The MECE Teaching Lab unofficially serves as a hub for a majority of the engineering clubs at Columbia University such as AIAA, CU Robotics, CU Formula Racing, and the Columbia Space Initiative. Clubs using the MECE Teaching Lab in any way must adhere to the rules laid out in this agreement. Failure to comply with these rules may result in losing access to the MECE Teaching Lab as a club.

Club Usage Agreement Overview

General Body Meetings

• Lab staff want to ensure that all engineering clubs have equal access to host meetings in the space. Club leaders should coordinate meeting schedules as early as possible with lab staff each semester to ensure use of the space.

• Any meetings conducted by clubs should be recorded on this spreadsheet.

• Meetings with food and drinks must be approved by lab staff as only the front space of the lab is cleared for eating and drinking. All trash must be thrown in their appropriate containers.

Non-MECE Club Member Rules

• All club members who will be using the lab spaces must read and agree to the Lab Conduct Student User Agreement.

• During working lab hours, non-MECE club members will be allowed to work in the lab spaces only with lab staff permission. If you are a non-MECE club member, please speak with lab staff to request permission to work in this space and use lab materials and equipment. Permission and training must be obtained every time you plan to use new equipment. 

• Non-MECE club members will not be given swipe access to MECE lab spaces - no exceptions. This means that non-MECE students can only be in the lab spaces after hours if they are in a club meeting and should not be doing any work on their own after hours.

• Non-MECE club members should never use the lab spaces for non-club related projects without express permission from the lab staff.

Assembly/Disassembly of Projects

• Students are free to use lab resources such as hand tools and equipment to help build their project. Any tools borrowed from the lab must be returned to their designated location at the end of each assembly/disassembly session. In addition, students must clear tables used of any trash and debris left behind during the assembly/disassembly session as well as clean the floor by sweeping. Brooms can be found across the lab space. Club leaders should ensure that the lab space is always left in a better state than they found it. 

• Students are encouraged to use materials that already exist in the lab. Inquire with lab staff to see if materials are in stock before purchasing. Please note that excessive use and hoarding of lab materials by one club will result in the club replenishing lab supplies with their budget.

Storage

• Each club has a designated agreement for storing items with the MECE Teaching Lab. Club storage must not spill out of their designated location.

• Clubs are responsible for their own inventory of items and expected to periodically assess their inventory to ensure they do not run out of storage space.

• Lab staff does not guarantee the safety of items left out in the open and will not replace any damaged/lost/stolen items.

• Flammables and non-alkaline batteries may not be stored in regular storage areas. Please see lab staff for help storing these items safely.

Machining

• During Open Lab Hours (9 am - 5 pm)

  • Lab staff will only machine with students who have their shop safety training certificate via Rascal Training (Course TC0600). Machining training sessions must be scheduled via Calendly appointments with lab staff to ensure availability.

• During Superuser Hours

  • The ONLY students allowed to machine during superuser hours are students already trained on the MECE Teaching Lab shop equipment. Super users and trained non-super user students are NOT instructors. The only people who can train a new student on the shop tools are lab staff.

  • Untrained students can assist with tasks such as supplying coolant or compressed air.

  • There is a limit of 2 students around a machine at all times to ensure safety in the event of an evacuation.

Using/Borrowing Lab Equipment & Tools for Test Days and Competitions

• Any and all equipment taken out of the lab must be approved by lab staff prior to competition.

• A comprehensive list of items removed from the lab space must be provided to lab staff.

• All equipment must be cleaned and returned to their original location in the lab space once students return from competition. If the clubs attach labels to borrowed lab equipment, labels and adhesive residue left behind must be removed.

• Any broken equipment must be replaced by the club who borrowed the equipment.

Repercussions

Lab staff and super users reserve the right to remove a student from a lab space if they fail to do any of the above or abuse the space and / or others in any way. For minor violations (such as lacking cleanliness, misuse of equipment or tools, failure to follow instructions from lab staff, etc.), a student may be asked to leave a lab space for the remainder of the day, and the violation will be noted internally. If the student has swipe access, this will also be revoked, and they will no longer be able to enter the space after hours. The staff also reserves the right to temporarily suspend the student from the space for a week (at the staff’s discretion) until the student has met with the lab manager and/or department chair to discuss the nature of the suspension and expectations for reinstatement and conduct moving forward.

For major violations (Title IX violations, disregard for safety protocol, breaking the University Code of Conduct, etc.) or multiple offenses, lab staff reserves the right to contact the student and let them know they have been barred from entering the space unless necessary for a course under strict supervision (i.e., if the student has a class in the space and is supervised by the professor, or has a project assigned that can only be completed in the space and is supervised by lab staff).