MIT
Reports to the President 1994-95
The Secretary of the Corporation serves as the Corporation's Recording Officer
and as joint signatory with the President in the awarding of academic degrees.
The Office of the Secretary of the Corporation is responsible primarily for
providing support to the Institute's governing board and twenty-six Corporation
visiting committees.
On October 6, 1994, an orientation program was held for new members of the
Corporation. In the evening, new members and their spouses and guests were
joined by the Executive and Membership Committees for a reception and dinner.
At the annual meeting on October 7, 1994, new members were introduced. The
Corporation approved the action of the President in the awarding of September
degrees and the establishment of a new Master of Engineering degree in Ocean
Engineering. Memorial resolutions were presented in honor of W. Beverly Murphy
and Julius A. Stratton. A resolution was also presented in honor of Glenn P.
Strehle for his service as Vice President for Resource Development from 1986
until June 1994. Members heard reports from the President; Treasurer; Vice
President for Resource Development; and from the chairs of the Auditing
Committee, Membership Committee, Salary Subcommittee of the Executive
Committee, and three visiting committees. Academic Council, faculty from the
Biology Department, and members of the committee that had planned the Norbert
Wiener Centennial Symposium joined the Corporation members and their spouses
and guests for lunch. In the afternoon, members and their spouses and guests
were invited to the dedication ceremonies for the new Biology Building.
On December 2, 1994, thirteen former Corporation members attended the meeting
as observers. Ronald A. Kurtz was elected to complete the term of the late
Donald J. Atwood. The Corporation approved a new Master of Engineering degree
in Aeronautics and Astronautics and in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Memorial resolutions were presented in honor of President Emeritus Jerome B.
Wiesner. Resolutions were also presented in honor of the conferral on Clifford
G. Shull, professor emeritus of Physics, of the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Professor Shull spoke briefly on the nature of his research and on his career
as a scientist and teacher at MIT. Mitchell W. Spellman transferred to the
status of Life Member Emeritus. Members heard reports from the President and
the chairs of the Membership Committee, MIT Community Service Fund, and four
visiting committees. Presentations on reengineering efforts underway at the
Institute were given by William R. Dickson, Senior Vice President; Katherine R.
Cochrane, Special Assistant to the Senior Vice President; and Diane M. Devlin,
Assistant Director for Purchasing. In the afternoon, members and their spouses
and guests were invited to attend the memorial service for Dr. Wiesner.
On March 3, 1995, the Corporation approved the action of the President in the
awarding of February degrees. D. Reid Weedon, Jr., and David S. Saxon
transferred to the status of Life Member Emeritus. (With the transfer, Dr.
Saxon's title changed from Honorary Chairman to Former Chairman of the
Corporation.) Reports were presented by the President and the chairs of the
Membership Committee, Screening Committee, Corporation Joint Advisory Committee
on Institute-Wide Affairs, and two visiting committees.
The quarterly meeting was held on June 9, 1995, prior to the Commencement
exercises. Memorial resolutions were presented in honor of Treasurer Emeritus
Joseph J. Snyder. A resolution was also presented in honor of the retiring
members. Colby H. Chandler and Carl M. Mueller transferred to the status of
Life Member Emeritus. The Corporation approved the awarding of June degrees
and elected new members. Members heard reports from the President and the
chairs of the Membership Committee, Screening Committee, and two visiting
committees. Retiring Chair of the Faculty, Professor Robert L. Jaffe, made
brief remarks on his two-year tenure. Departing Provost Mark S. Wrighton made
brief remarks following a tribute by the President. R. Gary Schweikhardt
presented Provost Wrighton with honorary membership in the MIT Association of
Alumni and Alumnae.
Jerome H. Grossman, George M. Keller, Edward H. Linde, Bernard Loyd, and Harris
Weinstein.
Shirley A. Jackson, Life Member, was granted a leave of absence for government
service.
Denis A. Bovin, John K. Castle, Arthur Gelb, Barbara A. Gilchrest, John M.
Hennessy,
Mark E. Lundstrom, Hajime Mitarai, Antonia D. Schuman, and R.
Gary Schweikhardt.
Ronald A. Kurtz
Samuel W. Bodman and James A. Levitan.
Karen W. Arenson, 1995-96 President of the MIT Association of Alumni and
Alumnae.
Mitchell W. Spellman (December 1994); David S. Saxon and D. Reid Weedon, Jr.
(March 1995); and Colby H. Chandler and Carl M. Mueller (June 1995).
Jerome B. Wiesner, October 21, 1994
Joseph J. Snyder, February 28, 1995
Thomas D. Cabot, June 8, 1995
D. Reid Weedon, Jr., continued as Chair, with Vice President and Treasurer
Glenn P. Strehle serving as an ex officio member. The committee
membership included Senior Vice President William R. Dickson as well as faculty
and students. Elizabeth T. Harding provided staff support.
The committee met once on April 24, 1995, and conducted one telephone poll on
April 14, 1995. Members voted on 34 resolutions submitted to 19 companies whose
stocks are held by MIT in its general investments. Issues included smoking and
tobacco, the environment, equal opportunity, and human rights in the United
States and abroad. Com-pared to 1994, the number of resolutions decreased by
one, and the number of companies involved decreased by four.
Meetings were held on October 6, 1994, and March 2, 1995. Attendees at each
meeting included Auditing Committee members; MIT's independent public
accountants, Coopers & Lybrand; and invited members of the MIT
administration.
Financial statements for fiscal year 1994 and a report on recent audit
developments were discussed at the fall meeting. At the spring meeting, there
was a review by the MIT Audit Division of its current plans and prior year
accomplishments; Coopers & Lybrand presented its audit plan for fiscal year
1995; and the committee reviewed draft financial statements to comply with two
major new accounting standards, FAS 116 and FAS 117 (relating to accounting for
contributions and financial statement presentation respectively).
During the academic year 1994-95, CJAC held four meetings. The committee
issued a report in March that summarized a series of focus group meetings it
had convened in 1993-94 with African-American students and faculty. The report
contained a number of findings and recommendations, and it included detailed
appendices summarizing the discussions with each focus group. The report was
distributed to the Corporation, to the students and faculty who participated in
the group discussions, and to appropriate administrators and offices at MIT.
The report's primary conclusion was that the quality of mentoring and
counseling programs - which greatly influence the recruitment and retention of
minority students and faculty - should be improved.
This committee is covered in the annual report of the Vice President and
Treasurer.
During the past year the Executive Committee held ten meetings. Its agenda
covered all of the Institute's important decisions and deliberations. Notable
topics included changes in the senior level administration; relations with the
federal government and industry regarding support for MIT and for research
universities in general; and the Institute's planning, budget, and
reengineering activities.
The Investment Committee held three regularly scheduled meetings during fiscal
year 1995. The Wellington Management Company of Boston remained the primary
investment manager and advisor for publicly traded securities, both domestic
and international. The Institute continued the program (managed by three other
investment management firms) of equity investments in smaller capitalization
companies. In addition, the program for domestic and international alternative
investments to publicly traded securities was continued. These alternative
investments - including venture capital, private capital, and real estate - are
typically managed by several investment managers through pooled investment
funds.
The Membership Committee held three meetings during the academic year to
discuss substantive membership matters.
The Corporation Screening Committee for Nomination of Recent Graduates held an
open meeting for students on October 6, 1994. Two teleconferences and two
committee meetings were held in January and February. The committee chose a
ballot of ten nominees from a group of 65 candidates (42 of whom returned a
second, more detailed nomination form requested by the committee). Mark E.
Lundstrom `91 won the nomination and was elected to serve a five-year term on
the Corporation.
During the academic year 1994-95, thirteen visiting committees convened:
Aeronautics and Astronautics; Biology; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Chemical
Engineering; Chemistry; Economics; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science;
Humanities; Libraries; Music and Theater Arts; Ocean Engineering; Political
Science; and Undergraduate Education and Student Affairs.
This year marked the first meeting of the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Visiting
Committee since the department's move administratively from Whitaker College to
the School of Science.
In 1994-95 the Institute's 26 visiting committees were comprised of 390 persons
and 462 membership positions: 61 Corporation members filled 129 slots; 176
presidential nominees filled 180 slots; 153 alumni nominees filled 153 slots.
(One person filled both a presidential nominee slot and an alumni nominee
slot.) The membership included 18 percent women and 11 percent minorities; 59
percent of the members were affiliated with corporations, 33 percent with
academia, 5 percent with government, and 3 percent with foundations.
Following a maternity leave, Lois A. Graham, Associate Secretary, reduced her
hours to part-time, effective November 1994. Katharine H. Brickle became a
part-time Administrative Assistant to the Chairman, effective June 1995.
Kathryn A. Willmore
MIT
Reports to the President 1994-95