Jason Ku reflects on his time as MIT student, researcher, and lecturer
Ku: As for the transition to Course 6, when I got to grad school, I noticed that for every problem I wanted to tackle, I needed to be able to process a lot of data or be able to run a simulation. It’s not that the interesting things involved computer science, but I had to be able to use a computer to do my work.
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.
Danielle Geathers and Yu Jing 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.
Team 2020 offers five proposals for fall semester
Team 2020, a group of administrators and faculty tasked with planning the return to normal campus operations, has offered five proposals for Fall 2020 classes.
Reif and Barnhart provide updates on MIT summer plans
“All summer programming in which participants live in MIT residence halls will need to be virtualized, cancelled, or rescheduled,” while “all other summer programming will need to take place remotely” through June 28. Furthermore, “MIT-sponsored domestic and international travel is suspended for the entire summer.”
Flexible P/NR student forum held
Students raised concerns that the proposed policy may not adequately encourage exploration, as it will replace options such as Jr./Sr. P/D/F.
MIT town hall, elections, fall pre-registration postponed
A virtual MIT Town Hall will be held 4 p.m. EDT May 5.
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.
Community members build MIT campus in Minecraft
Shayna Ahteck ’23 wrote that there are “plans in the works to do comparative displays” or a virtual reality or mixed reality version of the map “to enhance our on-campus enjoyment of the buildings we usually occupy.”
UA presidential candidates discuss transparency, climate change, COVID-19, and CUP experiments in debate
Both candidates expressed concern over institutional memory and proposed increasing documentation on past conversations. Both candidates also said that having these records available to students is important.
Fall academic COVID-19 preparations discussed at faculty meeting
Vice Chancellor Ian Waitz presented several possibilities for the fall academic term during the April 22 faculty meeting, including remote teaching, in-person classes, socially-distant learning, or a hybrid scenario.
UA presidential debate, elections, Institute Committee applications
The UA presidential debate will be held 2 p.m. EDT April 25. Voting opens 12 p.m. EDT April 26 and closes 3 a.m. EDT May 2.
MIT organizes virtual CP★ for Class of 2024
Over 60 academic events and 200 student events have been scheduled for the Class of 2024. New additions to CP★ include the MITPal pen pal program and a CP★ Discord server hosted by the Student Information Processing Board (SIPB).
New Vassar opening delayed, BC may remain open for a semester
Vice President and Dean for Student Life Suzy Nelson wrote in an email to The Tech that “until we know more about the virus’s trajectory as well as the next steps with the City of Cambridge’s construction moratorium… it is premature to predict what will happen” with BC and New Vassar.