News Briefs
Bike racks on the south and east sides of the Student Center are being replaced today.
In Short
Institute Professor John M. Deutch ’61 was appointed to a federal intelligence panel on spy satellites, though the appointment was questioned by members of Congress. Deutch had served as Director of Central Intelligence from 1995–1996, and afterwards was found to have wrongly stored classified informaton on his unclassified computer systems, a serious security breach for which he ultimately received a presidential pardon.
Dining Reform Group Releases More Notes, Increases Student Say
The committee tasked with redesigning MIT’s dining system agreed to make more information public and increase student say at its first meeting since a consultants’ report to the committee was leaked two Saturdays ago.
NIH Pleads for Discretion, Hopes Grantees Hire Fast
The acting director of the National Institutes of Health begged university administrators on Wednesday to avoid even applying for stimulus money unless the universities planned to hire people almost immediately.
What Recession? Universities Can Pay Non-Presidents $1M+
While generous compensation packages for college presidents have come under increasing public scrutiny, other university employees often earn far more.
Deep Budget Cuts Are On the Way, Says Undergrad. Education Dean
MIT must focus on cost savings, Dean for Undergraduate Education Daniel E. Hastings ’78 said at last night’s Undergraduate Association Senate meeting.
No Suspects In Brazen Daylight Robberies On Campus
Two people were robbed in broad daylight on Sunday on the MIT campus, the MIT police reported yesterday.
Tuition and Inflation Over Time
Tuition & Fees During Year Beginning in Fall Percent Increase Tuition and Fees Consumer Price Index in December of Previous Year Inflation Rate(% Increase in the CPI) 2005 $32,300 4.87% 190.3 3.26% 2006 $33,600 4.02% 196.8 3.42% 2007 $34,986 4.13% 201.8 2.54% 2008 $36,390 4.01% 210.0 4.08% 2009 $37,782 3.83% 210.2 0.09%
Students Expect A’s As Default Grade, Even If They Just Attend Class
Prof. Marshall Grossman has come to expect complaints whenever he returns graded papers in his English classes at the University of Maryland.
In Wake of GIR Defeat, Back to Drawing Board
President Susan J. Hockfield announced at the faculty meeting on Wednesday that the motion to revise the General Institute Requirements had been defeated, eliminating any lingering uncertainties among faculty about whether the motion had passed by the required margin. Now, faculty and administrators have gone back to the drawing board to craft an improved plan for amending the GIRs.
MacGregor Dining Program Closed Due To High Costs
Because of inconsistent food quality, low attendance, and high costs, the MacGregor Dining Pilot Program ceased operations as of Tuesday. The program, which served dinner in MacGregor weekly, was instated to test the potential for a full-service dining hall in the dormitory. The program suffered from a $7500 deficit last semester in food and labor costs.
New Invention Gives People ‘Sixth Sense’
Ever wanted to be able to manipulate images on a computer the way Tom Cruise did in <i>Minority Report</i>? A new Media Lab invention, sixthsense, lets you do just that as it allows users to manipulate digital information with hand gestures.
Tuition Increase is Lowest in 8 Yrs, High Relative to Inflation
Chancellor Philip L. Clay PhD ’75 announced at Wednesday’s faculty meeting that tuition and fees will increase from $36,390 to $37,782 for the 2009-2010 academic year, marking the lowest percentage increase in eight years. But with respect to the inflation rate of 0.09% over the last year, the 3.83% increase in tuition represents a greater financial burden on families as an MIT education is now more expensive relative to family income.
Faculty, Staff Salaries Frozen
Faculty and staff salaries will be frozen next year for faculty making more than $125,000 a year and staff making more than $75,000 a year, President Susan J. Hockfield announced at Wednesday’s faculty meeting. MIT’s $10 billion endowment has lost 20 to 25 percent of its value, Hockfield said in a letter to the community sent yesterday.
Salary Freeze Announced for Faculty Earning Over $125k and Staff Earning Over $75k, Including MIT’s President
Faculty and staff salaries will be frozen next year for faculty making more than $125,000 a year and staff making more than $75,000 a year, President Susan J. Hockfield announced at Wednesday’s faculty meeting.
Leaked Dining Report Suggests Massive Dining Reforms, Mandatory Meal Plans
Mandatory meal plans, all-you-can-eat (AYCE) dining halls, and longer service hours have been proposed by a consulting firm tasked with suggesting a future dining strategy for MIT. The proposal also recommends expanding dining hall service to include breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Leaked Dining Proposal Prompts Student Response
Mandatory meal plans, all-you-can-eat dining halls, and longer service hours are some of the recommendations made in a consultant’s report for the future of MIT dining, which was leaked to dormitory e-mail lists this weekend. Several days earlier, student leaders had raised concerns that the proposal had been delivered to administrators but not to members of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Dining.
Overall Reaction Mixed, But Vocal Segment Opposes Meal Plan
Hastily-produced signs decorated the walls of the Infinite on Monday, highlighting phrases from a proposal to revamp dining that students found objectionable.
Text of Letter to Guest Columnist
The below letter was sent as an e-mail to Gila Fakterman, one of two authors of the Jan. 28, 2009 opinion column “Expecting More from an MIT Professor: How Prof. Chomsky’s Talk Failed the Community.”