A great-grandson of manners maven Emily Post joins the Stratton School for Charm faculty as a visiting professor, teaching two courses during the one-day semester that ends IAP on Friday, Jan. 30.
Peter Post, director of the Emily Post Institute in Burlington, Vt., will lecture on "The Five Most Important Things to Remember About Job Interviews" and "Etiquette Deal-Breakers." He also will deliver the Charm School Commencement address.
"I'm thrilled to be participating in Charm School," said Post. "I'm happy to pass on the benefits of my experience to MIT students. There are plenty of potential etiquette pitfalls in store for the newly minted professional--in both business and social situations. We'll talk about the good, the bad and the ugly."
Post also will autograph copies of his book "Essential Manners for Men" at 2 p.m. in the Stratton Student Center. He is also co-author of "The Etiquette Advantage in Business."
The Charm School curriculum answers numerous etiquette-related questions, including: How do you ask for a date? Should you speak to strangers in an elevator? At what point in a job interview do you ask about salary? What do you say in a thank-you note for a gift you hate? Should you use a cell phone while walking down Newbury Street? Do you tip the mail carrier?
Classes are held from noon to 4 p.m. on the second and third floors of the Student Center. No pre-registration is required; students are free to choose from the many topics offered. The afternoon culminates in Commencement exercises in Lobdell Dining Room at the Student Center at 4:15 p.m., followed immediately by the Charm School Fashion Show at 4:30 p.m. in the same location. Bachelor of charm degrees are awarded for completing six subjects, master of charm degrees for eight, and Ch.D.s (Doctor of Charm) for 12 subjects. Transfer credits from skills learned elsewhere are not applicable.
The syndicated columnist, Miss Manners (Judith Martin), gave the Charm School Commencement address in 1995.
For more information, see the Charm School web site at http://web.mit.edu/slp/charm.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on January 14, 2004.
