Guidance for Hosts

The Host of the Speaker is responsible for organizing the visit and making sure the Speaker has a pleasant experience.

Once the seminar committee has decided on speakers and you have agreed to host, first please:

  1. Contact the potential Speaker and make an invitation for the relevant time window (Spring 2025, etc) with a very gentle request for an earlier date as opposed to a later date. The publicly viewable available dates for the current schedule is here: https://wikihost.nscl.msu.edu/nssc/doku.php?id=public:current_schedule and the upcoming schedule is here: https://wikihost.nscl.msu.edu/nssc/doku.php?id=public:upcoming_schedule
  2. If this is a speaker who is a member of NSAC, DNP Chair Elect, UEC, etc. seminar dates should also be coordinated with Lab Director and Chief Scientist.
  3. Let the seminar committee chair know about the speakers preferred dates as soon as possible, since there are often multiple speakers being invited around the same time and offered dates can conflict if the schedule is not up to date. Please also provide:
    1. Speaker's title (Dr., Prof., Prof. Dr., etc. - it should be noted how formal the emails to the Speaker should be)
    2. Speaker's full name
    3. Speaker's home institution
    4. Speaker's email address
  4. Once the date is settled, the seminar committee chair will send an official email to the speaker (here is an example) confirming the date, letting the speaker know about the level the talk should be at (described here), and starting the process of getting travel arranged with the admin. Generally, travel is arranged so that the speaker arrives on a Tuesday, visits the lab on Wednesday, and then travels home on a Thursday but this is flexible.
  5. Please be sure to cc: the admins on all travel/logistical emails with the speaker. The email addressess to cc: are: Hannon, Bethany hannon@frib.msu.edu and FRIB Nuclear Science Seminar NuclearSeminar@frib.msu.edu

Starting the week or so before the speakers visit:

  1. First, give the admin a list of people who want/need to meet with the speaker. For NSAC members, etc., make sure that Lab Director and Chief Scientist are given the opportunity to get meeting slots. If there are still spaces left, let the Admin know to open the signup list to a broader audience (e.g. the whole Accelerator Group, Nuclear Theory postdocs). Make sure enough people sign up to meet with the Speaker so that they have a good experience.
  2. Organize a tour of the facility if requested and allowed:
    1. Make sure that the Admin checks the “export control” status of the Speaker - some areas of the Lab are inaccessible if it requires an ACP
    2. Make sure that you have taken or refreshed yourself on the “Perform tours of the Laboratory” competency on Intra Enterpise
    3. Make a list of the proposed tour stops (the FRIB linac areas are usually off limits - either it is delivering beam or maintenance is being performed)
    4. Request permission from Area Coordinators/Managers for an escorted tour of their space
    5. Submit a WCP with all tour stops listed (set all values to 1 and only send the notice to the Area Coordinators/Managers)
    6. Show up at the 08:00 AM meeting on the morning of the tour and answer any questions about the tour
    7. Coordinate with Zach about doing a radiation survey on the tour route on the morning of the tour
  3. Organize a place for Speaker to sit (with computer, if needed) if there are gaps in the schedule.
  4. Let the Speaker know that they will be having lunch with just the graduate students (~10).

The day of the speakers visit:

  1. Greet the Speaker when they arrive at FRIB @ 09:00, give them a printed schedule, and show them to their first appointment.
  2. Take the Speaker to the seminar room at around 15:30 and help them setup their computer. The seminar chair will also be there to help if there are any problems.
  3. Mute the room microphone (red lights) now just to make sure that zoom doesn't accidentally record a private conversation happening in the audience. Unmute as necessary only to make sure you can communicate with Admin for logistical reasons.
  4. Wrangle everyone into the Lecture Hall and start the Seminar at 16:10 sharp. The Admin will make an announcement that the seminar will start in 1 minute. Then, exactly at 16:10, if the Speaker has agreed for the seminar to be recorded, Zoom will broadcast audibly “Meeting recording started.”
  5. Unmute the room microphone (green lights) just before the beginning of the seminar just to make sure that zoom doesn't accidentally record a private conversation happening in the audience.
  6. Introduce the Speaker at the beginning of the Seminar.
  7. Lead the discussion/questions at the end of the Seminar. Ask the Zoom/virtual audiences if they have questions first, then turn it over to the in-person audience. Gently prod the Speaker to finish by 1705 at the latest.
  8. Other lunches are paid by the Speaker and reimbursed in the per diem.
  9. Take the speaker out to dinner (typically after the seminar, but could also be another night if that is more convenient)
    1. This includes the host and on average 1 or 2 other colleagues.
    2. The seminar budget can only pay for food and non-alcoholic drinks.
    3. The dinner budget is on average of $115 total including tax and 20% tip or roughly $25 per person before tax & tip. If you think you will go over this, please contact the seminar chair beforehand.
    4. The Host pays for food and non-alcoholic drinks, and gives an itemized receipt to the Admin together with a list of the names of the participants and then the Host will be reimbursed.
    5. Note that the alcohol is not normally reimbursed - possibilities to deal with alcohol includes separating checks, or, MSU people split the alcohol bill. Alcohol may be reimbursed if pre-approved by the Lab Director.
  10. How-To Helpsheet: How to Request Reimbursement for a Hosted Meal​

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