If the event is extra credit, provide your students with the event information, including how to get tickets, and leave it to them. Some students may not be able to attend an event that happens on only one date/time, so be sure to offer extra credit across variety of dates/times or events.

If the event is required, there are two ways of organizing it:

1. See it “on your own.” Explain that students will need to attend the event on their own prior to a particular deadline, and list this requirement in your syllabus. In this way, the students are responsible for the material for class discussion and/or assignments in the same way that you require other material, like readings or viewing media. With this method, you do not need to purchase tickets for students but leave it up to them.
2. See it together. Explain that you will see the event together as a class on a particular date/time, and list this requirement in your syllabus. This is a good way to build class relationships, but be sure to make a contingency plan for any students who are not available for the scheduled date/time. For students who are unable to attend the scheduled date/time, either (A) inform students that they need to go to or call the box office to purchase tickets themselves or (B) purchase the tickets for your class in bulk and ask the student to buy their tickets through you. Option (A) sometimes results in students not getting tickets before the event sells out; Option (B) sometimes results in the instructor “eating” some of the tickets if students don’t show.