New Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Advising and Mentoring launched
The committee was created in line with a proposal from Task Force 2021 and Beyond. Its main goal is to deliver a “strategic plan to guide policies and programs that would be implemented at MIT.”
MIT and Harvard to sell edX for $800 million
Through the transaction, edX’s assets will be transferred to a public benefit company owned by 2U while still maintaining its name, course offerings, partner arrangements, and users. edX will continue to offer its existing free courses and certificates at a fee under 2U.
First Generation/Low Income Working Group submits final report
The group divided into four subgroups beginning in January 2020: benchmarking; focus groups; data collection; and resources, services, and academic experiences.
Geathers and Chen re-elected as UA president and vice president in 2021 election
The UA presidential election and elections for all positions (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, social chair, and publicity chair) in the four Class Councils were uncontested.
MIT requires all faculty and staff to be vaccinated to work on campus
The email writes that the decision to require the vaccine was based on “understanding of the science behind the vaccines, their established safety and efficacy, and their wide availability across the state and country.”
MIT announces new climate action plan for the next decade
In order to accomplish this, MIT will introduce a new organizational structure in the plan that will “help amplify MIT’s voice, increase involvement across the community, and improve accountability,” Zuber said.
Juneteenth recognized as Institute holiday
Juneteenth has been adopted by MIT as an Institute holiday, effective this summer, President L. Rafael Reif wrote in an email to the MIT community May 5.
Proposal to increase first-year spring credit limit passed at May faculty meeting
Faculty then voted on the motion to increase the spring credit limit, which passed with 95 votes of yes and 12 votes of no.
Graduate student stipend rates to increase by 3.25%
Waitz, Schuetz, and Zuber wrote that there will be no change in housing rates while the price of MIT’s Student Extended Insurance Plan will decrease by approximately $180 for the upcoming academic year.
UA Council votes in favor of divestment in consensus decision
MIT Divest Co-Chair Arnav Patel ’21 and member Jess Cohen ’22 wrote in an email to The Tech that the Council’s decision “brings a lot of momentum to pushing the Institute to divest from the fossil fuel industry.”
MIT to apply for federal funding from Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
MIT estimates that at least 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students will “receive need-based financial support thanks to the” HEERF program.
Graduate students with US-based appointments expected to return by summer or fall
Some graduate students will be expected to return during the summer by June 1, while most will be expected to return for the fall by September 1.
Welcome to CP*, Class of 2025!
‘The Tech’ spoke with a few prefrosh about their prospective areas of study, what they look forward to at MIT, and what events stood out to them at CP*.
April faculty meeting discussion focuses on fall plans and first-year credit limit
MIT expects that many COVID-era restrictions will be lifted, but some may remain in place. “We don’t know to what extent, but testing, enhanced cleaning, physical distancing, and mask-wearing could be necessary,” Barnhart said.
MIT suspends SAT/ACT requirement for 2021–22 admissions cycle
First-year applicants applying in fall of 2021 and transfer applicants applying in either fall of 2021 or spring of 2022 will not be required to submit their scores for either test.
Provost forms Ad Hoc Committee on Arts, Culture, and DEI, charged by Reif
The committee will fulfill its charge by submitting recommendations to Schmidt by December 2021. Schmidt is “optimistic” that the committee’s work will “imagine new possibilities for artistic and cultural contributions to racial equity at MIT.”
Task Force 2021 and Beyond enters next phase, begins refining and planning to implement first phase proposals
The second phase of the task force will be carried out via 16 Refinement and Implementation Committees (RICs), which will each develop specific proposals and define implementation plans for the proposals.
Housing and Residential Services shares Fall 2021 housing processes
The housing preference forms for both rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors are open until April 9.
Faculty discuss climate action, credit limit, and underrepresented minority recruitment at March meeting
The CUP’s provisional recommendations for academic year 2022 are to make the fall credit 54 regular units plus six discovery units, to make the spring credit 60 regular units plus six discovery units, and to permanently end the practice of offering ESS
Pod programs suspended in Baker, Maseeh, New Vassar residence halls
Nelson and Stuopis wrote that “over 50 students” were involved in the gatherings or were pod mates of those involved in the gatherings.
MIT Student Worker Alliance organizes virtual rally for dining hall workers
The rally began with a series of student and dining worker speakers and ended in breakout rooms where students and workers discussed their experiences with racial discrimination or harassment at MIT.
DEI strategic plan, MIT-China relations, vaccine roll-out discussed at February faculty meeting
Provost Martin Schmidt PhD ’88, Vice President and General Counsel Mark Divincenzo, Vice President for Research Maria Zuber, Jamison, and Associate Provost for International Engagements Richard Lester provided updates on Professor Gang Chen’s legal case over allegations of federal grant fraud and resources for faculty considering international collaborations.
Local 26 files charges against Bon Appetit over warning issued to shop steward
The MIT Student Worker Alliance has organized a rally for dining workers that will take place on Feb. 22 over Zoom.
Graduate students must return to the US to maintain appointments, some exceptions allowed
The International Students Office wrote that this is in accordance with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) 5-Month Temporary Absence Rule, which was suspended for Spring and Summer 2020.
First-year international students advised to follow Institute guidance when registering for classes
First-year international students are advised to follow the Fall 2020 guidance on registering for in-person coursework determined by the International Students Office (ISO), according to a Feb. 8 email from Vice Chancellor Ian Waitz.
MIT granted permission to vaccinate extended MIT community
Stuopis and Waitz wrote that Massachusetts’ vaccination phase, as determined by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and “how regularly and in what volume” MIT receives doses from the state influence whether individuals can receive vaccinations.
54% of faculty survey respondents believe MIT should divest from fossil fuel companies
Those who responded that MIT should divest from fossil fuel companies named climate change as the primary reason.
Spring semester to proceed as planned, undergraduates to move in Feb. 13–15
Barnhart also wrote that MIT Medical will mail a pre-departure COVID-19 testing kit to eligible undergraduates in the U.S.
Community forum held to discuss College of Computing organizational structure
Huttenlocher expressed an intention to incorporate computing into other majors, so that students “don't even have to be in a blended major with Course 6 to learn the parts of computing [they] want to learn and understand the paths through curriculum at MIT to get [them] there.”
Task Force 2021 completes phase one, shares updates
Danheiser and Sarma wrote that Reif, “other Institute leadership, faculty governance, and other key stakeholders” will review the ideas and identify a “prioritized subset” of them to implement.
Spring grading also under A, B, C, D/NE, and F/NE system
Similar to Fall 2020, all students may choose one subject to be graded PE/NE, and sophomores may designate one subject as Exploratory.
First years, sophomores, and juniors invited back to campus for Spring 2021
According to an FAQ about the spring semester, housing assignments will be shared with students in “late November.” Students will be able to participate in the residential pod program with up to six pod members.
Spring semester delayed by two weeks, spring break canceled
Danheiser and Canavan added that spring break was removed “to avoid the usual travel away from MIT.” Six break days, consisting of two four-day weekends and two three-day weekends, have been designated instead.
New Title IX policy includes cross-examination during hearing, required by federal regulations
The new procedure, in compliance with federal regulations, requires that formal Title IX complaints be addressed in a live hearing, chaired by outside legal professionals and including cross-examinations of the complainant, respondent, and witnesses.
MIT presents reopening plans at Cambridge City Council committee meeting
Gallop described MIT’s plans as “cautious and conservative” and “aligned with guidance” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
MIT becomes only QuestBridge partner with non-binding admission
For all QuestBridge partners but MIT, students are required to attend their match school. The other three schools that had non-binding policies last year — Princeton, Stanford, and Yale — recently changed their policies to be binding.
Advanced Standing Exams and math diagnostic to be administered online using proctoring software
Fall ASEs and the math diagnostic typically take place on campus during orientation week. Rajagopal wrote that the decision to move the exam dates up was to ensure the start of the semester was “less hectic for students.”
New international students with F-1 visas cannot enter US for fully-online coursework
A DHS July 24 broadcast message writes that the March guidance “applies to nonimmigrant students who were actively enrolled at a U.S. school on March 9, 2020.” ISO interpreted the message and accompanying FAQ in its update for new international students.
Task Force 2021 and Beyond discusses its goals and organization during forum
Ironside said that the task force’s goal is to develop a “blueprint for a better and stronger” post-COVID-19 MIT “through broad community engagement and thorough analysis.” Reif added that the task force does not “wait for the future to happen to us” but instead hopes to “create the future we want for us.”
SAT/ACT requirement suspended for 2020–2021 admissions cycle
Schmill wrote that the decision to waive the testing requirements came after the College Board and ACT announced disruptions to their testing. Additionally, the admissions office considered the potential health consequences of taking the exams during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ICE and DHS agree to rescind July 6 directive on international students
Burroughs said that the rescission of the guidelines “moots” the temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction motion requested in MIT and Harvard’s lawsuit and will “preclude the enforcement” of the July 6 directive and its FAQ “on a nationwide basis.”
UA and GSC join amicus brief filed in DHS, ICE lawsuit
The brief writes that international students have “contributed immeasurably to the advancement of American higher education and to the American economy,” whose “participation has become an integral part of the American educational experience.”
MIT graduate students, Barnhart, and Waitz file declarations in lawsuit against DHS and ICE
Waitz wrote that since the July 6 ICE directive, “ISO has fielded hundreds of calls and emails from students” with concerns over their visa status, the state of their home country, class participation, financial loss, or “deferral or foregoing their academic programs.”
UA expresses disappointment in MIT’s Fall 2020 decision
The statement writes that the Institute’s fall decision does not match the contents of community feedback in charrettes, surveys, and the Team 2020 website, which “left many with a broad sense of what the fall would like.”
Reif sends email about fall decisions, including tuition information
In addition, MIT is “adjusting” the aid budget “to meet families’ increased financial needs. Revised financial aid awards will be made available “likely by mid-August,” according to an FAQ on MIT’s COVID-19 site.
MIT invites only seniors back to campus for Fall 2020
There will be a process for non-seniors to “request special consideration for housing” on a case-by-case basis through the Student Housing Assistance Review Process.
Fall pre-registration open for continuing students July 20 to Aug. 14
Callahan wrote that the deadline for students to select preferences for CI-H and CI-HW subjects will be July 31, and the deadline to complete fall pre-registration will be Aug. 14.
Results of remote learning and teaching surveys released
32% of student respondents “strongly” agreed that they would “rather take a semester off than try to do it via remote learning.” An additional 21% of respondents “somewhat” agreed with this statement.
Graduate students write letter to Trump in support of OPT and international students
The letter urged Trump to “maintain the OPT program and the STEM OPT extension in their entirety” citing that international students contributed nearly $45 billion and over 450,000 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2018-19 academic year.
Catholic chaplain resigns over email responding to Floyd killing
The Archdiocese wrote in its statement that Moloney’s “comments regarding the murder of George Floyd do not reflect the positions of the Archdiocese.” By resigning, Moloney “accepts the hurt” his comments “have caused.”
Reif shares preliminary fall decisions for undergraduates’ return to campus
MIT does not yet know how many undergraduates will be able to return to campus. Reif wrote that this decision “depends on several factors, some beyond our control,” such as the COVID-19 pandemic’s trajectory and government’s response.
Sixty percent or higher on math diagnostic is required to pass out of 18.01
“We found historically that some students who received a ‘5’ on the Calculus BC exam did not have a strong grip on the fundamentals — especially of pre-calculus material (algebra, logs, trigs, etc.) — to do as well as we would like in MIT subjects,” Barbara Peskin PhD ’90, academic administrator of the mathematics department, wrote in an email to The Tech.
Community members propose fall models during charrettes
Participants were given ten minutes to design a fall model with several constraints in mind. The constraints included the uncertainty of the pandemic trajectory and medical advances, measures taken to protect community health, space limitations of campus, most classes being remote, and community members’ willingness and reasons to return to campus.
MIT celebrates Class of 2020’s virtual commencement
Reif said that an in-person commencement will be held at MIT at “some safe point in the future.” He also said that digital diplomas have been delivered to students who requested them through the Blockcerts Wallet app.
UA Judicial Review Board to finalize bylaws after Spring 2020 election ruling
A complaint filed May 15 on behalf of the UA Council by UA President Danielle Geathers ’22, forwarded to The Tech, prompted the decision. The complaint called JudBoard to cease all activity and finalize its previously incomplete bylaws by May 29.
Two ‘mini’ town halls held with students to discuss fall scenarios
MIT Medical is “bumping up” its staff to be able to conduct contact tracing — which Stuopis called “the most critical public health offering that we have.”
Task Force 2021 charged to brainstorm ‘better’ post-COVID-19 MIT
Reif wrote in the task force opening charge that the task force will draw from “lessons” from the pandemic to help imagine MIT’s future. Some goals that Reif outlined for the Institute were to be safer and more efficient, sustainable, inclusive, equitable, affordable, and financially resilient.
MIT Student/Alumni Externship Program moves to CAPD
Geer wrote that CAPD is currently “exploring” what the application process for students will look like.
Discussions to update EC security continue
EC President Miana Smith ’21 wrote in an email to EC residents that HRS planned to implement security measures including cameras on external doors, an Allied Universal security desk, and guest lists of non-residents who can check into the security desk. According to Smith’s email, HRS had not previously discussed making these changes with EC’s residents or house team.
Cambridge residents required to cover mouth and nose in public places
New guidelines require MIT community members living in on-campus residential buildings to wear face coverings when entering any common area, including lobbies, hallways, elevators, stairwells, dining areas, laundry rooms, garages or parking lots, and walkways.
First case of COVID-19 confirmed in MIT community
MIT Medical is starting a public health investigation, including contacting the student, following up with their social circle “as warranted,” and “exchanging information with public health officials.”
MIT announces online commencement and future in-person celebration
Reif wrote that “in a world so disrupted by Covid-19,” it would not be possible to conduct the Institute’s traditional in-person commencement, hooding, and Tech Reunions this May.
‘The Tech’ writes on
Now more than ever, The Tech’s mission of maintaining an accurate record of MIT events and reporting on important changes has become essential in keeping our community informed and together, even as we spread across the globe.
My strange addiction: sorting emails
Everything changed when, one morning, instead of clicking the red ‘x’ at the corner of my screen to close my email, I right-clicked the email app icon and hit ‘quit.’
Burton Conner discusses transition in community meeting
BC President Sara Aaronson told The Tech that because BC culture is closely tied to its nine floors, “some are worried about losing physical access to people they’ve built strong ties to and are comfortable with” through the renewal.
Working group findings on graduate family support released
The working group’s final report includes findings from the Graduate Enrolled Student Survey showing that the top sources of stress for students with children are related to caring for family, cost of living, and household responsibilities.
Gotta go see ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’
The CG Sonic fits almost seamlessly in his more realistic environment and expresses his feelings of enthusiasm, frustration, and anger through convincing and life-like facial quirks.
Clothing-optionality moratorium instituted in all residence halls
The review of clothing-optionality in residence halls was prompted by recent incidents in East Campus.
EECS department restructures into three overlapping faculties
The report named the root cause of the problems with the department’s existing structure as “the binary characterization of faculty as either EE or CS.”
Prof. Jeffrey Grossman named new head of Department of Materials Science and Engineering
He aims for a “holistic” view, looking beyond classes and curriculum at “the entire experience when you’re here.”
EAPS community gathers at teach-in to discuss Shell donations to Green Building
Supran cited Shell’s donations to MIT and Chevron’s collaboration with Stanford as “the fossil fuel industry’s invisible colonization of academia.”
MIT Libraries support staff vote to unionize
Sixty members of the support staff voted in favor, while four voted against.
Preliminary unofficial results of Cambridge City Council election released
Incumbents Dennis J. Carlone, Alanna M. Mallon, Marc C. McGovern, E. Denise Simmons, Sumbul Siddiqui, Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., and Quinton Y. Zondervan SM ’95 were re-elected. Patricia M. Nolan and Jivan-Sobrinho-Wheeler were newly elected.
U.S. Department of Transportation holds groundbreaking ceremony for Volpe site
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) held a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 30 to celebrate the start of construction for the new John A. Volpe Transportation Systems Center in Kendall Square. The construction of the new facility is expected to be completed in 2023.
Students required to sign Inventions and Proprietary Information Agreement for UROP
Currently, students participating in UROPs that meet these conditions are required to sign the IPIA, but under the new policy, all students will be required to sign it during the UROP application process.
MIT groups collaborate to create community sustainability garden
UA Sustain, MIT’s Office of Sustainability, and MIT Ground Services collaborated to create The Hive, a sustainability garden located on Saxon Lawn near Walker Memorial. The garden is the product of a 2017 survey conducted by UA Sustain. According to the Office of Sustainability, the survey indicated great student interest in a community garden.
MIT Library workers campaign to unionize
If a majority of library workers vote to unionize, AFSCME would become the workers’ exclusive bargaining agent for pay, hours, and other conditions of employment.
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report released
The MIT Police Department released its Annual Security and Fire Safety Report Oct. 9. The report includes information about the Police Department’s operations, services, and resources, along with statistics regarding criminal and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) offenses, arrests and disciplinary referrals, hate crimes, and fire safety, from 2016 to 2018.
MIT economists win Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
Duflo, at 46, is the youngest person and the second woman to have ever won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
Green Building to undergo renovations
After the renovations, the Green Building will also house the Environmental Solutions Initiative and the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program.
Student forum about MIT-Epstein relations held with Reif, senior admin present
"I believe that together, we can find a way to transform so much pain for so many people into some enduring good for MIT,” Reif said at the student forum Tuesday.
Anne Hunter retires after 37 years as EECS undergraduate academic administrator
Hunter: I think the greatest challenge has been getting all the work done while counseling all the students who needed me to talk to them and explain things to them. They’re sort of two pulls: talking to students versus getting all the administrative stuff done.
#They Knew protesters rally against MIT’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
After the program of scheduled speakers ended, members of the crowd were also invited to speak in an open mic session, and about thirty minutes later, the protest culminated with a march to Reif’s office, where protesters delivered their signs and continued to voice their dissatisfaction with the Institute’s administration.
Literature minor introduces new film track
At most two of the classes, still with film analysis as the primary focus, can be taken in a section outside of literature. These non-literature classes can comprise, but are not limited to, film-related courses in comparative media studies, anthropology, global studies and language, and women’s and gender studies.
Eric Lander stands by denial of association with Epstein after photos surface
Lander wrote that he “briefly met” Epstein at two events in 2012 and did not meet with him again. Lander also wrote that he and the Broad have neither requested nor received any financial support from Epstein or his foundation.