Standing rules

Rules

• Be excellent to each other
• Illegal activity is forbidden
• Share the workspace, tools, supplies, and knowledge
• Pickup after yourself by cleaning the workspace and putting away tools
• Get training on tools before using them
• Make safely (do not be on fire!)

Membership

To become a member, attend an open house or sign up online

Minors are allowed to become members, but require sponsorship by an adult. A parent or legal guardian must co-sign the minor's membership application and release of liability. Minors under the age of 16 need to be accompanied by an adult whenever at the space. Keys are available to members over the age of 16, following the key policy.

Cost of membership is $25/month, although scholarships are available upon request.

All members will go through a 30 day probationary period before they gain voting rights. During that period, new members are encouraged to integrate themselves into the community through attending Maker Mondays, volunteering on projects at MakeICT, attending and/or assisting with workshops, and/or joining in the chatter on the forums.

Membership will lapse after 30 days of nonpayment. Membership and voting rights will be suspended after 3 months of non-payment. To re-instate membership, pay dues for the upcoming month.

Membership Meetings

• MakeICT shall have regular meetings of the membership every September, December, and March, in addition to the Annual Meeting.
• Meetings shall be scheduled and announced by the Board of Directors, not less than two weeks before the meeting.
• Announcements of the meeting shall be posted in all customary physical and electronic locations.
• The meetings shall include short reports on what MakeICT has been doing through its various programs and address any issues that need to be addressed.

Standing rules amended at the 2018 Annual Meeting

Temporary standing rule adopted at 18 April 2019 Board Meeting (expired June 1, 2019)

A member meeting may be called by Jens Torell (the building committee lead) and 3 members of the board in April or May 2019.

This shall cease to be a standing rule after June 1, 2019.

Standing rules amended at the April_18_2019

Policies

Refer to Category:Rules and policies for all policies. The following policies are referred to frequently and applicable to all members.

Building Access Policy

• No person may occupy the MakeICT Makerspace building outside of officially posted event times except for the following:
  • Members in good standing who are in possession of a key to the makerspace that has been granted in accordance with the key policy.
  • Guests of members with keys, as described in the guest policy.

• All members and guests must obey all standing rules and policies.
• All members and guests must have a signed waiver on file before using any equipment in the makerspace, and must have the appropriate authorizations for any equipment that requires authorization, as specified in each area access policy.
• No sleeping/living on the property (occasional naps are okay)
• People who have been told to leave the property by security or board member (both of whom shall constitute authorized persons for K.S.A. 21-5808(a)(1)(A)) and people who have had keys revoked, may only be present on the property as guests of security officers or board members.
• All art, signs, etc. must be approved by the appropriate lead, committee, or board. All space not allocated to a specific area belongs to Facilities.

Approved by the board 19 April 2018, modified on 3 May 2018, December 19 2019, April 20 2023,, and August 17 2023.

Badge Policy

• All members and guests must visibly wear an ID issued by MakeICT while in the makerspace.
  • Members with keys must wear their photo ID badge.
  • Temporary IDs will be issued to guests, event participants, and members who do not have one.
• Photo ID Badges will be issued to members once they have completed the requirements for obtaining a key to the building.
• Photo ID Badges may be issued to members without keys, but must be visually distinct from the keyed member badges
• Photo ID Badges may be issued to frequent guests, but must be visually distinct from member badges, and have the name(s) of the sponsoring member(s) printed on them.

Approved by the board 19 April 2018

Guest Policy

• Members with keys may bring guests into the MakeICT Makerspace in accordance with the Building Access Policy.
• Guests must sign-in and wear a guest ID.
• Any person who is not a member with a key must be the guest of a member with a key to occupy the MakeICT Makerspace outside of officially posted event times.
  • This includes members who have not yet received their key, have lost their key, or, for any reason, do not have a key upon arrival at the makerspace.
• Members are responsible for their guests and their actions.
• Guests must be directly supervised by a member in the same room at all times while in the MakeICT Makerspace.
  • Guests may be handed off to another member by mutual agreement.
  • Trips to the Restroom are exempt from this requirement.
• Guests are strongly encouraged to become members and obtain a key.
• Members with keys may bring up to 3 guests to the MakeICT Makerspace.
  • Four guests or more may require a reservation in accordance with published rules / access policies for each area.
  • Members may charge for services rendered at the Makerspace, but may not charge a fee for access.
• The host member is responsible/liable for the actions and consequences of their guests, and all guests must follow all current MakeICT policies and rules.
• Guests must complete appropriate training by an authorized instructor before use of restricted equipment.

Approved by the board 30 May 2017, amended at the 2018 Annual Meeting, amended by the board 27 July 2020, 17 November 2022, 18 May 2023.

Classroom Reservation and Rental Policy

Purpose Statement:  Classrooms are a valuable asset to our membership, providing space to work on projects, share skills, teach others, and generally accomplish our mission of learning and building community.  In addition to making these spaces available to our membership, and in alignment with our mission, it is our goal to make this space available to the community at large so like minded individuals and organizations who share in our mission can engage and build community with us.

• Classrooms are available for reservation or rent to MakeICT members and non-members.
• Members may reserve rooms for meetings and gatherings with other members at no charge with 8 days advance notice.

Members may reserve regular classrooms for a cost of $25/hour or competitive rate with at least 8 days notice if the ratio exceeds 3 guests per member.

• Groups may apply to the Classroom Management Committee at least 8 days in to request adjustment of fees, and may petition the board of directors if the Classroom Management Committee declines.

• Room Reservations will be posted on the online room reservation calendar.
• Room Reservations must be accommodated by the membership. If a room is reserved in accordance with this policy then the room is for the exclusive use of the renting party for the period they have reserved it.
• Rooms which are not reserved are always available for the use of MakeICT members so long as their activity does not impinge on the rooms use by others.

Adopted by BOD 25 July 2020. Policy update adopted by board July_21st_2022

Key Policy

Keys are handled by the Security Team who can be contacted at security@makeict.org

A key that grants 24/7 access to the MakeICT Makerspace can be obtained, at the discretion of the Security Group, by members who meet the following criteria:

Obtaining a key

1. Participate in a New Member Orientation and be an active member in good standing with MakeICT and all of its programs.
2. Become part of the community by completing a Key Application Form that includes the following:
   • A few multiple-choice and short answer questions to learn more about you.
   • 3 signature fields to meet some members of our community:
     • You
     • A board member
     • A member of security
   • Signers will get acquainted with you by asking you questions about yourself.
     • Each signature must be unique and indicates they personally sponsor your Key Application Form.
     • Signers reserve the right to ask you to stay around longer before signing your Key Application Form.
     • Signers who qualify for multiple signatures on the Key Application Form may only sign once.
   • Some rules that you must adhere to including but not limited to:
     • This Key Policy.
     • The current standing rules.
     • Guest Policy.
3. Contact the Security Team and submit your Key Application Form to request a key.
   • Security Officers will ask you questions to become acquainted with you, similar to when you received your signatures.

Having a key

• Each member who retains a key and access to the space must have a completed Key Application Form on file.

Losing a key

• A lost key must be reported immediately so that it can be deactivated. If the key is found later, it can be reactivated.
• Replacement keys are $5.00.

Revoking key access

• The following events may result in forfeiture of your key:
  • Loaning your key to any other person.
  • Duplicating your key without authorization.
  • Disobeying any policy set by MakeICT or any of its programs.
• Any active Security Officer may deactivate a key of a member and must immediately notify the Lead Security Officer.
• In the event a key is revoked, Lead Security Officer shall notify the appropriate member, the Makerspace Area Leads, and the Board of Directors of the reason by phone or E-mail within 48 hours.

Regaining key access

• If a member's key is revoked, they can request another one by filling out another Key Application Form and submitting it to the Board of Directors.

Special cases

• The Key Application Form process can be bypassed with a Key Assignment Form filled out by the Lead Security Officer.

Forms

• All changes to the Key Application or Key Assignment forms must be submitted to the board for approval.

Initial policy approved by the board on January 2, 2017. Additions to the policy were approved on May 30 2017, October 16 2017, May 21 2018, and February 20th 2025.

Scope: This policy outlines what Areas and Committees do at MakeICT, the similarities and differences between an area and a committee, and what is expected of members and of each group.

The Infrastructure Committee Policy outlines expectations of groups that maintain critical systems within the organization.

The Leads Policy outlines expectations of leaders for a group.

The Classes Policy outlines expectations for classes and workshops, including registration fees and compensation.

The use of group, area, and committee may often be interchangeable. For the sake of this policy, “group” is used in many places instead of specifying “area and/or committee” every time.

For further descriptive information on specific groups, see Area and Committee Descriptions.

Committees

Committees are groups formed to operate and maintain aspects of MakeICT, subject to the oversight of the Board of Directors. The four types of committees are:

• Standing Committees, which are formed by the board to perform vital functions and are ongoing
• Ad Hoc Committees, which are formed by the board to do a specific task and serve for a defined amount of time
• Ad Hoc Committees for Events, which are formed by the Events Committee or board for a specific event
• Infrastructure Committees, which are formed by the board and handle critical systems. Due to their specialized nature, they are governed by the Infrastructure Committee Policy and are not subject to this policy.

Committees are formed as described below. The board may approve, modify and approve, or deny the request to form a committee. If approved, the board may assign resources to the newly formed committee which may include some or all of the following:

• Physical space
• Inventory
• Budget

Areas

Areas are essentially committees that have an affinity for producing items centered around a common theme (i.e. ceramics, woodworking) in a workshop environment. They are assigned all three resources that may be assigned to committees: a physical space that can be accessed by all members, an inventory, and a budget.

Areas are also required to have an access policy defining the requirements for members to use equipment in the specific area.

Formation

Prospective new committees and area groups should make a request to the board for approval. This request requires the following:

• Name of the group
• Description of what it does
• Names of at least five members willing to join the group
• Recommended leadership

Group Membership

Members who wish to join a group can do so by:

• Emailing or otherwise contacting the lead for the group
• Attending meetings of that group as posted on the calendar

• Area and Committee Members are:
  • Anyone who has asked to be a member.
  • Anyone who has participated in group discussion in the past three months.
  • Removable by leadership if determined to be inactive.
• Each group should maintain a page on the wiki with at least the following information:
  • The names of group leadership
  • Meeting notes (may also use Google Drive)
  • Procedures for operation of equipment in the space– ideally written up specifically for the area, but links to any available owner’s manuals or technical information will work
  • A list of major inventory items/tools
  • Area and equipment access policies as applicable (note that these require board approval).
  • Any rules made by the group for group-specific resources (see below)

Meetings

Areas and Committees shall hold regular meetings which must be on the public calendar each month, which may be held online and/or in person. These don’t have to be “business” meetings, and can be gatherings to maintain equipment or working meetings (e.g. everyone works on their own crafts, cleans, open lab, etc. at the same time).

Area-Specific Rules

Each area’s lead and group must post rules for the area in two places:

• Conspicuously within the physical area itself
• On the area’s wiki page

Areas have individual needs regarding the safe and orderly use of equipment and materials - rules to govern these are determined by each area group. These rules are not policy and therefore don’t require board approval, but the goal is making the area run smoothly so they should be fair and appropriate to that area.

Group Changes and Dissolution

• The board of directors has the authority to dissolve a group, change its leadership, or restrict activities as deemed necessary.
• Failure to abide by the rules in this policy will trigger a review of the group by the board.
• If a group has only one or two active members, the board may consider it for dissolution.
• When a group is dissolved by a vote of the board of directors:
  • All monetary assets may return to the general fund of the makerspace, unless it was specifically designated for the group.
  • Any physical assets of the committee can be requested by another committee in writing prior to the next month’s board meeting
  • Any physical assets not requested by the next month’s board meeting by another committee can be disposed of in accordance with the MakeICT Property Policy.

Approved by the board on October 17, 2019 updated on May 19, 2022, December 15, 2022 and April 17th 2025.