Tuesday night, you might want to wear something a little nicer and more formal. You can dress casual at the other evening events. You might want to bring some comfier shoes for the evening events like the Reconciliation park tour. Also, if you are commuting, be sure to bring extra clothes and whatever else you might need on days where there are evening events if you think you’ll want to change. There might not be enough time for you to make a trip back home between the program and the evening events.
Can I bring a guest? Due to limited space and a desire to make the event as valuable as possible for all of you, the program is not open to the public. However, if you have a colleague, teacher, or friend who you think would benefit from attending one of more of the sessions, let us know in advance and we will try to accommodate then. However, guests are welcome to the Game Night and Meet and Greet on Monday night. Be sure to include their information when you register at this link.
Can I bring my laptop or tablet? We encourage you to bring your laptop or tablet if you have either, as we try to post most of the materials online. However, we will have hard copies available for those who are without computers of tablets. During the conference, we request that those who are taking notes or live tweeting (use #okspi !!) on their laptops sit towards the back of the room. Wifi will be available through the University of Tulsa. Instructions will be given to you at check-in.
Where do I check in? Check in for everyone begins on Sunday, July 29th at 12:00 pm on the second floor lobby of the ACSU. If you are staying in the residence, try to get there as close to 12:00 pm as possible to give yourself plenty of time to drop off your belongings before the program begins. Lunch will not be provided on that day, so be sure to eat before check in.
If I am staying in the residence, what do I need to know? If you opted to stay in the residence on-campus, they will be located in the sorority houses across the street from the ACSU. Bedding and towels will be provided, but be sure to bring toiletries and all personal items. Standard university housing rules apply – no firearms, no illegal drugs, etc. Check-out will be 4:00 pm on Wednesday. If you need to make other arrangements, you should notify Shiloh or Andrea at check-in. Keys will be provided only to each individual staying in a room. No one can check a key out on your behalf. TU representatives will work with us to make sure they can get keys to everyone. There is an $85 key replacement fee if the key is lost or isn’t returned to TU.
Who do I contact if I need something while I’m staying at the residence? If you need anything while you are staying at the residence, we will have one of our interns staying at both of the residence buildings overnight. If you are staying in the Tri Delta house, you can contact Max West at his cell: 918-694-9804. If you are staying in Chi Omega, you can contact Anna Rouw at her cell: 402-707-2013.
While at SPI
How do I reach OK Policy staff during SPI? You can call Shiloh at 918-406-5270 and Andrea at 918-406-4792. There is also an ‘About Us’ in your folders with all of the staff’s email addresses.
Will I be able to ask the panelists/speakers questions? There will most likely be time at the end of each panel or session for questions. It is important for you to remember this: there are many other participants who might also want to ask a question and time is limited, so try to keep your question brief (avoid beginning the question with your story, for example) so that the speaker can fully answer it. There is also usually some time to meet the panelist/speakers one-on-one after the presentations and panels, so consider bringing business cards to maximize your networking ability!
Will there be breaks throughout the program? The breaks times are listed in the Agenda provided, but you may also leave whenever you need to use the bathroom, take a phone call, etc. If you foresee needing to leave for the remainder of the program or miss at day of it, let Shiloh or Andrea know.
Will there be food throughout the program? A light snack will be provided Sunday afternoon. All evening activities will have food served at the activity. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided Monday through Wednesday.
After SPI
When do I check out? Check out will be at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, August 1st. If you need to leave earlier or make other arrangements, let Shiloh or Andrea know. Due to the schedule of the program, it may be beneficial for you to be prepared to leave from TU before that day’s program starts!
Is there anything I need to do after I leave the program? Be sure to fill out the SPI participant surveys and subscribe to the OK Policy email newsletters, In The Know, Weekly Wonk, and others! Participant surveys are used to enhance the programming for the following years of SPI. Also, be on the lookout for an invitation to join the SPI Alumni Facebook page to keep up with past and current participants and other news!
