Media Lab Open Agriculture Initiative closed over allegations of scientific misrepresentation and environmental harm
The New York Times reported in October that Zuber “halted OpenAg activities, pending completion of ongoing assessments.” The Initiative was already mostly closed prior to its complete termination in April.
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.
Commencement, summer registration, emergency summer housing
Virtual commencement will take place noon EDT May 29.
Graduate students to start returning to campus
Graduate students who are eligible to register for summer or fall 2020 and remain in housing beyond July 31 due to renewed housing licenses or on-campus housing assignment for the upcoming academic year may return to campus.
Ad Hoc Faculty Committee on Guidelines for Outside Engagements holds forum
Core values for outside engagements include transparency; being worthy of a good reputation; honesty and integrity; respect for community members and human rights; “promoting diversity, inclusion and equity”; “pursuing and advancing knowledge with scientific integrity”; and “educat[ing] and foster[ing] the advancement” of all community members.
IS&T makes Microsoft Teams available for MIT community
IS&T is making Microsoft Teams available to “help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and best support MIT community members as they engage in activities remotely.”
MIT Quality of Life Survey preliminary results released
71% of student respondents described their overall physical health as “excellent” or “good,” compared to 55% who described their mental health as such. When asked how many days in the past week they got enough sleep to feel rested, 20% of student and 32% of faculty and staff respondents indicated fewer than three days.
Departments discuss fall teaching scenarios
If only a portion of the student body is on campus, departments could offer “different classes for remote and in-person students with more emphasis on individual coaching and guest speakers for remote students.” Remote and in-person students could also be subject to different grading policies.
Preliminary results of COVID-related student surveys released
Only 26% of on-campus and 24% of off-campus undergraduate respondents “agree strongly” that they “feel like part of the community at MIT,” compared to 41% of respondents in the 2019 Undergraduate Enrolled Student Survey.
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” — by contacting those who have tested positive for the virus, discovering who they may have had contact with, testing those people, and asking those people to self-isolate.
Flexible P/NR policy approved in faculty meeting
The policy allows incoming undergraduates to retroactively designate up to 48 units as P/NR after the first semester and was first proposed by the Committee on the Undergraduate Program (CUP) in the March faculty meeting.
MIT creates working group in response to new Title IX regulations
“Unfortunately, the most pressing concerns cited by MIT and other institutions of higher education were not addressed” in the finalized regulations, Whittle and Dahleh wrote.
Jason Ku reflects on his time as MIT student, researcher, and lecturer
Ku: The impact that I hope I’ve had the most on MIT is through my work on 6.006 and making it a better class for people and a little more standard. We’ve cut down on some material that probably shouldn’t have been there in the first place and expanded [the class] to teach material that I think is much more useful.
Reif leads second town hall to discuss plans for continuity and reopening campus
Topics covered included evolving knowledge about COVID-19, academic preparations for the fall, staffing, residential continuity, and reopening campus research.
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.
Geathers, Chen discuss increasing diversity, prioritizing student concerns, and responding to COVID-19
Geathers: We all want to solve the same problem at MIT, and the creation of the Diversity Council will really get the leaders of these organizations to the table.
MIT Student/Alumni Externship Program moves to CAPD
Geer wrote that CAPD is currently “exploring” what the application process for students will look like.
Digital diplomas to be issued during online commencement
The Registrar’s Office “will be in touch about the distribution of physical diplomas when additional information is available,” Trachy wrote.
Last day of classes, final exams, virtual commencement
The last day of classes is May 12.
Geathers and Chen elected UA president and vice president
Fiona Chen ’21 and Yara Komaiha ’21 also ran for president and vice president respectively in the first contested UA presidential election since 2017.