¶ Overview
The word "ilm" translates to knowledge in the Arabic language. Ilm classes provide the community with regular connection to the teachings of their faith and local scholars that help build and facilitate their spiritual learning.
¶ Topics
Post a survey on the Facebook group to find what ilm class topics the community wants in the beginning of July. This survey could also include information about timing and speakers. Be sure to input topics yourself and from the board as well. Here is an example.
After gathering topics that the community wants, filter through them, gather topics that you could combine, and remove those that wouldnt be appropriate. It is recommended you do this with another board member, so you could get another perspective.
After filtering, you should have about 20 different topics that you would be willing to facilitate. When looking through the topics, think about speakers that would be qualified to teach that topic as well.
It is important to have diversity in topics and categories. Having a mix of the following categories is ideal:
- Practical: classes that teach us how to apply knowledge to our everyday lives.
- Abstract: classes pertaining to topics that are not concrete but are important for us to know as Muslims.
- Historical: classes on the foundations of Islam.
Of course, these topics are not finalized and you can change things up throughout the year if you think of a topic that would be beneficial for the community to learn about. Speakers may also offer topics that you can accept if you believe they would be relevant and beneficial.
¶ Anti-Blackness Education (Editing in Progress)
Anti-Blackness is rampant in our community and beyond, and its organizations such as the MSA's duty to educate our community on this topic to foster a space of inclusivity and inspire institutional change. This toolkit is a helpful resource in sharing actions Muslims should take in addressing structural racism.
The educational coordinator is responsible for two mandatory events in terms of combatting anti-Blackness.
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Anti-Blackness Training: This should happen at least once a year, preferably during the beginning of the school year, by the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, or a similar organization. It is recommended to book 3 months in advance. The training should have similar scheduling logistics as an ilm class.
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Black History Month: There should be at least one event regarding Black History Month (February). Several events done in the past include a speaker discussing Black Muslim history, trivia, and movie nights. Other things that should be done during this month is a khutbah about Black history, and sharing resources about Black history via the Facebook group and newsletter (in collaboration with the Communications Director).
Both events should be done with the input/ in collaboration with FAAM (Faces of African American Muslims). The External Vice President should assist you in connecting with them. In addition, since these events should require more planning and people, the rest of the Board must assist in the facilitation of these events.
Finally, it is imperative to invite and get in touch with Black speakers (outside of Black History Month and events on anti-Blackness) and other speakers that are rarely represented in the Muslim community, as the community is diverse and the scholars we invite should reflect that. These are just small steps we can take to make a more inclusive community.
¶ Scheduling Logistics
Two ilm classes per month are required. You can do more than that, especially if it's a series but we have seen historically that this leads to fatigue in the community and is not sustainable for the educational coordinator.
Think about your schedule for the semester!
Ilm classes are usually an hour & a half on weekday evenings, so be sure you have at least 2-3 days in the week that ilm class could be potentially held.
Be cognizant of what days/times would be best for the students, ie. Fridays and weekends aren't great because many students go home, some people may feel unsafe if a class is late at night.
Be cognizant of the prayer times, and try to schedule classes that won't conflict with them.
¶ Types of Classes
- Series: Multiple sessions of an ilm class, usually depends on the topic. Series are also good because they provide consistency and gives time for students to build a relationship with the speaker.
- One-time: Depends on the topic. If the speaker is well-known and busy this is also a good option.
Create a spreadsheet for the scheduling logistics, including the potential topics and speaker. Here is an example.
¶ Booking Speakers
As mentioned earlier, think and research about what speakers may be qualified for a particular topic. Verify through the speaker database, talking with people who may know them, and research online about what they've spoken about before. It is very important that they are qualified and reputable.
Start contacting speakers using our Hubspot contact database in mid-July.
For spring semester, start contacting during the end of fall semester and winter break. Spring semester is usually a bit easier to schedule because speakers schedule their year at the start of the new year.
Instructions:
- Log into Hubspot and go to the
Contactspage - Search for the scholar's name and click on his/her contact listing
- In the contact profile page that comes up, click on the Email tab
- Paste the template below into the email and send it directly from within Hubspot. This will allow future Educational Coordinators to track all past communication with administration
Ilm Class Speaker Request Template:
Subject: Leading an Ilm Class for UC Berkeley MSA
Assalamualaikum [TITLE] [NAME],
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am the educational coordinator for the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at UC Berkeley.
One of the services that the Cal MSA provides to the community is having “ilm classes”, usually an hour and a half class/talk once a week spanning from one to four weeks about various topics in Islam. Different topics that various scholars have taught include fiqh of fasting, social conduct, and more.
We would be grateful to have you as a speaker for one of our ilm classes. In particular, we had you in mind for teaching a “[CLASS TITLE]” class, that would cover [DESCRIPTION] over a span of [NUMBER] weeks. InshAllah your knowledge will benefit us greatly.
Please let me know if you are interested and available in teaching this topic for the UC Berkeley Muslim community. If you are not comfortable teaching this topic but are still interested in leading a class, please let me know as we have various topics to choose from. Also, please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing back from you.
JazakAllah khair,
[YOUR NAME]
Follow-up after one week. If they don't reply a week after the follow-up, move on. Contact about 2 speakers at a time for efficiency and risk of overlapping availability.
If they confirm a date(s) and time, great! The next part will go on to next steps. If not, thank them for their time and efforts.
Re-confirm a week before their date to ensure that they will be coming. After the re-confirmation, send them the location, parking (Lower Sproul Parking Garage is the best option), your contact information (phone number), and other information they may need.
¶ Stipend/Contracted Services Form
This form is used for processing the honorarium that we give to the speakers.
Once a speaker has confirmed a date, let them know that you will be sending them a form that they need to fill out. The treasurer will send you a partly-filled form that the speaker needs to fill out in the beginning of the year that you can edit. The only thing you need to do is fill the dates/times. This is how it looks.
The form should be sent to them 1-2 weeks before their date, and should be sent back to us at least a day before their date, or whatever date the treasurer thinks is best for them. The speaker is only required to fill out the "Individual Rendering Service" portion. They are also required to attach a resume with the form. If they have already spoken in that year, they don't need to attach another one.
Honorarium Form Template:
Assalamualaikum [TITLE] [NAME],
I hope that you are doing well inshAllah. Here is the form that you need to fill out if you wish to get an honorarium.
Please fill out the "Individual Rendering Service" portion and sign your name at the bottom. In addition, attach your resume as well.
Please fill this out as soon as possible (before [DATE]) and let me know if you have any questions and/or concerns. We look forward to having you.
JazakAllah khair,
[YOUR NAME]
Once they send the form and resume back to you, send it to the treasurer and confirm that they got it. You must also upload these documents to Hubspot under the scholar's contact for future reference. The treasurer may send updates on the processing of the forms, if not, ask for updates so you have that information for the speakers. Some speakers may refuse an honorarium. Thank them for their efforts and support.
¶ Booking Classrooms
Classrooms for ilm classes are booked on 25live. You are not able to book classrooms until about a month into the semester. Alternatives include using the Meditation Room or Berkeley Masjid. Book the room as soon as possible, at the latest a week before the date.
Room details:
1. Book a room for 30 people.
2. For building preference, Wheeler or Dwinelle are good because they're central.
3. If speakers ask for a projector, write that down in the extra details.
For more information about booking spaces, visit the following page:
Booking Spaces How to reserve various campus spaces¶ Marketing
Marketing the ilm class is an essential part of the process to let the community know about the event. Most marketing strategies will be in collaboration with the Communications Director.
Under the Communications Director's wiki pages is a marketing guide:
Marketing Events How to market an event through social mediaAs soon as you have confirmed a topic, date, and time with a speaker follow these steps:
- Input the class into the Google Calendar so events don't overlap and to keep the community updated.
- Develop a compelling and inclusive title for the ilm class.
- Create a banner for the event page using Canva, which should include the title, time, and location.
- Create a Facebook event page on the MSA page (not group) for the ilm class at least 1-2 weeks before the class. Input the needed information, including the class name, a brief description of the topic, the speaker, the speaker's biography, and time and location. This spreadsheet has previous event pages that you can view as an example.
- After creating an event page, invite people who are part of the MSA group page. Let other board members know to invite people as well, in particular with brothers inviting brothers and sisters inviting sisters.
- Share the event page on the Facebook group with a compelling caption including information about the topic, the speaker, and the date and time. Share the event page again on the day of the ilm class as well, to remind the community.
- Share the page on the sisters/brothers pages as well, and in the sisters/brothers group chats also. Share in the group chat before the event and the day-of.
- In terms of sharing the ilm class on the newsletter, Instagram, and Jummah announcements, you should have the infomation about the class and provide it to the communications director and they will faciliate this marketing for you.
¶ Day-of Speaker Logistics
Be on-call on the day of and be communicative to the speaker's questions and concerns. Offer to pick them up at their parking spot to the location. If not, be at the location at least 5 minutes before the event. If other equipment is needed, set up before the speaker arrives.
It is highly recommended that at least one other board member or trusted community member is there to help with logistics. Ensure that one of them will be there before the event.
If prayer comes in around the start of the class, pray before starting the class. If it comes in while the class is happening, discuss with the speaker prior to the class what they think is best ie. pausing the class to pray or ending the class a little bit earlier to pray. If this is the case, it is good to have prayer rugs on hand (you could borrow some from the Meditation Room).
Notes should be taken for every ilm class. This is primarily the Communications Director's job, but if they are unable to make it, someone should be assigned to write them. Notes should be shared in the upcoming newsletter and the event page.
After the class, thank the speaker for their time. In addition, you could also announce community announcements. Offer to walk them to their parking spot. Lastly, send a thank you message, thanking them for their time and efforts.
¶ Speaker Etiquette
This is general speaker etiquette that the educational coordinator should consider, but more specific, mandatory duties are noted above.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Prior to the Event | Communication: Send concise and respectful emails. Respond as soon as possible. Ask speakers well in advance of the event (it's never too early to book!). Send reminder emails close to the date of the event, asking if they need anything. Provide them with a phone number for the contact who will be there the day of, so that they can notify you of delays or concerns. Make sure they know: The time and place of the event, as well as where to park. How long the event will be and how much time they should allocate for Q&A. Let them know how long it will take to get the honorarium. If you're using their photo or bio for promoting, ask if there is a specific one they'd like you to use. |
| Day of the Event | Meet them where they park and walk them to the event (or give them a ride if they need one) and pay for their parking. Have water bottles for the speaker (tea or other refreshments are also nice). Walk them back to their car. Give them a thank you card and chocolate/ gift after the event is over |
| After the Event | Send them a thank you email a couple of hours after the event (if it's not very late at night) or the next morning. Submit the honorarium forms as soon as possible. |
¶ Other things to keep in mind
- Be respectful of the speaker’s time; don’t let people linger and ask questions after the official event time is done
- Speakers might have kids that they can’t leave at home; let them know that they can bring them, ask if they need someone to watch them, snacks, games etc.
- Be aware that some speakers might not feel comfortable sharing info needed for the honorarium form (social security, phone number etc) so keep in mind that you may want to pay them from MISC funds
¶ Comprehension Quiz
If you were instructed to read this page as part of an online training curriculum, you must submit this quiz and answer all questions correctly. In the case that you do not answer a question correctly, you may view which questions were incorrect and take the quiz again.
