Frequently Asked Questions
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General Overview and Transcript – Registration – Scholarships – On-site Schedule and Activities – Curriculum, CAE, CCE
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General Overview and Transcript |
| Who can attend Institute? | The Institute curriculum is tailored to association, chamber, and other non-profit professionals. We welcome all and hope to see you soon. |
| Where is Institute located? | While we are based in Washington, DC. Our national program takes place at 5 different locations throughout the year. We have Institute sites in Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia, California, and Pennsylvania. Attendees come from all over the country to attend Institute at one of these 5 locations. For more information about locations and dates, click here. |
| How can I access my transcript? | To receive a copy of your transcript, email us at IOM@uschamber.com. In the email, include your given name and organization when attending Institute, as well as the years and sites you attended. |
| What does IOM mean? | IOM stands for Institute for Organization Management. After completion of the Institute program, attendees will have completed 96 hours of nonprofit management course instruction. The IOM graduate recognition is a standardized way for program graduates to outwardly communicate their accomplishment. Every Institute graduate is eligible to use the IOM graduate recognition after his/her name in correspondences, email signatures, and other such situations. For more guidelines about how and when to use the IOM graduate recognition, read our Graduate Recognition FAQ page. |
| How much does Institute cost? | The cost to attend Institute varies depending on if your organization is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A discount is also offered for early enrollment. The early enrollment deadline is about two months out from each site. Attendees that register within this early enrollment period save $200. The registration fee for members of the U.S. Chamber who enroll during the early enrollment period is $1,295 (non-members pay $1,745 during the early enrollment period). This cost includes tuition, materials, scheduled meals, breaks, and receptions. Attendees are responsible for travel, housing, non-program meals, and incidental expenses. More information about enrollment incentive programs can be found on our website here. |
| Registration | |
| How do I register? | You can register online by clicking here and following the page-by-page instructions. |
| My registration says I am a non-member, but my organization is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. How do I fix this? | Our registration system is not directly tied to our registration database, so this sometimes happens. Continue with your registration as if you are a non-member. When you are on the last page of the registration, where you enter your payment method, select the payment method of “Balance Due.” Doing this will allow you to complete the registration without making a payment. Once you complete your registration, send an email to IOM@uschamber.com asking to have your membership status changed. Please include your name, site, organization name, and membership number. |
| We have more than one person from our organization attending Institute this year; can we receive a group discount? | Yes, we offer a group discount for organization’s sending multiple people to Institute in the same calendar year. Give us a call and we’ll give you the group promotional code. You can reach us at 202-463-5570. |
| Is there a way for me to see a list of the electives I’ve already taken so I don’t register for those electives again? | We’re happy to provide you with a transcript that includes the electives you’ve taken. To receive a copy of your transcript, email us at IOM@uschamber.com. In the email, include your name and organization when attending Institute, as well as the years and sites you attended. |
| Can you attend more than one site in a year? | Yes, we’ll provide you with a discount code you can use when registering for additional sites during the calendar year. If you decide to do so, please give us a call at 202-463-5570. |
| Is it common for attendees to attend multiple Institute sites in one year? | While any attendee can sign up for multiple Institute sites in a year, the majority of attendees progress through the program one year at a time. This allows for greater practical usage of material learned at Institute. Strong professional networking and classmate relationships are also gained during the multi-year program. |
| Scholarships | |
| Are scholarships provided to attend Institute? | Scholarships are provided. To review the types of scholarships available and ensure you get your scholarship application in before the deadline, click here. |
| Who is eligible to receive a scholarship? | There are scholarships available for all attendees of the Institute program. Although there are multiple scholarship categories, there is only one application. You fill out the application and we’ll evaluate which scholarships you are eligible for. |
| How do I apply for a scholarship? | The scholarship application is available online and is submitted electronically. Keep in mind that you need to upload two letters of recommendation with your application. |
| What types of scholarships are available? | For a list of available scholarships, check out the scholarship page. |
| How are scholarships awarded? | Once the scholarship deadline has passed, a committee of Institute board members will review the applications and assign the allocation of funds. |
| On-site Schedule and Activities | |
| What is the daily schedule like? | A general schedule for the week can be found here on our website. For more site-specific information, please check the individual site page that corresponds to your location. During the week, attendees will take a mix of core classes and elective classes beginning at 8 a.m. The general schedule will also provide you with a list of evening events. |
| What time does Institute begin and end? | The schedule of events varies each day. Classes start at 8 a.m. and end around 5 p.m. On certain nights, evening events will take place. For a more detailed schedule, visit the site page that corresponds to your location. |
| Can the schedule be altered to allow for an earlier Thursday dismissal? | Our current schedule best accommodates the timing necessary to complete all 24 hours of course instruction during the week, while also factoring in free time for students and faculty to decompress and re-energize. |
| What is the makeup of association vs. chamber professionals at each site? | There are both association and chamber professionals at all sites. The site with the strongest association presence is Northeast Institute due to its proximity to Washington, DC. The site with the strongest chamber presence is Southeast Institute. |
| Are meals provided? | During the five day Institute program, one or two substantial meals will be provided each day. |
| Curriculum, CAE, CCE | |
| Do Institute classes count toward credit hours needed to sit for or maintain the CAE or CCE professional certification? | Yes, upon completion of the Institute program, Institute graduates receive 96 credit hours toward the CAE and 20 points toward the CCE. |
| Who teaches the curriculum? | Institute is taught by practitioners (association and chamber executives), consultants, and college professors as well as industry experts. To view a complete listing of this year’s faculty, click here. |
| Is attendance really mandatory? | Yes, attendees need to be on time and present in all classes in order to graduate from the Institute program. More detailed information about our policies and procedures can be found here. |
| Will there be tests? | No, tests are not given in the Institute classes. |