MIT Reports to the President 1997-98
During the past year, the Office of the Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education (ODSUE) has achieved an organizational structure that is both stable and flexible. Major leadership positions have been filled: Marilee Jones as Dean of Admissions, Christopher Pratt as Director of the Office of Career Services and Preprofessional Advising, and Mary Callahan as Registrar and Codirector, with Peggy Enders, of the Academic Services Office. The structure of the offices comprising ODSUE has been clarified with the appointments of Andrew Eisenmann as head of the Residential Life Office, Larry Maguire as Head of the MIT Card Office, Phil Walsh as head of the Office of Campus Dining (in addition to his position as head of the Campus Activities Complex), and Carolyn Bunker as head of Student Financial Services. At the same time, the lateral connections within ODSUE have been nurtured. The Student Services Center continues to strengthen the connections between academic and financial services, while MIT Student Information Services, directed by Robert Rippcondi, provides a common source of support and development for computer technology. An ODSUE administrative team is being assembled around two key appointments: Deborah Fairchild as Special Assistant to the Dean for Finance, and Sharon Bridburg as Special Assistant to the Dean for Personnel. During the spring they collaborated with Rippcondi, Richard Brewer, Mary Callahan, and David Weber to propose an ODSUE administrative structure that will balance a robust common planning process with reliance upon decentralized networks of local experts for many administrative functions. During the coming months, the emerging administrative team will interact intensively with the heads of ODSUE's offices to refine and implement this plan.
As a result of all these organizational steps, Student Services Reengineering is now fully integrated with the ongoing work of ODSUE. Reengineering affinity teams have been absorbed by the common administrative networks, while the activities of special project teams have been folded into the ongoing work of various offices. The principles of Student Services Reengineering -- unrelenting attention to improved service, equally unrelenting attention to reduced costs, reliance on measurable performance criteria, and coordination of work across the range of ODSUE activities -- are being pursued within existing organizational structures, with clear lines of accountability and authority.
In a normal year, the successful integration of ODSUE would be the focus of this report, and the cause of some degree of self-congratulation. This has not been a normal year, however, and we in ODSUE cannot afford to dwell on our organizational accomplishments when more substantial challenges lie directly before us. While ODSUE's organizational changes have been proceeding, they have been crosscut and often disrupted by much less predictable, much more powerful currents of cultural change.
During the past academic year, MIT suffered six student deaths. Each gave rise to shock, grief, and questioning. However, the particular circumstances of the death of Scott Krueger on September 29 -- he was a freshman, living in a Boston fraternity, who consumed too much alcohol in a fraternity-related event -- led to great attention beyond MIT (from the media, courts, governmental agencies, and other educational institutions, among others) and to even greater attention from all quarters of the MIT community (undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni/ae). For us at MIT, Scott Krueger's death, forcefully revived debates about student orientation, housing selection, alcohol policies, and student social life that have been discussed repeatedly in recent years. The underlying issues are deep, involving as they do fundamental questions about the role of residential experience in an MIT education, the interaction between academic and social life, the relationship between undergraduate students and other members of the MIT community, and the balance between individual and institutional accountability.
These are the kinds of issues raised with the ODSUE visiting committee when it met with us in early March. Its visit came only 11 months after its first review of the newly created dean's office in the spring of 1997. At that time, committee members had felt that so much was happening in ODSUE that they should not wait for the usual two-year interval to return. They could hardly have imagined that the topics they would be reviewing would involve not only major organizational changes, but also fundamental principles of MIT's residential education. As the committee's 1998 report indicates, within ODSUE we have come far in attaining equilibrium and self-understanding. During the coming year, or more likely years, ODSUE must provide support and leadership so MIT as a whole can work through some major transitions and arrive at a new equilibrium and level of self-understanding of itself as a learning community.
The Admissions Office has had a successful year during a period marked by uncertainty and an increasingly competitive marketplace. Two main changes have affected the context of our work. First, Admissions has a new Dean and now works within the larger environment of ODSUE. This requires us to be more visible within MIT as well as to be more cooperative across offices. Second, the competitive nature of our business has increased substantially with the change in Princeton's financial aid policies. On the basis of this competitive challenge, MIT responded by lowering the self-help by $1,000 and establishing a task force to investigate the effect of financial aid on enrollment patterns.
UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS
Our freshman applications were up 5% to a record high of 8250. Much of that increase was reflected in Early Action applications, up 10% over the previous year's record number. Most of our competitor schools saw no growth or even a decrease in their applications during the same period. Due to our recruitment work with minorities, women and the top academicians, we admitted and will enroll a record number of all three cohorts: the freshman class will be made up of 17% minorities, 43% women and 6% academic superstars. The class will include citizens of 47 states and 50 countries. Other significant statistics from undergraduate admissions are as follows:
EDUCATIONAL COUNSELORS
NEW INITIATIVES
GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
Graduate applications were down 5% from 12,785 in `97 to 12, 098 for entrance `98. The yield for admits is up, however, from 51% last year to 53%.
NEW INITIATIVES
The graduate admissions database has been redesigned in cooperation with ODSUE-IT and tested by a pilot group of 7 departments. It will be fully operational for the Spring, 1999 graduate admissions cycle. This client server system will provide:
This new system will:
Marilee Jones
The Department is dedicated to providing "adaptable, high-quality, student-oriented physical education, athletics, recreation and intramural programs that encourage opportunities for participation, competition, confidence, and leadership while enhancing the MIT athletics and health fitness environment for the entire MIT community."
The Department's association with other units in the Dean's Office is proving to enhance the quality of education experiences for student-life and learning, and community services at MIT. The Department's reporting relationship is to Professor Rosalind Williams, Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AUDIT FOR 1998
The Department hosted its bi-annual Visiting Committee May 4-5. The Committee saw a Power Point presentation which showed progress made on the 1996 Visiting Committee recommendations, the MIT Athletics Story (with videos), the Central Athletic Facility 12 point plan, and identification of the challenges facing the Department in the areas of facilities, personnel and budget/programs. Separate roundtable discussions were held with students and with faculty/coaches. The sports of women's ice hockey, women's indoor track & field, and men's ice hockey were recommended for elevation to varsity status.
Several personnel changes were put in place to support the leadership of the Department. Associate Professor Candace Royer was named Director of Physical Education and Associate Department Head. John Benedick, accepted a promotion from Associate Professor/Coach to Assistant Athletics Director. Associate Professor Jean Heiney assumed the duties of Senior Women's Administrator and Intercollegiate Scheduling Coordinator. Larry Anderson, was named Director of Club Sports, and Mayrene Earle was named Associate Director of the Pierce Boathouse. Cheryl Eccles was hired from the Chemistry Department to serve as Administrative Officer for Business Affairs. She is assisted by Greg Algarin-Marquez. Carol Matsuzaki `96 replaced Merrilee Keller at mid-year as Women's Tennis Coach, and was supported in her J.B.Carr Indoor Tennis management by Barbara Wiget. Leaves of absence were granted to Assistant Professor/Coach Halston Taylor (to work with ODSUE), Assistant Professor/Coach Mary Ellen McLaughlin (maternity), Instructor/Coach Joe Quinn (medical), and Associate Professor Gordon Kelly (sabbatical). Kimberly Goulding resigned from her position as Athletic Trainer in December (marriage). Dance instructor Stephan Driscoll's resignation will be a significant loss to the physical education program.
Serious searches for full-time coaches resulted in the hiring of three persons. MacDaniel Singleton was named Assistant Professor/Coach of Baseball, Melissa Hart was hired as Instructor/Coach of Women's Soccer and Basketball, and Mary Ellen McLaughlin, was selected as Assistant Professor/Coach of Men's/Women's Swimming. The Department was unsuccessful identifying qualified candidates for the position of coach of Women's Volleyball/Softball which resulted in part-time head coach utilization in those sports (Paul Dill-Volleyball and George Rollins -Softball). Additional part-time new hires were in Men's/Women's Pistol (John Holland), Men's Golf (Kenneth Bellerose), Men's Water Polo (Jeff Ma `96), and Men's/Women's Nordic Skiing (Jessie Donovan). Richard MacKenzie was named interim Men's Cross Country/Men's Track & Field coach filling in for Halston Taylor (leave of absence).
In continuing interest in the upgrading of all facilities, the Institute has made a $40 million commitment toward the development of the Central Athletics Facility that includes a 50 meter swimming pool, Health Fitness center, Sports Medicine facility, additional locker rooms, and other projected venues. During the Summer of 1997 the existing Health Fitness Center was renovated thanks to a generous financial commitment from Paul Rudovsky `66. Repair has begun on the west wall of the du Pont Gymnasium to reinforce crumbling masonry. The Steinbrenner and Johnson Center tracks were repaired and relined. Tarpaulins were purchased for the baseball and softball fields, and the softball infield was "skinned" to provide a 100% dirt surface. The strength of town and gown relationships continue to be reinforced as MIT hosted over 30 outside events in Athletics Department spaces.
Sale of Athletics Cards climbed nearly 11% during this fiscal year to 8,327, as computerized systems were refined to enhance the ease with which cards could be purchased. A stronger monitoring program was implemented to restrict facility use to valid card-holders.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
After 14 years as Director of Physical Education, Associate Professor Gordon Kelly stepped down from the position. During his tenure, Physical Education class offerings were greatly expanded. Professor Kelly will remain in the Department providing expertise as a senior member of the teaching staff.
Registrations for 1997-98 were 7,507, which is 757 lower than in 1996-97. Explanations include leaves of absence for three staff members, restructuring of some positions which required reductions in class assignments for three faculty-coaches and one faculty member, and a reduction in number of sections offered due to reduced demand in select activities.
In 1998, following in the successful footsteps of the Athena-based registration lottery system (PELOTT), the Department in collaboration with ODSUE will implement a new WWW-based registration system. This format will permit students to register for their physical education classes "on-line" from anywhere in the world.
INTRAMURALS AND CLUB SPORTS
Intramural participation increased slightly as 8,841 students representing 796 teams (down from 812 in 1996-97) exhibited their loyalties in competing for their dormitory floors or fraternity houses in 17 activities.
Club Sports program needs were analyzed and financial support guidelines were established and implemented, resulting in more equitable distribution of funding. Of the 43 programs registered this year, 17 competing Club Sports received financial assistance. Participation figures were up 3% from 1996-97, and 40% of participants were women (up 4%).
STUDENT-ATHLETE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The actual number of outstanding performances by our student-athletes are too great in number to comprehensively mention in this document. Highlights of the 1997-98 academic year, however, are as follows:
SELECT FISCAL YEAR 1999 PLANNING OBJECTIVES
More information about the Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation Department can be found on the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://web.mit.edu/athletics/www/index.html
Richard A. Hill
The mission of the Bursar's Office is to gather, bill, and collect tuition and related fees; to disburse, bill and collect student, parent and staff loans; and to counsel students, parents, and alumni on payment options, indebtedness, and financial management.
MIT continued its participation in the federal William D. Ford Direct Stafford Loan Program. During the fiscal year we disbursed $17,776,700 of federal money to students who value the program because the process is efficient.
Student loans receivable totaled $71,656,567 at year-end. These notes were funded by $16,321,500 of MIT loan funds established by friends and alumni of the Institute; $32,770,350 of federal funds in support of the Perkins Loan Program; and $23,000,000 borrowed from Bank Boston.
In 1997, MIT's cohort default rate on Perkins/National Direct Student Loans was 6%.
Student tuition, fees and other charges increased by 4.5% to $266,211,495. There were 1,332,820 transactions to the student accounts receivable system. Income from late payment fees was $256,455; income from finance charges was $191,300.
There were 162 active Parent Loan Plan (PLP) accounts. A total of $1,722,613 was disbursed during the year and $1,591,863 in principal was collected. The PLP receivable at the end of the fiscal year was $2,026,066.
In addition to our regular services, this past year we have:
Cheryl Baranauskas, Mary Barry, Dwayne Daughtry, Sarah Hernandez, Erin McCoy, and Mary Murray transferred to the Student Services Center when it opened in August. Shawn Dunn transferred to ODSUE IT as part of the reorganization of student services. Sandra Chauncey,Carlene Chisom-Freeman, and Barbara Johnson accepted positions as team leaders in Student Financial Services, the new organization formed by the reorganization of the Bursar's Office and Student Financial Aid Office.
More information about this department can be found on the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://web.mit.edu/bursar/
Carolyn Bunker
The mission and purpose of the Campus Activities Complex (CAC) is to be the center of campus life for students, faculty, staff, alumni/ae, retirees, and guests. Through its programs, services, and facilities, it offers educational, recreational, and social opportunities for both community interaction and the exchange of ideas, concerns, and interests. With the support of its affiliated volunteer organizations and the CAC Advisory Board, the department strives to foster individual growth and build community spirit.
Now in its second year as part of the Office of the Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education (ODSUE), the Campus Activities Complex (CAC) has had new opportunities to further realize its mission. CAC has established vital links and affiliations that have enabled both the CAC and other Student Life departments, including Residence and Campus Activities (RCA) and the MIT Card, Housing, and Food Services (HFS), to better serve the MIT community through the improvement of services, programs, and operations. A new phase of major renovations to CAC facilities has begun, and the office has developed a new Community Programs and Services function. This year has also concluded the final planning phases and the commencement of the implementation of both the new Office of Campus Dining and the Scheduling and Event Management System.
THE CHAPLAINCY
The Programs housed in W-11 (or W-heaven as some now call it) continue to serve the MIT community well despite the turnover in Chaplains. Sister Mary Karen Powers left the Catholic chaplaincy in the fall of 1997 following heart surgery to return home to Kentucky. She will be replaced in the fall of 1998 by Sister Kathleen Crowley who comes to MIT after a very successful tenure at Salem State College. Bob Sawyer has taken new responsibilities for Campus Crusade for Christ and a replacement has not been named. Mr. Suheil Laher has been appointed Associate Chaplain serving the Muslim Community, and Dr. Cyrus Mehta has joined the chaplaincy to continue his work with Hindu students and those whose tradition is Zoroastrian.
The chaplaincy at MIT continues to model a vigorous interfaith program made possible by strong cooperative bonds tying groups to one another. This is illustrated by the role MIT has taken in developing an interfaith calendar offering the holy days of twenty different religious groups and produced and distributed under the aegis of MIT, Harvard, and Wellesley College. This project gives the dates of the holidays of the world's major and minor faiths and information on the particular demands of each day for the faithful. The pamphlet is designed to be a resource for the next three years as faculty and staff plan meetings, schedule exams and other university exercises. At the same time the publication of this information testifies to the religious diversity on our campuses. Available this fall and produced on a three year cycle, the interfaith calendars may be used by other colleges or universities.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
Organizational changes were made in order to effectively respond to increased needs to build and support community at MIT. The CAC Programs area and the Office of Special Community Services have been functionally aligned in order to provide a more broad-based programming unit that is responsive to the whole MIT community, from students, faculty, and staff to MIT's alumni/ae, and retirees. As well,
CAC began supporting Talbot House and the Awards Convocation, enabling RCA to focus on providing more cohesive support for student activities.
This year's Awards Convocation exemplified the MIT community's support for the program, as both the number of nominations and the attendance at the ceremony increased. Michael Bryzek '00 was honored as the first recipient of the Priscilla King Gray Award for Public Service. The Talbot House facility in Vermont underwent several major improvements including the installation of a fire protection system and a new roof. The House's local area caretaker, Robert Holden, retired after 30 years of service to the MIT community.
ARTS AND RECREATION
The Student Art Association (SAA) again reached capacity enrollment of 1,090 students. The SAA is in the process of developing the capability for digital photography, for which space has been designated. The Wiesner Student Art Gallery exhibited a variety of student art work, including photography, Chinese painting, ceramics, and woodwork. Works of the winners of the List Fellowships and the Schnitzer Prizes in the Visual Arts highlighted the exhibition season. Currently on display in the Gallery is the first annual show of photographs from the SAA.
With 191 new student members, the Hobby Shop's membership reached 360. Members, which include students, alumni, faculty, staff, and their spouses, engaged in a broad range of individual projects such as a telescope, an ergonomic computer desk, and a decoupage screen. The Shop was also utilized for students' academic projects, including the Stagecraft, Woodwork Seminar SP.751, Music of Africa, several UROP's, and both undergraduate and graduate theses in mechanical engineering. Once again, the Shop provided instruction and facilities to Phi Delta Theta in their annual effort to build several hundred toys for needy children as part of the Public Service Center's Giving Tree project. This year, the fraternity was honored with the James R. Killian, Jr. Community Service Award, as part of the Awards Convocation. The position of chair of the Hobby Shop Committee was assumed by Professor Alexander Slocum.
PROGRAM AND ADVISORY BOARDS
The CAC Advisory Board, chaired by Theresa Raine `98, selected several community issues to address over the course of the year. Identifying the Stratton Student Center Reading Room as an area requiring renovation, the Board began to develop a plan to improve the facility and its program. Following conversations with the Class of `98, the Reading Room renovation has been selected as the 1998 class gift. Members of the Board also represented the MIT community on the selection committees for several open CAC staff positions and on the committee overseeing the renovation of Kresge Auditorium. Additionally, the Board assisted various members of the CAC staff in improving their programs and services, including this year's financial operations marketing survey and the further development of the CAC Program Board.
In its second year, under the leadership of Jason Dailey `99, the CAC Program Board concentrated its efforts on responding to the community's need for increased alcohol-free social programming. Its efforts resulted in the sponsoring or co-sponsoring of several weekend parties and entertainers and in the strengthening of the Spring Weekend Committee, co-chaired by the Board's Christine Hartmann `98 and the Undergraduate Association's Stuart Jackson `00. The second annual "Take Your Professor to Lunch" Week saw an increase in both faculty and student participation and community business sponsorship. Finally, through the Games Tournament, three students placed regionally and competed nationally in the Association of College Unions International table tennis tournament.
SPECIAL COMMUNITY SERVICES
The Office of Special Community Services (OSCS) is responsible for augmenting MIT employees' quality of life by helping to meet their work/life needs through the provision of a wide range of community programs and services. OSCS is pleased to announce that this year's annual United Way Campaign, under co-chairs Professor Travis Merritt and Physical Plant's William Wohlfarth, surpassed its goal of $315,000. The MIT Activities Committee (MITAC), co-convened by Muriel Petranic from MIT's campus and Michael Clifford from Lincoln Laboratory, organized more than 80 events for approximately 4,700 members of the community. One of MITAC's highlights was its participation in WGBH's Membership Telethon Drive, which not only increased membership for WGBH, but also developed MIT community team spirit.
The Association of MIT Retirees, co-chaired by Dorothy Bowe and Walter Milne, provided a variety of programs and volunteer efforts, including: publication of the annual membership directory with 850 listings; creation of the "Senior Focus" newsletter; appointment of a retiree to the MIT Medical Advisory Board; and assistance to MIT service projects, such as assembling 11,000 packets for distribution by the Community Service Fund. In addition, the Association accepted responsibility for the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Travel Program after the MIT-Cambridge AARP Chapter #2893 disbanded in the Fall. Under the leadership of James Fandel, the Quarter Century Club (QCC), inducted 119 new members to bring its membership roster to over 2,800. In honor of MIT's retiring Senior Vice President, the QCC established the William R. Dickson Retiree Education Fund to assist retirees in pursuing their educational goals. At the annual President's Retirement Dinner, 55 retiring members of the MIT community were honored.
FACILITY AND EVENT OPERATIONS
CAC operations staff were available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide event planning, support, and supervision to more than 12,750 events across MIT's campus, with a combined attendance of over 600,000 people. In addition, CAC was responsible for coordinating the operational and logistical aspects of many of the Institute's major events, including the Infinite Buffet, Innovation Summit, Commencement and Tech Days, Residence/Orientation, William R. Dickson's Retirement Event, Spring Weekend, Building 20 Remembered, the ILP Research Director's Conference, the Massachusetts State Science Fair, and the ceremony to commemorate the relaunch of the Technology Review magazine.
CAC continued to maintain and service the Stratton Student Center, Walker Memorial, the MIT Chapel, the Religious Activities Center, Kresge Auditorium, and Tang Center, which house many stores, services, multipurpose facilities, and departmental and student organization offices. Lighting and seating in common areas was upgraded to better serve the recreational and educational needs of students. In addition, facility use evaluation and planning continued in an effort to more effectively use limited space in meeting the needs of the MIT community. Ongoing safety and health standards efforts also continued, with a particular focus on aiding student organizations with dark rooms and printing processes in maintaining standards as part of the site visit by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Working with RCA and other departments, CAC further developed the event planning process at MIT which included improving communication with the Registrar's Schedules Office through their participation in weekly event reviews and streamlining the Event Registration Process to encourage more on campus events. Efforts to provide more centralized services for student organizations continued, including the expansion of the Student Center student activity office key distribution system to include Walker Memorial.
FACILITY RENOVATION
The first phase of the Kresge Renovation project, focusing on ADA and life safety issues, was begun. The lighting and sound systems are being upgraded, new seating is being placed into the main auditorium, and all necessary renovation to meet ADA compliance will be completed. This phase of the renovation will stop on August 8, 1998 and then be completed during IAP 1999. Efforts have been ongoing to plan and identify funding for the second phase of the project, which will include mechanical system and audiovisual upgrades, as well as renovations to the MIT Chapel.
With the closing of Building 20, plans were made to move OSCS to the more central location of Walker Memorial. Space in the lower lobby was renovated to house its staff and programs. The renovation included the creation of a conference room which will be available for use by both OSCS and the several student organizations with offices in Walker.
SCHEDULING AND EVENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROJECT
The Co-curricular Implementation (CCI) Team has completed the review of the Scheduling and Event Management System and selected the Dean Evans Event Management System (EMS) software package. The new system will fulfill the scheduling needs of both the Campus Activities Complex and the Athletics Department. This unified system will enable the two departments to maximize the schedulable facilities and provide improved customer support. In addition, EMS has the capability to link with MITSIS and to facilitate the event registration process utilized by the Campus Police, Conference Services, and RCA.
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL OPERATIONS
CAC's administrative and financial area concentrated its efforts on the implementation of SAP, the integration of financial reporting with other areas of ODSUE, and the further development of CAC's Business Enterprise Program. This year, the Student Center's portfolio of retail tenants maintained full occupancy; with three tenants submitting their notice of non-renewal for the upcoming fiscal year. In March, with the volunteer assistance of students participating in the Alternate Spring Break program, a marketing survey was conducted to assess the shopping patterns and needs of the MIT Community. The information gathered will better enable CAC to provide a proper mix of retail services in the Stratton Student Center and will inform current efforts through community outreach and MIT Real Estate to identify new tenants.
BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM
This was the first full operating year of CAC's Business Enterprise Program which has been designed to provide effective management and support to both the programmatic and fiscal aspects of various campus services. With the integration of the 24 Hour Coffeehouse, the Gameroom, the Source Box Office, and the Student Center Lobby Vendor Program, the Business Enterprise Program has enabled the Student Center to better meet the needs of the MIT community. The Program has also enabled CAC to fund other programs and services, including the CAC Program Board, and provide growth and development opportunities to approximately 65 student employees.
Through collaboration with the Lecture Series Committee, a movie theater-style ticket service was added to the Source, enabling on-demand ticket printing for a multitude of campus events. This service has reduced both the event planning cost of having tickets printed by off-campus vendors and the labor cost of various groups selling tickets for their individual events.
STAFFING AND STUDENT EMPLOYMENT
This year, CAC underwent several staffing changes. Joanne Katz, Manager, resigned; the position was reclassified as Assistant Manager and accepted by Daniel Conceison from HFS. The previous vacancy of Assistant Manager was reclassified as Operations Supervisor and filled by Ricky Murphy. Derrick Barnes, Operations Supervisor, accepted a position with HFS and was replaced by Sean McGehearty. An Administrative Staff Assistant search is in progress to replace Ellen Schemerhorn, who resigned. Ricky Gresh filled the temporary full-time position of Program Coordinator for Student Activities, a position shared jointly with RCA. Debra Fair, Administrative Assistant, accepted a position with the Department of Chemistry, and was replaced by Annmarie Cameron from the Center for International Studies. Finally, Tina Trager was promoted from Event Coordinator to Assistant Manager for Event Planning.
CAC continued to provide employment opportunities for over 75 students. CAC further developed its Student Employment Program, which works to support the personal and academic growth of student employees, by centrally coordinating hiring processes and providing study care packages for each employee during both fall and spring term finals. In addition, CAC worked collaboratively with RCA to expand some of the Program's benefits to students working in RCA. In addition to hiring MIT students, CAC offered several Graduate Assistantships for students in Higher Education Administration programs at local universities. Michael Taylor and Blake Naughton, graduate students enrolled at Northeastern and Harvard Universities, respectively, provided programming support to Community Programs and Services over the past year, and Sean McGehearty, a graduate student enrolled at Boston College, supported the Student Employment Program during the spring term.
CAMPUS DINING
The Institute Dining Review process was completed in mid-November with the submission of the Working Group's report. The plan recommended the reorganization and centralization of all food and beverage operations on campus under a new Office of Campus Dining that is guided by an educational mission statement and a Campus Dining Board. The report was reviewed and approved, and the proposed changes are now being implemented.
More information about the Campus Activities Complex can be found on the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://web.mit.edu/campus-activities/www
Peter Cummings, Michael Foley, Ricky Gresh, Ted Johnson, Edward McCluney, Elizabeth Mulcahy, Kenneth Stone, Tina Trager, Phillip Walsh
"Career Management is seen as an ongoing problem-solving process in which information is gathered, awareness of oneself and the environment is increased, career goals and strategies are developed, and feedback is obtained. This process can help individuals deal with the tasks and issues they face in various stages of their careers." - Jeffrey H. Greenhaus
"Real learning gets to the heart of what it means to be human. Through learning we re-create ourselves. Through learning we become able to do something we never were able to do. Through learning we reperceive the world and our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life. There is within each of us the deep hunger for this type of learning. This, then, is the basic meaning of a "learning organization" -an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future....."generative learning", learning that enhances our capacity to create." - Peter Senge
The Office of Career Services and Preprofessional Advising (OCSPA) philosophy is that career development is an ongoing process that includes: self-assessment, competency development, research into career options, experiential learning, and preparation for the job search or for the graduate/professional school application process, and productive, rewarding lives. Above all else, it is a generative process. Students are encouraged to begin their career education early, including a visit to OCSPA during freshman year or the first year of graduate school, to learn what career resources are available.
In striving to better serve our students, employers, alumni, faculty, and other administrators, Career Services and Preprofessional Advising is seeking to contribute to a dialogue about Institute-wide learning. Our academic role at MIT is to build and maintain enabling systems which encourage us as a community, and especially our students, to become self-managed learners who can contribute to learning organizations where we work and live.
OCSPA assists students in learning about the relationship between what they are doing at MIT and life after graduation; exploring career options in relation to choice of major; understanding the competencies required beyond their technical knowledge to succeed in the competitive global marketplace, and contribute to civilization; networking, informational interviewing, mentoring, internships, summer jobs and other opportunities to gain experience in fields of interest; applying to medical, law or other graduate/professional school; study abroad; writing a resume and conducting interviews; and finding employment after graduation.
Employers, like society at large, hire and most certainly promote on the basis of competencies, not majors. The required competencies get the job, but these competencies are not major dependent. It is important to ask where at MIT students learn what employers and society expect of them. In addition to technical knowledge, the desired competencies are: effective communication, critical thinking, team building, information technology, change management, leadership, diversity, social responsibility, and self-managed learning. It is also important to ask what are other or will be new competencies that civilization will require of us.
OCSPA's efforts to focus on generative learning is intended to help us, both ask that question and find shared answers. In OCSPA we are working together to build on many of the themes presented in the reengineering reports, the five-year plans, and similar documents. We are moving forward with many of the initiatives proposed in the previous documents. We put in place some new approaches in preparation for the beginning of classes and employment recruiting, so they were least disruptive to our clients.
In order to continue this growth, OCSPA, with MIT, faces many challenges. The ratio of professional staff to students has been less than 1 staff member for every 1910 students, not to mention alumni who also request our services. That ratio has allowed for little or no specialization. Additionally, the over 1000 employer organizations which recruit students and alumni, require special attention in meeting their needs. For us, this means discovering the best balance of information technology uses and personal delivery of our services. OCSPA has serious needs in terms of facilities, equipment, and perhaps, most significantly staffing and location.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
OCSPA offices and human resources have been reorganized and renovated to bring together staff to provide more consistent and collaborative services to all students. Cross training of our staff has begun in order to help us deliver consistent and quality information to students. A new leadership team management approach has been created to ensure participatory decision-making and to equitably distributed OCSPA management responsibility among a leadership team composed of the director, two associate directors and an administrative assistant. Outreach by the director and the new leadership team has been increased to students, faculty, alumni, administrators, professional schools and employers. Integration of Preprofessional Advising into the OCSPA as a whole has been initiated. A plan to reduce the ratio of OCSPA staff per student has been initiated. This plan will result in a reduction from about 1910/1 to an average across the five schools of 541/1, a 72% decrease in the ratio which translates into a concomitant increase in staff available to students across the institute. Instruments have been implemented that will enable us to measure customer satisfaction; track career advising appointments and workshops; track post-graduation plans; and survey departmental academic and administrative career assistance activities, resources and needs. Dozens of workshops for students were offered by the department.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Two major research efforts conducted by OCSPA this year were a survey of career-related services available across the MIT campus, and a survey of graduating students. The first survey resulted in responses from 27 departments with whom we are currently following up to build a more thorough picture of where at MIT students can access the services they need. OCSPA also conducted a survey of graduating students in the Class of 1998 which resulted in an excellent return rate of 1819 respondents which is 82.68% of 2200 students. The survey was conducted over four days as graduates picked up their caps and gowns in the Coop. We plan to follow up with students who may have been missed, and those who may need further assistance. Following an SPSS analysis, a report of the survey will be distributed to the MIT community. We have already learned some things from the process that will help us do it better next year, and we will learn more as we go through the surveys. For now, we have taken the first major step forward building a data base for future program planning and decision making.
PREPROFESSIONAL ADVISING
In 1997 there were a total of 198 MIT applicants--a huge leap if one looks back at the 1980's. (For example, in 1988, only 99 applied, including only 69 seniors.) In 1997, 110 seniors applied to medical school and 64% gained admission. The number of alumni applicants has doubled since 1988 and nearly tripled since 1986. Also, in 1997, 77 MIT alumni applied to medical school. In 1997, a total of 98 men and 100 women (undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni) applied to medical school and the rates of acceptance were 67% for the men and 60% for the women, a percentage that includes re-applicants. The MIT acceptance rate for all applicants (undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni) is 62%, as compared with the national acceptance rate for all applicants (undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni) which is 40.2%.
Clearly MIT remains an excellent choice for premedical studies, and despite higher criteria for acceptance, our students continue to do well. However, the preprofessional advising system which was designed to handle about sixty students per year has become overburdened and undermined by the loss of faculty advisors and lack of quality assurance in the face of demand from more than three times the number of students for which it was intended. The Director and other members of the OCSPA leadership team have met with Suzanne Flynn, Gene Brown, Lisa Steiner, Thomas Greytak and others to seek input on designing a new way to more effectively assist students seeking to attend medical school.
EMPLOYMENT RECRUITING
OCSPA has partnered with Jobtrak Corporation for 1998 to deliver an on-line, fully web-based program. Over 500 employers have already begun to use the system, and that number will nearly double by the Fall. Through the new system students and employers will be able to communicate with each other throughout the job search process twenty four hours a day and seven days a week posting jobs, resumes and building their interview schedule.
During 1997-98, 2,100 students participated in the OCSPA employment recruiting program. This number included 1,243 bachelor candidates (35.7% of the bachelor candidates , and including 445 students interviewing for summer positions,), 290 master's candidates, 9 MBA candidates, 228 master's in engineering candidates, 227 doctoral candidates, 8 post-doctoral students, and 95 undeclared.
There was a 3.4% increase in employers visiting the campus for 1998 compared to the 10.9% leap from the previous year. 740 companies, from just about every sector of the market participated in the employment recruiting program compared to 715 in 1997 and 637 in 1996. Employer Recruiting is scheduled to almost full capacity for the fall of 1998, which indicates that there will again be a slight increase in the employers who will visit the office for the coming year. The most sought after students were those with skills, knowledge and experience in information technology. Electrical engineers and computer science majors were the number one department employers looked for candidates. The starting salaries also increased this year for these students due to their increased demand.
PERSONNEL
A new Director, Dr. Christopher Pratt was hired and started on January 5, 1998 following a national search by a faculty led committee. A new organizational structure has been designed to assign teams to serve each of the five schools: Engineering, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Management, and Architecture and Planning. To implement this plan, school based teams are being established. Each team is composed of an Assistant Director, Career Development Counselor, Graduate Assistants and Peer Advisors. Four new Career Development Counselors are being hired. Two of the four positions have been filled, one of whom will start August 1, 1998 and the other September 1, 1998. Five new Graduate Assistants who are attending MEd. programs at local graduate schools are also being hired. And six to eight new Peer Advisors are also being added. Regarding Affirmative Action two women, an Asian American Assistant Director, and an African American Administrative Assistant were hired.
FUTURE PLANS
OCSPA seeks to integrate a career development focus for learning, and has drafted a Comprehensive Student Plan for Career Development which is being circulated for input from faculty, students, employers, alumni, and other administrators. An essential part of the plan is the concept of integrating career management education into students' academic experience. We are seeking to introduce students to the concept of competency development and the importance this has in future outcomes of their career choices.
The Department is creating a menu of career development workshops to be offered on a recurring schedule in settings across campus including FS/ILGs and for various groups of students. The capacity of the OCSPA website is also being expanded to incorporate interactive portions which encourage and support student learning. This Fall, OCSPA will participate in Freshman Orientation for the first time. We also plan to conduct routine assessments of student competency development to measure and provide feedback.
OCSPA strives to integrate its work with developmental theory presented in research and literature, and with the educational mission of ODSUE; to that end, OCSPA will teach students to continually learn how to develop their competency skills; encourage and support the expansion of experiential learning opportunities for MIT students; develop the students' understanding that career is about life, not a job; expand the capacity of the OCSPA website to incorporate interactive portions to encourage and support student learning; plan to present an introduction to the OCSPA to all entering Freshman during Orientation; participate with the faculty in programs that they offer and continue to out reach to faculty to engage in more career related programs; and seek to integrate career/life learning with the curriculum.
In order to accomplish these goals complete implementation of the current staffing plan and staff training and development initiatives are required to ensure the delivery quality services. Space and facilities - offices, IT, equipment, furniture continue to be needed to allow the delivery of quality services to MIT and students. Continuous data collection is required to serve as a basis for decision making and to provide a basis for analysis and outcomes assessment in order to measure the quality of our services, and from which to provide statistical report, including feedback to the Institute on where students go and what great things they do. Top level endorsement of OCSPA's efforts is required to actualize the departments potential.
OCSPA is evolving toward a more student-friendly and learner-centered approach to the delivery of our services. As visitors to OCSPA note, we have already made some important physical changes, and have begun some deeper organizational changes. More information about this department can be found on the OCSPA web site: http://web.mit.edu/career/www/
Christopher Pratt
The 1997-98 academic year was an uncommonly difficult one for many MIT students and a large part of the Institute community. Because of six student deaths, a considerable number of individuals and groups were deeply affected by these unsettling and, in certain instances, very tragic events. The rapidly escalating volume of demands and requests placed upon campus mental health resources throughout the fall and spring semesters underscored the need to maintain an effective and accessible Counseling and Support Services(CSS) office able to coordinate efforts with MIT Medical, especially its Mental Health service. CSS continued to work closely with the medical department, as well as with faculty, housemasters, student family members, campus police, chaplains and hospital staff to help and serve students and others affiliated with the Institute. Because many of this year's most critical issues originated within student living groups, CSS deans frequently teamed with other support professionals and visited dormitories and fraternities on and off of the campus. One particularly alarming observation has been a significant increase in cases of reported drug abuse among our student population. The counseling staff also focused on a range of evolving administrative matters, particularly those associated with undergraduate student withdrawals. It met periodically with representatives from Financial Aid, the Bursar, MIT Medical and the Registrar to review the consequences of existing policies and to improve collaboration between the providers of these vital services. Counseling and Support Services made a strong commitment to supporting the Committee on Academic Performance and helping it to review matters where academic and personal issues intersected. Nightline and Contact Line, the Institute's peer counseling hotlines, continued receiving supervision and support from CSS staff. The office also presented several workshops, training sessions and small groups to address student and staff needs.
In addition to assisting, counseling and advising a broad range of students during the academic year, Ms. Lynn Roberson collaborated with other administrators and members of the faculty to provide several very informative, helpful programs and workshops for women students. They included but were not limited to: the Graduate Women's Discussion and Support Group(co-advisor Dean Blanche Staton), Color Creations(co-advisor Professor Helen Elaine Lee), Asian American Women's Lunch (co-leader Dr. Kristine Cha) and "Handling Critical Feedback" with Dr. Holly Sweet. She also continued her work with Mujeres Latinas, and co-led workshops with Ms. Tracy Desovich, MIT Health Educator, on "Making Decisions About Sex and Intimacy". Another popular program was the Graduate Women's Lunch Series that included speakers Dr. Mary Rowe, MIT Ombudsperson, Dean Blanche Staton, Graduate Office, and Dr. Lynda Jordan, Martin Luther King, Jr. Visiting Professor, who lectured on "Women In Science". Dean Ayida Mthembu hosted and coordinated two traditional events: the annual Black Women's Brunch and Latina Brunch. Dean Kim McGlothin and Ms. Roberson also coordinated the Freshwomen Lunch.
Mr. Richard Goldhammer, Learning Disabilities Specialist, met regularly with and assisted 35 MIT students with documented learning disabilities. There are currently 61 documented LD/ADHD students at the Institute. During the 1997-98 academic year, he had 597 scheduled appointments with students who expressed concerns about learning disabilities issues. His work has greatly enhanced MIT's ability to meet the needs of students who may require additional consultation and support. He has also enabled the Committee On Academic Performance to assess student disabilities issues objectively and constructively.
Dean Ayida Mthembu moderated a well-attended, televised discussion between Professor Noam Chomsky and Professor Kathleen Cleaver on the political activism of the 1960s and its legacy today. She also helped to produce the African American and Latino Living Museum with Professor Tommy De Frantz and Professor Brenda Cotto-Escalera. Film maker Lee Lew-Lee showed and discussed his documentary about 60s protest and rebellion, All Power To The People. Dean Mthembu also participated in Race 2000, sponsored by the Campus Race Relations Committee, as well as Kwanzaa, Puerto Rican Week and Hispanic Month. Dean Arnold Henderson, Jr. continued his involvement with the Martin Luther King Committee and helped with the organization of its annual celebratory breakfast.
Dean Jacqueline Simonis continued to discuss aspects of student counseling with academic administrators. Her listening group involved eight professionals who met regularly to learn more about responding to students in distress. The group's activities included everything from written exercises to ongoing case discussion from participants' own experiences, and also exposed them to several other MIT helping resources. Dean Arnold Henderson, Jr. met with the combined staffs of two departments and spoke with them about students' personal and academic expectations, and determining how to refer individuals who appear to be experiencing serious problems. Henderson was also a panelist at the September Orientation for New MIT Faculty and a participant in the IAP Teaching Forum, "Never Use A Red Pen".
Two Malaysian delegations visited MIT in September 1997. Dean Arnold Henderson, Jr. met with representatives from these delegations to exchange ideas and views of counseling and student support services for undergraduate and graduate students at major research universities. In addition to reviewing some of the immediate and long-term issues facing students from different backgrounds, there was also an opportunity to consider what factors make counseling and mental health services effective.
Progress achieved against goals includes:
The staff of Counseling and Support Services made a strong and committed effort to meet its established goals. Because of the character and intensity of this past year, meeting the needs of our clients was especially challenging. As a staff, CSS is grateful and encouraged that an additional counseling dean's position has been created. This has been a long-standing need of a modestly sized department that frequently must respond to major community problems.
Ms. Rachel Pilla, Senior Office Assistant, left the Institute in May of this year to pursue new professional goals. Mr. James Collins assumed his new position as Assistant to the Dean, CSS, in December 1997.
The Counseling and Support Services staff will continue to look at how its counseling contact hours can be most effectively distributed. Because the office provides support that may range from long-term therapy to walk-in appointments, it is frequently helpful to examine the service's existing system and determine if there are better ways to serve clients. Another goal is to expand staff development by identifying opportunities for further education and training, bringing in outside speakers and visiting colleagues at other institutions. The office will also continue its policy of reaching out to all segments of the Institute community and pooling efforts with other colleagues, providers and educators.
Associate Dean Ayida Mthembu was selected as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Black Achiever for 1997.
Arnold R. Henderson, Jr.
The MIT Card Office was created to provide an identification card to the MIT community. Since its inception, it has developed into a tool for purchasing food and other services as well as for accessing MIT community only areas.
During the past year, the MIT Card Office concentrated on year 2000 compliance projects by modifying the identification database and upgrading hardware and software for the security system.
In addition, the office provided technical support to Linguistics and Philosophy, Urban Studies and Planning, Division of Comparative Medicine, and MIT Libraries as these departments installed door access security systems. The staff also consulted at Lincoln Lab about options for deploying the MIT Card.
Staff development objectives focused on technical skills to reflect the growing dependence of the office on technology. Specifically, staff were encouraged to develop Microsoft Access programming expertise, learn maintenance procedures and develop facility for troubleshooting in the Windows NT, SQL Server, and VMS environments. To support these objectives, the staff developed a training curriculum which includes courses on- and off-campus, on-the-job training, peer mentoring, and reference material.
The MIT Card Office plans to convert the identification database to Oracle. This change will enable the Card Office to provide quicker response from the MIT Card Office to satellites including the Student Services Center.
The MIT Card will collaborate with the Department of Athletics to implement use of the MIT Card for security and business processes.
HOUSING
The landscape of the department is changing however the mission over the past several years has been to enable students to receive their MIT education and to provide the means for the MIT community do its daily work by successfully managing housing facilities, dining operations, and MIT Card services.
Housing's primary responsibility has been to support MIT's educational mission by producing the finest student and community services possible in a way that is cost efficient. Housing has continued to work toward understanding and communicating its goals and also toward creating an infrastructure that connects people, offices and departments in order to successfully support MIT's educational objectives.
The Housing Office in the past year has taken the opportunity to integrate crucial functions across Housing, Residence and Campus Activities and Student Programs. As of July 1, 1998 , this effort will have led to the creation of a new organization called Residential Life and Student Programs. The goal of the housing component of the area is to provide clean, secure, and well maintained accommodations where students can be at ease and can have a sense of community in each residence.
The Housing Office is very supportive of a House Manager model that is key to the new residential system and management goals. A new development over the past year has been House Teams made up of Housemasters, House Managers, GRT's, and student governments. It is anticipated these Teams will help formulate plans to promote mutual respect and enable students from diverse backgrounds to flourish and create learning both inside and outside of the classroom.
During the 1998 fiscal year a facility audit was performed on all 16 residences to determine the condition of the system. Information gathered during the audit has proven invaluable in planning for capital expenditures necessary to repair and upgrade the state of MIT's residential facilities. Current budget constraints restrict the ability of the Housing Office to adequately address the issues brought forth by the audit.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES FROM FISCAL YEAR 1998
Baker was closed before graduation in the first year of a two year rehabilitation project that put a strain on finding housing for our students, special programs, alumni, and conferences.
Completed capital maintenance projects for fiscal year 1998 include:
Other major projects completed in fiscal year 1998 were:
Select fiscal year 1999 capital planning objectives include:
The estimated cost for the 1999 fiscal year is $3.9 million in renovations and maintenance in the residential system and of the major projects, 62% of the cost addresses a portion of the crucial needs identified by the facility audit.
OFF CAMPUS HOUSING
The office continues to provide a valuable service to the very diverse MIT Community and its visitors. In addition to rental listings, the service offers information on leases, landlord/tenant issues and rights, transportation, and other housing issues. The On-line Data Base Program for access to the off campus rental listings has been completed. Due to budget constraints, we have not been able to hire an employee to maintain the system. We hope to fill this slot later this year.
SINGLE GRADUATE AND STUDENT FAMILY HOUSING
The off campus rental market continues to escalate in cost and is in low supply. The vacancy rate for the Greater Boston area is at an all time low, increasing demand for our limited campus facilities.
We are able to accommodate 28% of all graduate students in campus housing. This accommodated 90% of new graduate students who requested on campus housing, and also accounted for 10% of graduate students currently enrolled who desired space. The volume of applicants is growing each year. New graduate housing is still in the planning stage and will be a necessary addition to our campus housing facilities.
Graduate students are a vital part of our community. The high cost and low availability of housing in this geographic area places a high stress factor on both new and continuing students at MIT. It affects applying families to a higher degree because they are limited in the type of housing for which they are able to contract. We are noticing a larger percentage of older students coming to campus with their families, thus increasing the demand for our student family housing.
The inclusion of graduate student issues in the ODSUE organizational structure is a welcome addition. We are sure the graduate students will react favorably to future improvements in both the housing and the student support areas. Families, in particular, have a higher need for institutional support and programs which include them as part of our community.
Computing and use of the MITSIS system continues to offer improvements in our ability to communicate, obtain and share information. We will continue to explore various areas in computing to facilitate our service to the graduate students and families residing in campus housing.
Lawrence E. Maguire
The mission of ODSUE IT is to provide high quality information services support to a wide ranging set of users within ODSUE and MIT. This support focuses on the automation of business processes and information systems to provide students, faculty and administrators with timely and accurate information and support.
This was the first full year of existence for our "new" department. Several major events took place this year including an internal reorganization, many new systems deployed and an ODSUE-wide desktop computer upgrade.
REORGANIZATION
In order to provide IT support for all of ODSUE and in conjunction with the reorganization of three significant administrative offices that we support, ODSUE IT reorganized around four teams: Academic Services, Administration and Desktop Support, Financial Services, and Systems Infrastructure. These teams provide a focused, although not exclusive, mission for it's members and provide our users with a clear structure for support. To clearly communicate the role of this department the name ODSUE Information Technology was chosen.
As part of our reorganization, Steve Burke (from UESA central to Administration and Desktop Support), Alice Cavallo (from the Student Financial Aid Office to our Financial Services Team) and Shawn Dunn (from Bursar's Office to our Financial Services Team) joined the new ODSUE IT organization. Their roles are crucial to the continued success of the department.
Desktop Support
To provide timely and efficient support for ODSUE desktop computer users we organized around a network of department-focused Local Experts backed up by the full-time technologists of the Desktop Support team. The Local Experts work together as the ODSUE IT Affinity Team to provide daily close-at-hand support.
In order for desktop computers to keep pace with the increasing needs of demanding users and the applications they use we instituted a yearly desktop computer replacement program. This replacement program also provides us with a set of hardware that is easier to maintain.
As we completed the year, we had a major role in planning and supporting the numerous ODSUE office moves that occurred over the summer.
New Development
In collaboration with our users the following major projects were completed this year:
PERSONNEL
We entered the year with a full staff of highly qualified information technologists. Unfortunately, two recently hired analyst programmers left the department amidst the increasingly competitive information systems marketplace. More aggressive and creative approaches to finding and retaining qualified personnel will be required.
The challenges of retaining MIT staff and the level of support for maintaining our current systems while developing new features new requires us to supplement our permanent staff with technical consultants. We continue to rely heavily on their technical skills and knowledge of MIT systems.
There were several key promotions that took place during the year: Steve Burke was promoted to Leader, Administration and Desktop Support, Alice Cavallo was promoted to Analyst/Programmer III, Carrie Groves was promoted to Network Administrator and JoAnne Stevenson was promoted to Associate Director ODSUE IT, Senior Project Leader.
We ended the year with a team of productive, experienced personnel who are providing excellent support for our users across MIT.
FUTURE PLANS
Early in FY 99 the office will be moving to building 11, allowing the entire department to be co-located while moving closer to our users. This will enable us to provide for more timely and efficient support of desktop computers, maintenance of existing systems, and the analysis and implementation of new functions.
A more in-depth and careful planning process will be implemented throughout ODSUE. This will enable our department to work more closely with other ODSUE departments to plan resources for developing new and better ways to serve students, faculty and administrators.
More information about this department can be found on the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://web.mit.edu/odsue/odsue-it/
Robert A. Rippcondi
The Office of Academic Services was created in October 1997 as the result of a merger between the Registrar's Office and the former office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA). This new office combines the resources and services of two of MIT's principal educational support enterprises.
Staff members who were formerly housed in Building 20 moved to Building 7 in April; the relocation this summer of staff from Building E19 to spaces in Buildings 5, 7, and 11, will bring all staff in close proximity and in new working relationships.
ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER
This area of the office includes many of the principal non-departmental academic resources for students and their advisors. The ARC places particular emphasis on freshman-focused services and activities, having responsibility for new-student orientation, freshman advising recruitment, training, and management, and freshman-year programming in general.
Freshman Advising
The Class of 2001 was advised primarily through the highly successful Freshman Advising Seminar (FAS) system. While the number of FASes declined this year - from 125 to 118 - a seminar was available to nearly every freshman who wanted to be in one. Approximately 88 per cent of the freshman class opted to be in an FAS, while the other 12 per cent were advised by 45 non-seminar-based advisors in randomly assigned groups of two-to-seven freshmen each. In all, the freshman advising system consisted of a total of 184 volunteer Freshman Advisors -- 94 faculty members, 12 non-faculty teaching staff, 14 research scientists, 52 administrators, and two graduate students. Working in tandem with Freshman Advisors were 200 Associate Advisors, of whom 155 worked with seminar leaders and 45 with traditional advisors. In Spring 1998 we offered a pilot Advisor Workshop on "Transitioning to the Sophomore Year," attended by a mix of 34 seminar and traditional advisors.
Freshman Advising Seminars
A CUP Subcommittee on Freshman Advising, chaired by Professor Stephen Benton, initiated conversations with the provost and the president to find ways to stabilize the FAS program and encourage faculty participation. These conversations resulted in the ability to offer of a Scholarly Allowance of $1,500 to faculty who teach an Advising Seminar in the Fall of 1998. In addition, non-faculty FAS leaders (e.g., visiting and adjunct faculty; lecturers and instructors; research and administrative staff) are able to request from the ARC Staff Development Grants of up to $1,500 to be used to support "educationally beneficial" activities, including the seminar itself. Subsequent publicity about the Scholarly Allowance, through articles in the MIT Faculty Newsletter and Tech Talk, as well as an e-mail recruitment letter to the faculty from Professor Benton, resulted in the generation of a record-breaking 128 seminars for Fall 1998.
Independent Activities Period
Ninety-one out of the more than 700 activities offered during IAP '98 were offered for credit - up from 81 activities during IAP '97. In preparation for IAP `99, Web-based proposal forms are being developed for both credit and non-credit activities.
Orientation
Residence/Orientation Week '97 was directed successfully under the leadership of three student interns: Wesley Chan, Logistics Intern; Reshma Patil, Personnel and Publicity Intern; and Tom Lee, Programs Intern. They were supported by 40 student volunteers who worked on the various sub-committees.
In the Spring of 1998 a review of Residence/Orientation Week was undertaken by an ad hoc task force chaired by Professor Kim Vandiver and consisting of faculty, students, and staff who had been involved in some aspect of Orientation in the past. Significant changes in orientation '98 were the result.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
Boosted greatly by last year's establishment of the Paul Gray Endowment Fund for UROP, funds for UROP endowment have continued to grow. The current total is approximately $4 million to which the Gray Fund alone has contributed $2 million, the UROP Endowment Fund $766,000, and the remainder from a number of smaller endowed funds. Two alumni funds for UROP were created in the name of the Classes of 1948 and 1973. While one significant grant from the General Electric Foundation ended last year, the Corporation voted UROP $50,000 yearly income "for the foreseeable future" from the John Reed Fund which very nearly replaces it.
Pay continues to be vital to participation; the ratio of pay to credit is 60 per cent to 40 per cent in favor of pay. Seventy-eight per cent of student pay came from faculty sponsored research grants during the academic year.
Other activities this year included an invitation from the Coalition for National Science Funding to NSF-funded UROPers to attend the Washington, D. C., poster session. Throughout the academic year UROPers presented research findings at conferences and professional society meetings and authored or co-authored research papers with their faculty supervisors and research group colleagues.
The January Mentor program served the Research Mentors and Pre-UROPers well with most reporting enthusiastically about their experiences. Pre-UROPers learned valuable laboratory skills and techniques that help them in their scientific careers. In several cases Pre-UROPers were asked to join their Mentor's research groups.
PROGRAM ON THE WRITING REQUIREMENT
In August 1997, the Class of 2001 took the Freshman Essay Evaluation. Of the 962 students taking the evaluation, 164 (17.0%) passed and received credit for Phase One. Of the remaining 798 students, 583 (60.6%) received the score of "Not Acceptable," while the remaining 215 students (22.3%) were encouraged to enroll in a writing subject immediately.
The Committee on the Writing Requirement approved a pilot project jointly proposed by the Chair of the Committee on Undergraduate Education and Financial Aid (CUAFA) and the Dean for Undergraduate Curriculum to administer an online Essay Evaluation to the Class of 2002 during the summer of 1998. The project is underway, and all indications point to its being a resounding success and a viable alternative for the timed essay evaluation given during Orientation.
During academic year 1997-98, the Writing Requirement Office evaluated 380 Phase One papers, and 331 students completed Phase One through the paper option. Another 393 students completed Phase One through subjects offered by the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies and the English as a Second Language Program in Foreign Languages and Literatures.
Of the 1054 students receiving the S. B. Degree during the 1997-98 academic year, 464 (44%) completed Phase One through the Freshman Essay Evaluation or Advanced Placement Tests, 238 (23%) by submitting a Phase One paper, and 353 (33%) by satisfactorily completing a Phase One subject. The Undergraduate Technical Writing Cooperative was used by 452 students (43%) to complete Phase Two, while 292 students (28%) completed Phase Two by writing departmentally-based papers, and 310 (29%) students completed the Requirement through a Phase Two Writing Subject.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND FACULTY SUPPORT INITIATIVES
Physical space moves are underway that house together such services as classroom maintenance and scheduling; the office of Educational Research; support to many of the major faculty committees; MIT subject evaluation; and support to the activities of the Teaching and Learning Laboratory (including the Classroom Videotape Consulting Program, seminars on teaching, the new faculty orientation program, and support to educational innovation and assessment). In addition, a team of staff working together to improve the coordination and integrity of academic information and communications - both in print and on the Web - are included as part of this new office unit.
ACADEMIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
This area - established in the spring of 1997 to provide information resources which help students, and the faculty who advise and teach them, plan and achieve their academic goals at MIT. Recent activity in this area includes
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND SCHEDULING
Highlights include:
COMMUNICATIONS REQUIREMENT AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
CUP-charged experiments are being guided and will be evaluated by a Subcommittee of the CUP co-chaired by Professors Gene Brown and Langley Keyes, Jr. The office is providing the administrative support for this vital initiative of the Faculty.
MIT's development of a communication-intensive undergraduate program is being partially supported by a two-year grant from the NSF.
In support of the development of the program, the Writing Requirement Office and the Writing Initiative collaborated with Dr. Lori Breslow of the Sloan School and Ms. Diana Strange of the MIT Alumni Association to develop a new seminar, "Communication in the Workplace." Students developed interviewing, writing, speaking, and teamwork skills by interviewing alumni/ae on the nature, function, and importance of professional communication in scientific and technical careers.
In addition to the seminar, the staff of the Writing Requirement Office has helped departments and individuals in developing and assessing communication-intensive pilot projects and in expanding existing programs. Support has been provided in the development of the novel and bold educational platform, the Biology Undergraduate Journal (BUG); in improving the Biology Project Laboratory; in the training of graduate students as writing tutors in 8.059, Quantum Mechanics III; and in assisting students with presentation skills in the Architecture Design Studio.
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Beginning in 1988, Interphase students have been systematically surveyed.
During the summer of 1997, an ad-hoc subcommittee was formed to develop plans to survey students about their attitudes toward orientation.
During the late fall, the CUP Subcommittee on Intermediate Grades launched a survey to examine faculty and student opinion about various grading system options, including the experimental grading system that had been in operation since fall 1995
In Spring 1994, seniors completed the first in-depth survey of graduating students. With the Class of 1994 Senior Survey as a baseline, a second Senior Survey was undertaken this spring. This survey examined the students who entered in Fall 1994, the same group of students who were surveyed about their 1994 freshman year experience, providing the opportunity to examine the same cohort of students at two points in time.
Other educational research activities included assisting with the assessment of the Course 6 M.Eng. program, undertaking a survey of student attitudes about evening exams for daytime classes, working with several faculty committees, and participating in the development of an in-house subject evaluation process. The Educational Research Office has also been working with students who developed Feedback Forum, a web-based tool designed by two graduate students to give administrators, faculty, and students an opportunity to give and receive anonymous feedback. It was used this year to collect survey data for some of the activities mentioned above.
The Educational Studies Working Group (ESWG) continued to play an important role this past year, bringing together people from many parts of the Institute who share an interest in gathering educational data and conducting studies about the educational experience and student life.
FACULTY SUPPORT PROGRAM
Primary staff support to formal faculty committees is provided to the CUP, CWR, the Committee on Academic Performance (CAP), the Committee on Curricula (CoC), and the IAP Policy Committee. In addition, much assistance has been provided this year to the new Committee on the First Year Program, to a variety of CUP subcommittees, and to the Task Force on Student Life and Learning. Academic Services staff are ex-officio members of the CAP, the Committee on Discipline, the CoC, CUAFA, the Committee on Graduate School Policy, and the IAP Policy Committee. The activities of these committees are described in detail in the section of this report entitled "Chair of the Faculty." Academic Services staff assisted in the development and implementation of two major efforts that emerged as the result of CUP recommendations this year: A cross-registration agreement was developed with the Massachusetts College of Art and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. A pilot program has been developed that provides instructors with information about students enrolled in specific subjects without the stated prerequisites.
TEACHING AND LEARNING LABORATORY
The Teaching and Learning Laboratory (TLL) continued to develop new programs and activities in the 1997-1998 academic year to improve teaching and learning at MIT. Among the highlights of the year include:
Work has been completed on the Steven P. Kaufman (EC `63) and Family Classroom for the Instruction in Teaching. The Kaufman Classroom, part of the new Teaching and Learning Triad in Building 9, is a specially equipped classroom/ videotaping studio that will allow TLL to expand and improve the videotape/consulting program.
Along with the Center for Advanced Educational Services (CAES) and the School of Engineering, TLL is coordinating a search for a nationally recognized expert in assessment and evaluation who initially will be at the Institute on a two-year appointment.
At the request of graduate students in several MIT departments (e.g., Course 18, Course 7, Course 6), TLL convened a series of meetings to examine the opportunities for PhD students to improve their teaching skills and to learn about issues related to science and engineering education.
TLL organized and co-led a three-session workshop on teaching for the undergraduates who participated in Teach for America, which was part of the 1998 Alternative Spring Break program. Approximately 40 students attended.
In addition to these activities, TLL continued to provide the services and programs it regularly makes available to the Institute community. These include: Videotaping faculty and teaching assistants in their classrooms (approximately 100 faculty and TA's were taped and met with a consultant); organizing the "New Faculty Orientation" and the "Graduate Teaching Staff Orientation" at the beginning of the fall semester (approximately 40 new faculty and 100 TA's attended); and coordinating the IAP series "Better Teaching @ MIT." (this year's series introduced several new topics, including "Problem Solving" and "Teaching in a Distance Learning Classroom").
Among the workshops offered this year were: Microteaching Workshops for graduate students and post docs in the Department of Mathematics; training in the teaching and evaluation of writing for Writing Fellows; faculty workshops for the departments of Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering; training in presentation skills for graduate students in the departments of Political Science and Civil Engineering, as well as for graduates and undergraduates participating in the $50K competition.
OTHER CURRICULUM SUPPORT ACTIVITIES
Administrative support is provided to the Class of 1951 Fund for Excellence in Education, the Class of 1955 Fund for Excellence in Teaching, and, starting this year, the 1972 Fund for Educational Innovation. Eight proposals were awarded a total of about $80K in funding for projects to be undertaken in the coming year. A small working group has been formed to help finalize the Student Information Policy (SIP) statement and to implement the SIP dimension as new electronic resources are made available to instructors and advisors. This office has assumed responsibility for administration of the subject evaluation system on behalf of MIT. This year, further refinements to the process have been made, including working toward the establishment of an MIT-designed scanning and analysis system, linking evaluation data to on-line subject catalogue pages, and providing written comments to faculty and departments in a more timely way. This activity is being undertaken in close association with I/S, MITSIS, and students connected to the Course Evaluation Guide. At the suggestion of Dean for Undergraduate Curriculum Kip Hodges, this office, the Planning Office, and the School deans' offices are working together to develop a comprehensive teaching information data source that can be accessed by all participants through MITSIS as appropriate. The pilot involved all Engineering and Science academic departments and is intended as a bridge toward a goal where MITSIS can collect all the necessary data and becomes the sole such database.
Registrar's Office
Commencement this year was a very special occasion with the commencement address given by the President of the United States, William Clinton. The office adapted to the extraordinary circumstances of its being the largest-ever commencement and having a very special guest by taking a more proactive approach to communication with students using the Web and e-mail.
The opening of the Student Services Center has resulted in our being able to provide better service to students, including a quicker turn-around for transcript requests. The office is participating in the training of SSC staff.
Highlights of the year include:
REGISTRATION
In 1997-98 student enrollment was 9,880, compared with 9,947 in 1996-97. There were 4,381 undergraduates (4,429 the previous year) and 5,499 graduate students (5,518 the previous year). The international student population was 2,176, representing eight percent of the undergraduate and 33 percent of the graduate populations. These students were citizens of 108 countries. (Students with permanent residence status are included with US citizens.)
In 1997-98, there were 3,101 women students (1,747 undergraduate and 1,354 graduate) at the Institute, compared with 3,085 (1,749 undergraduate and 1,336 graduate) in 1996-97. In September 1997, 406 first-year women entered MIT, representing 38 percent of the freshman class of 1,066 students.
In 1997-98, there were, as self-reported by students, 2,691 minority students (1,997 undergraduate and 694 graduate) at the Institute, compared with 2,753 (1,997 undergraduate and 756 graduate) in 1996-97. Minority students included 401 African Americans (non-Hispanic), 63 Native Americans, 555 Hispanic Americans, and 1,672 Asian Americans. The first-year class entering in September 1997 included 509 minority students, representing 48 percent of the class.
DEGREES AWARDED
Degrees awarded by the Institute in 1997-98 included 1,184 bachelor's degrees, 1,492 master's degrees, 16 engineer's degrees, and 521 doctoral degrees -- a total of 3,213 (compared with 3,109 in 1996-97).
Mary Callahan and Margaret Enders were promoted to serve as Co-Directors of the Office of Academic Services. Ms. Callahan has also been promoted to the position of Registrar. Mr. Peter Bedrosian was promoted to the position of Assistant to the Registrar.
New staff in the office include Ms. Kathleen Connolly and Mr. Peter Hayes (Registrar's Office); Ms. Nina Erlich, working with us part-time on a variety of faculty support projects; Mr. Anders Hove (Task Force on Student Life and Learning); Ms. Melissa Martin (UROP office); Ms. Jennifer Max (Writing Requirement office); and Mr. Joseph Kilcawley and Ms. Laurie Ward (Academic Resource Center).
Ms. Traci Trotzer Considine left her position with the Task Force on Student Life and Learning to join the staff at MIT's Endicott House. Ms. Carrie Groves left her position to become Network Administrator for Student Information Systems.
Over two and a half decades ago, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology established the Office of Minority Education to provide academic and personal support to minority students who decided to attend MIT and pursue a degree in Engineering or Science. The establishment of the Office was a clear sign of MIT's commitment to minority students presence and its desire to ensure their success in achieving their academic goals. Over the years, the Institute has implemented several academic enrichment programs to support and develop minority students' intellectual ability to handle the academic rigors of MIT. Over the past four years, MIT has reaffirmed its commitment to guarantee the presence, and where possible, to provide academic enrichment programs to ensure the success of minority students who decide to attend MIT.
The primary purpose of the Institute is to provide a rigorous venue for education and related research which is relevant to the practical world. As a result of this reaffirmation, the Office of Minority Education has strengthened its long standing partnership with MIT's educational goal for its students who come to the Institute to aspire to be engineers and scientists.
To that end, the mission of the Office of Minority Education is to provide effective academic enrichment programs to enhance matriculation, promote higher retention and greater excellence in underrepresented minority (African American, Mexican American, Native American and Puerto Rican/Hispanic) students' academic and general educational achievements, and to encourage their pursuits of higher degrees and professional careers. OME's mission embrace a strategy to address academic and graduation gaps between underrepresented minority and non-minority students on MIT campus.
With an eye on our mission, the OME has the set the following goals:
1996-97 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW
With the appointment of Ms. Ann Davis Shaw as Assistant Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education/Assistant Director of the Office Minority Education in July of 1997, the OME was able to provide a higher level of academic and personal support to underrepresented minority students served by the Office. The OME continued to provide underrepresented minority students with a cadre of academic enrichment and professional programs designed to enhance students' opportunities to succeed at MIT.
The Office continued to strengthen its past and present programmatic achievements, increased awareness of the Office programs and support services to a broad range of communities within and without the Institute. These communities include non-minority community, underrepresented minority community and private industry. As ex-officio members of several Institute committees, the Office continued to further defined its advocacy role on behalf of underrepresented minority students. The ability of the Office to provide effective academic and support services is rooted in the commitment of the faculty, staff and students to the mission of the OME.
MIT experienced a growth of underrepresented minority students over the last nine years due to an effective recruitment strategy developed and articulated by the Admissions Office. As a result of this effective strategy, there was a growth in the minority student population which created a higher level of demand on the staff of the OME in recent years. There are approximately 700 or 15% underrepresented minority students out of approximately 4500 undergraduate students attending MIT. In the past year through innovative planning, the faculty, staff and students continued to heighten its visibility, accessibility, and increased the quality of services offered to the underrepresented students. The OME staff was represented on an array of Institute committees during the 1997-98 academic year.
This section highlights a productive year of providing effective programs sponsored and operated by the OME from July 1996 to June 1997. Additional activities and program successes will be noted in this section.
Project Interphase is one of MIT's major commitments to ensure the academic success of its underrepresented minority students. This year Project Interphase enrolled sixty-one students in its academic enhancement program which constituted one-third of the admitted underrepresented minority students. The program is an eight-week rigorous academic experience with a curriculum that covers Physics, Calculus, Chemistry, Writing, Physical Education and a myriad of co-curricular activities prior to their first year at MIT.
The academic staff of tenured faculty and instructors, with the assistance of graduate and undergraduate tutors, make up the teaching core of Project Interphase. Through the leadership of Professor Anthony French as the Academic Officer, the faculty and tutors made major contributions in preparing underrepresented minority students to face the rigors of MIT. As teachers, advisors and mentors, the academic staff provided invaluable contributions to the intellectual growth of the students in PI `97.
Sixty-one students were admitted into the program in 1997. The ethnic and gender profiles were consistent with previous years, and also closely reflects the minority freshmen class of 2001. There were thirty African Americans or 49%. Mexican Americans represented 38% while Puerto Rican participation slipped to 6% of the 61 participants. There was a significant drop in the overall participation of Puerto Rican students in the program (22% to 6%). Native American participation remains the lowest of all groups at 6% and other (Hispanic surname) students is at 1%. This year, women representation in the program was at 43% or 26 of 61. This represented an increase from the previous year.
This year's Project Interphase expanded on ways to enhance students' academic abilities for the fall term and beyond. Seventeen students or 27.8% received advance placement credit for 18.01. In writing, students were referred to the Writing Center and encouraged to complete Phase One of MIT's Writing Requirement. We are pleased to announce that 30 participants or 49.1% of 61, passed Phase One. These positive outcomes are two factors to measure the worth and success of the program.
PROGRAM EXCEL
For the 1997-98 academic year, Program XL continued to be an effective academic enrichment program for first-year underrepresented minority and non-minority students. Participants are divided into small interactive learning/study groups focusing on Calculus, Physics, Chemistry and other freshmen core courses in the fall and spring semester. The XL groups met twice a week for one and a half hours during the fall and spring semester. All study groups were coordinated by XL Facilitators, who are upper-class and graduate students. Facilitators oversee the interactive discussion of materials covered in the subjects. During the fall and spring semesters, the XL Program utilized an array of facilitators from a broad range of academic disciplines and ethnic backgrounds to provide scholastic support to participants in the program.
The participation of the Class of 2001 during the 1997-98 academic year was consistent with previous years. Ninety-six minority and non-minority students registered for the XL Program during the fall and spring term. During the first semester, sixty-seven students participated in the program which resulted in 12 XL groups covering Calculus, Chemistry and Physics. The spring semester had twenty-nine students registered for 10 XL groups covering Calculus (18.01 and 18.02), Chemistry (5.11 and 5.60), Physics (8.02 and 8.02X) and Computer Science (6.001). The majority of the students who participated in the XL Program passed the core curriculum for the freshmen year.
TUTORIAL SERVICES ROOM
The Office of Minority Education's Tutorial Services Room continued to provide tutorial services to a significant number of underrepresented minority and non-minority students. This year, the experienced a growth in the number of student users (see TSR Report) as the result of strong staff leadership coupled with an effective marketing strategy. The OME employed over ninety undergraduate and graduate students from an array of ethnic background and disciplines to tutor in over sixty-five courses. The Director of the OME, in conjunction with the Assistant Director, interviewed, hired and trained all tutors for the program. To ensure quality control within the program, all tutors' academic records were verified.
Freshmen and sophomores continue to represents the majority users of the TSR. Last year, the TSR provided academic support to 1108 students during the fall and spring term. As in the past, the number of women utilizing the TSR continued to be significantly higher than male students. At present, women account for 47% and males are less than 30% of the tutorial hours, respectively. The unspecified gender category increased last year to 22.9%.
The total number of Service Hours provided by the TSR was 3488 hours. Service Hours include tutorials, independent study, and Athena use. Below is the Tutorial Services Room Annual Report for the 1997-98 academic year. The report provides key information on the total number of service hours, service hours by class year, service hours by type of service, and students' ethnicity and gender.
TSR ANNUAL REPORT: ACADEMIC YEAR 96/97
|
Total Number Of Student-Clients: |
1,108 (Fall + Spring Totals. Some repeats included) |
|
Total Number Of Visits: |
2,505 (Repetitive of students) |
|
Total Number Of Service Hours: |
3,488 (Includes tutorials, independent study and Athena usage) |
Service Hours by Class
|
Class |
Hours |
Percentage |
|
1 |
1411.3 |
40.4 |
|
2 |
671.5 |
19.2 |
|
3 |
347.5 |
10.0 |
|
4 |
95.0 |
2.7 |
|
5 |
8.0 |
2.3 |
|
Unspecified |
955.3 |
27.3 |
|
TOTAL |
3,488.6 |
100.0 |
SECOND SUMMER PROGRAM
The Second Summer Program entered its 27th year and has complemented MIT's academic experience in an array of professional disciplines. SSP is an academic program that enriches and supports students' intellectual growth while assisting them to develop a keen sense of their professional possibilities. Program interns explore possible fields of interest, while making real contributions in their assigned workplace. Participants in the program return to their classrooms in the Fall with a depth of knowledge and experience that greatly enhances their learning.
48 underrepresented minority students qualified to participate in the Second Summer Program by attending three orientation sessions and passing the core curriculum for the freshmen year during the first semester. Students were also required to participate in the Program's Engineering Design Workshop that was held during the Independent Activity Period (IAP).
SSP participants were divided into teams and each team was required to design and build a product for either an accessory for an automobile or a functional product for a dormitory. At the end of the two-week period, each team competed in the program's engineering design competition. Through the support and direction of Professor Alex Slocum of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Academic Officer for the Engineering Design Workshop, the winning team's product has been funded to be patterned this year. After completing the SSP Engineering Design Workshop, participants entered an intensive interviewing process with the OME's Industrial Advisory Council for Minority Education (IACME) companies participating in the Second Summer Program. Twenty students were placed with 14 companies in engineering intern positions. For students who were not placed through the SSP process, efforts were made to place them at non-participating companies. MIT faculty continued to strengthen its partnership with the OME/SSP by volunteering to visit interns on-site and to report on the students' experiences. Faculty will visit 12 participating IACME companies.
This year, with the support of a grant ($2500) from Ford Motor Company, the winning team from the SSP competition has begun the patent process for the product they developed during IAP. Over the next five years, the winning team will receive $2,500 to patent the winning product.
INDUSTRIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR MINORITY EDUCATION
The purpose of the Industrial Advisory Council for Minority Education is to help ensure greater retention and higher academic achievement of MIT's underrepresented minority students through active support of, and participation in, the realization of the OME mission and goals.
To that end, members of IACME provide financial support to enhance the OME's ability to organize effective academic and professional development programs to assist our professional student organizations: AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society), NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) and SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers). During the course of this academic year, the OME contributed over $10,000 to support an array of professional and cultural organizations.
During the academic year, members of IACME took a leadership role in discussing a variety of issues that impact the academic success of underrepresented minority students at MIT. The academic achievements of underrepresented minority students remain a paramount concern for IACME. This year, three new companies joined IACME to further their diversity initiatives within their companies as well as providing additional internship opportunities through the Second Summer Program.
SECRETS AND STRATEGIES FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Since the inception of OME, SSAS has educated numerous students on the hidden curriculum of MIT. The primary aim of the SSAS program is to expose underrepresented minority students to the Institute's survival network of academic and support services. This year, coordinators of the SSAS Program observed a significant increase in participation by underrepresented minority students in the sessions held both in the Fall and Spring terms. The following topics were presented during the academic year:
Once again, the SSAS Program had an outstanding year.
OFFICE OF MINORITY EDUCATION STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL
OMESAC was created to provide a mechanism for minority students to bring their concerns and issues to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and Director of the OME. OMESAC's membership consists of a cross-section of underrepresented minority student professional and social organizations.
The 1997-98 academic year brought new challenges for OMESAC and its constituencies. The Council, in conjunction with the Office of Minority Education, initiated two programs which were beneficial to the minority community. The leadership of OMESAC coordinated and held a Minority Male Breakfast to address the myriad of issues that impact minority male students' success at MIT.
The Council initiated also the Robert Robinson Taylor Lecture Series. The purpose of the Lecture Series is to bring prominent minority alumni/ae and other professionals to MIT to provide insight into their success in their discipline. Speakers will be representatives from higher education, professoriate, engineers, scientists, artists, and politicians.
This year, OMESAC held two lectures. The first lecture was given by Four Star General Lloyd Newton of the US Air Force. General Newton was introduced by the former Secretary of the Air Force, Professor Shelia Widnal of the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department. The lecture was titled "Success is Earned, not Given".
The second lecturer was Professor Rafael Bras, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Professor Bras' topic was "Arguments Against Affirmative Action are Nonsense." Both lecture series were successful. Over eighty minority students as well as a number of prefrosh attended the series.
The OME continues to be a repository for information for internships and scholarships that target underrepresented minority students. Minority students receive scholarships from public, private and corporate organizations. This year, the OME facilitated partial and full scholarship support for over thirty minority students, with amounts ranging from $1,000 to $26,000 to be applied to tuition, room and board, fees and books.
The Office of Minority Education held its Twentieth Annual Minority Awards Banquet at the end of 1997-98 academic year. This year, the keynote speaker was Dr. Oliver McGee, past Martin Luther King Visiting Professor in Civil Engineering Department and now Advisor to President Bill Clinton on Science and Technology. Dr. Robert J. Birgeneau, Dean of the School of Science presented the Academic Awards. He lauded the achievements of all students who received awards at the Banquet. In the "spirit" of community, the Awards Banquet was supported by the Office of Minority Education, the Counseling and Support Services, the Office of Career Services and Preprofessional Advising, the Office of the Dean for the Graduate School, the Office of the President, and Residence and Campus Activities. Two hundred and fifty faculty, administrators, staff, and students attended the event to recognize the achievements and accomplishments of our minority students. Graduate and undergraduate students received academic and community service awards for their contributions for improving the quality of life for minority students at MIT.
This past year has been a demanding one for Residence and Campus Activities (RCA), ODSUE and MIT. It has been a unique mix of tragedies, challenges and opportunities. The most difficult tragedies involved the deaths of our students, notably that of freshman, Scott Krueger. Scott's alcohol-related death catalyzed self-examination and review of issues relating to alcohol use and abuse, housing and student life, and institutional policies and procedures, both at MIT and across the entire country. Some of these efforts had already been in process, such as the Presidential Task Force on Student Life and Learning, Residence/Orientation and examination of the first-year program. Other efforts, such as the Working Group on Dangerous Drinking and alcohol citations were directly related to the events of the Fall.
Some of the other major challenges and opportunities this past year dealt with organizational change. Within the larger ODSUE change effort, particularly important have been the Residential System Integration Team (RSIT) effort to bring together our office with the Housing Office and the Food Services Working Group which is creating the Office of Campus Dining, involving the Campus Activities Complex, Food Services, MIT Card Office, and RCA.
As we have restructured our organization from Residence and Campus Activities (in conjunction with Campus Activities Complex and Housing and Food Services), we provide guiding principles shared by the emerging Student Life Programs and Residential Life areas. These principles are based on the mission statement of RCA and are likely shared by all ODSUE Student Life areas:
Within the domain of these shared principles, RCA's efforts were focused on two inter-related, yet distinct, areas: Student Life Programs and Residential Life. These two areas both have shared and individual issues to consider; therefore, we present emerging mission statements in each area that are being formulated both through formal change processes and through evolving practice.
Student Life Programs
The mission of Student Life Programs is to offer a cohesive unit of programming and support for student events, ideas, and organizations and to create and foster increased opportunities to develop the "whole" student. Student Life Programs at MIT seek to facilitate student learning beyond the classroom. The six key components -- Leadership Development, LBGT Programs, Multicultural Programs, Public Service, Residential Programs, and Student Activities -- work in concert with one another to offer support and resources for a wide variety of student initiatives.
Residential System Integration Team
As noted by Dean Williams, the primary vehicle for coordinating changes in the residential system this past year was RSIT. The Team envisions a residential community for MIT which is the best in the world, one which is integral to and supportive of MIT's educational mission and enables all of its members to maximize their potential.
The mission of RSIT is to create such a residential community by extending the work of the Housing and Residential Life (HARL) Committee, under the sponsorship of the Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education and Senior Vice President, by consolidating existing core processes and designing and implementing an integrated residential system.
It is RSIT's mission to create a residential system which works towards the following goals:
It is RSIT's mission to create a residential system which operates in the following ways:
As noted in it's mission, the focus of RSIT this past year has been two-fold: 1. to extend the work of the Housing and Residential Life (HARL) Committee and 2. designing and implementing an integrated residential system. In the first goal, a number of studies and efforts resulted particularly in the areas of audits and inventories of existing facilities and space use, as well as the examination of standards in our residential system. Of particular importance in that has been the work and recommendations of the Facilities Management Team (FMAT), a cross-functional and cross-departmental team facilitating more efficient use of resources, increased customer satisfaction and better maintained facilities.
With regard to the second goal, efforts have been directed both externally and internally to RCA. Collaborative discussions and work have been fostered between the Interfraternity Council and Dorm Com and within and across residences. Internally, significant time was spent on developing an integrated office, which resulted in the formation of the Office of Residential Life and Student Life Programs on July 1, 1998
UNDERGRADUATE HOUSING
The number of students who were placed in one of their top three choices rose from approximately 95 percent to 99.3 percent. In order to optimize top three choices, there was a decrease in the number of students receiving their first choice house from approximately 84 percent to 68 percent.
Crowding of first-year students was not as great a problem this year as in previous years. There were 120 crowds at the beginning of the year, compared with 135 the previous year. Looking ahead, however, the crowding level for next fall is currently being projected as over 200 students. The uncertainty in the numbers of students who will pledge has led us to reduce the projected number of pledges from 375 (our projected number last year) to 250. In a response to the projected crowding for the 1998 Fall Semester, 72 spaces from Tang Hall were set aside for undergraduates.
The publication "The Guide to First Year Student Residences" has been produced in conjunction with "The Student Handbook" for the second year in a row, this year with more and better information to aid new students in residence selection. In response to a request for more information regarding Fraternities, we included thumbnail comparisons of the FSILG's listing information on 19 different categories, including a parental and alumnus contact for each of the FSILG's. The Undergraduate Residence Life handbook was revised so that this book will also become a resource for faculty and staff, and the distribution of the book will include all administrative offices and all undergraduate academic officers.
FACULTY/GRADUATE RESIDENTS AND THE HOUSE FELLOWS PROGRAM
Graduate Residents and GRT's provided programs on a variety of topics, such as health, diversity, safety, and relationships, and increased their role in helping undergraduates understand the issues of alcohol on campus.
In response to the HARL and RSIT recommendations, Faculty Residents and GRTs began this year to work in Residence Teams with House Managers and, when appropriate, with student government leaders. The Team in each house has undertaken to plan programs, social activities, and building renovations in conjunction with Institute-wide planning.
Twenty-four faculty and alumni served as House Fellows in undergraduate and graduate residence halls and independent living groups, including fraternities. By informal activities, such as ski trips, research discussions, and dinners, they came to know students outside the academic arena and became colleagues and mentors for approximately eight hundred students.
FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES and INDEPENDENT LIVING GROUPS
Sigma Kappa Sorority became the Institute's thirty-seventh Independent Living Group (ILG) last August with the Institute's purchase and renovation of a four story building located at 480 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. Twenty-four members and a full time house director occupy the building. This is MIT's fourth all-female ILG.
This year's FSILG rush resulted in 360 pledges, compared to 375-380 expected, due to adverse effects of the alcohol related death of a fraternity pledge at LSU that occurred during our R/O. A number of parents expressed their concern about alcohol in our fraternities during Parents' R/O.
After the death of a fraternity member from alcohol poisoning early in the term, The InterFraternity council (IFC) responded by instituting a ban on alcohol at fraternity events while it and the Alumni Interfraternity Conference (AIFC) developed reforms in its policies and the use of alcohol by its member organizations. Over the next few weeks several other alcohol related incidents were reported at MIT fraternities, resulting in increased scrutiny of the fraternity system and criticism of MIT's housing selection process within MIT and by local community.
The IFC formed three committees to study the issues surrounding freshman residence selection and alcohol in ILG:
Activities and Culture Committee
Committee on Social Policy and Liability/Risk
ManagementIFC R/O Proposal Committee
Which resulted in reports and policy changes approved by the entire organization.
At the October 15, faculty meeting a motion was introduced that would have all freshmen live in on-campus residence halls, effectively ending a decades old tradition of first year students residing in fraternities. The motion was amended in November to read, "it is the sense of the Faculty that MIT should move immediately to begin a comprehensive, deliberate examination of its residential system."
In March, the IFC permitted fraternities which met all requirements listed in the risk Management Policy adopted on November 12, to resume the service of alcohol on a controlled basis. The new three-strike policy set sanctions for alcohol violations: a 120-day alcohol ban at events for the first and second violations and loss of rush privileges for a third violation. The new policy requires events for new members to be alcohol-free and appointment of risk management and safety officers at each fraternity. It also bans tap systems and kegs, and prohibits spending house funds on alcohol and the purchase of alcohol for guests by the chapter acting as a group.
Once certified, a fraternity may hold BYOB events or parties with outside vendors serving alcohol. The IFC has five requirements for certification:
The IFC and this office combined to make available programs in all these areas for FSILGs.
Events this last fall also revealed a serious concern on the part of both parents and the general community for the level of supervision by MIT over its thirty-seven independent living groups. The Institute announced that it would require all ILG's to have Resident Advisors in place for the coming fall term. Although the decision to ask ILG's to identify an RA over the summer was initially met with resistance and concern, it is anticipated that most, if not all, of the groups will have their RA in place when the fall term begins.
DISCIPLINE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
In the majority of conflicts and disciplinary matters arising in residence halls, the GRT's and Housemasters handled the situation and prevented escalation to a matter for the Dean's Office. RCA staff handled dozens of discipline matters and complaints through actions ranging from conferring with Housemasters over minor undesirable behavior to chairing and serving on Dean's Office Hearing and COD panels where the sanction might be recommendation of expulsion. A more detailed report including general statistics on mediated conflicts and other areas will be submitted to the faculty.
Demand for training in constructive conflict resolution continues to increase, and training is a major function of mediation@mit. In addition to the annual thirty-six-hour Basic Training in Mediation during IAP for twenty-four students and staff, mediation@mit staff also offered seven shorter training sessions and classes for over two hundred- fifty students. Through mediation@mit, undergraduate and graduate students resolved disputes with the facilitation of volunteer mediators who contributed fifty-eight hours of intense work.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND CAMPUS SOCIAL LIFE
The past year was one of new activities and change in student activities, including the formation of many new groups, the addition of leadership and multicultural training, the renewal of Spring Weekend as a major event on campus, and the rejuvenation of the class councils. Over the course of the year RCA increased advising and other services to encourage new programming initiatives and collaborated with staff from the Public Service Center to develop a new base for student programming support. We also coordinated with CAC Program staff to develop both a more cohesive advising structure within student activities and a more effective community-wide programming unit within Campus Activities Complex.
During this past year there has also been increased focus on campus social life, including the re-birth of a significant spring weekend. The addition of the Program Coordinator staff position has enhanced advising for campus programming and specific support to the student organizations most involved in programming. Efforts were also made to bring these major organizations together to begin to address social life concerns as a group. These discussions have lead to increased communication, the development of joint activities for this coming fall, and increased attention to developing a campus calendar of student social events. Review of process and policies for events on campus continues. Most information is now available on the web. Substantial work lead to development of an interim alcohol policy for events, and that work is ongoing
To help keep financial reins on expanded student activities programs, a new staff member, Edmund Jones, joined the team in February of 1998 and in his first four months has worked diligently to improve the finance operation. Efforts to work with groups in deficit have increased, with the goal of total debt reduction to be completed by fall 1998. Staff will work with the students to develop a system that facilitates clear oversight and auditing procedures. The addition of the Provost's funds will allow for review of all financial operations. The number of student activities who have registered their outside bank accounts has increased significantly and ASA and our staff are implementing enforcement and oversight mechanisms.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Event planning workshops were held and were attended by over 30 student organizations. Training programs on financial systems and planning were held throughout the Spring semester and addressed funding and system issues. A weekend retreat for the Program Board was facilitated for all officers with the support of the CAC and Student Activities staff. Individual training for student groups was provided on request and addressed issues such as meeting management, conflict resolution, and event planning.
In the summer of 1997, the Publications Board was established. It includes representatives from all of the student publications on campus and is staffed by our office. Issues addressed this year include conflict resolution and communication among publications, distribution, training, and crisis response. Professional training is being planned for the fall of 1998 in conjunction with the MIT News Office.
MESH, A residential academic program for high school students, is running this year with 45 residential students. Staff are working with the two student directors to ensure a safe environment for the students.
UNDERGRADUATE ASSOCIATION
The Undergraduate Association had a productive year. The Social Committee contributed to a number of large, alcohol-free social events on campus. It teamed up with the CAC Program Board to produce a successful Spring Weekend, and with the class councils for the Battle of the Classes and Ski Day. The Committee on Student Life permanently established the free and very popular Logan Shuttle during finals week. The Student Committee on Educational Policy used regular mailings to inform undergraduates of the faculty regulations which effect them. The Nominations Committee forwarded the names of a select group of dedicated students eager to serve on Institute committees.
The Class Councils had a very active and productive year. The Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Classes collaborated on programs, the largest being the Undergraduate Career Fair. The Freshman Class was awarded a Stewart Award for their contributions to student life.
In response to fall events, the UA established an Alcohol Awareness Committee to educate students on the dangers of alcohol abuse. The newly revived Committee on Housing and R/O was active in seeking student opinions on proposed changes to these areas and communicating these opinions to the administration.
PUBLIC SERVICE CENTER
The Public Service Center (PSC) contributes to the education of students by providing opportunities for them to experience service and by nurturing committed and sustained involvement within the community, focusing on efforts that enhance public education in Cambridge. In addition, the PSC served as an umbrella organization for various campus groups that engage in community service, as a clearinghouse, directing both undergraduate and graduate students to hundreds of local service agencies who need their specific talents or services, and as the liaison between area agencies and the MIT community.
Over one third of the MIT undergraduates participated in at least one of the PSC sponsored programs this past year. Programs included the following: the day-long CityDays Festival for Cambridge Public School children; LINKS, a year-long program to improve the quality of science education in the Cambridge Schools; KEY's to Empowering Youth, a student-run program science and technology workshops matching MIT student mentors and 160 11-13 year-old girls from the Greater Boston area; the America Reads Program responding to President Clinton's challenge and conducted in cooperation with the Student Employment Office; The Volunteer Community Connection that allows non-profit agencies in the area without access to the Internet to recruit volunteers on the Internet via the VCC search engine; The Panhellenic Giving Tree program which solicited donations for over 1,200 gifts to 30 local agencies and shelters; Project Health a multi-disciplinary community service program; The Alternative Spring Break program; the MIT LeaderShape program with the School of Engineering, and the annual MIT/Cambridge Science Expo held at MIT.
Seventeen PSC Fellowships were awarded to students who worked with 7th and 8th grade science teachers in various Cambridge schools, Coordinators of Educational Technology in other schools, at the Cambridge YWCA, Boston Ace, and the MIT Museum.
PUBLICATIONS AND FUNDING
Copies of OUTREACH: A Resource Guide for Volunteering in Cambridge and the Greater Boston Area, with a listing of over 100 local agencies, were sent out to interested undergraduates and other constituencies in the early fall. The PSC newsletter was published during the fall and spring semesters, which listed upcoming projects and featured articles written by students about different public service efforts through the PSC. On-line access to listing s is available on the web through the VCC.
The PSC finished its final year of a three-year grant from The Germeshausen Foundation which was specifically donated for IAP and summer fellowships. This year the PSC reapplied for additional funding and was granted a two-year $100,000 gift. The Lord Foundation has granted additional funding of $50,000 for the same purpose again this year. The PSC was also written into a grant awarded to the Cambridge Public School Science Department by the National Science Foundation, and it is in its third year (of three) for receiving support for the facilitation of the LINKS program. Approximately $60,000 has also been donated to the Priscilla King Gray Endowment over the past year, and the PSC is in the process of seeking additional funding through Foundations and individual donors to support PSC activities.
STUDENT LIFE PROGRAMS
This year is particularly notable in that the Public Service Center and Student Activities staff worked together to create a vision for a new broad-based student program area, currently being referred to as "Student Life Programs." In addition to Public Service and Student Activities, this program would provide support for Multicultural Programs, Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgendered Programs, and Leadership Development and would create a mechanism for communication regarding programming efforts across MIT's campus, including Orientation, Health Education, CAC, and Residential Life.
Included in the programs offered in the past year were the Infinite Buffet that brought together 6,000 members of the MIT community for music, entertainment, and food from all over the world, the Diversity of Thought Symposium with panels of MIT faculty and staff, and alumni who shared their thoughts on the philosophy behind multiculturalism and diversity, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender gatherings that addressed resources available to LBGT students and the Institute's non-discrimination policies.
STAFF CHANGES
Edmund Jones was hired as Staff Associate for Student Activities Finances.
Rick Gresh served in the temporary full-time position of Program Coordinator for Student Activities shared jointly with the Campus Activities Complex
Phillip Bernard, Neal Dorow, Andrew Eisenmann, Rick Gresh, Monica Huggins, Katherine O'Dair, Carol Orme-Johnson, Emily Sandberg
AIR FORCE ROTC
The Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFROTC) program at MIT provides challenging and comprehensive leadership and academic training for students attending MIT, Harvard, Tufts and Wellesley. We continue to recruit and commission men and women as second lieutenants in the United States Air Force. Year-end enrollment in AFROTC as of June 1997 was as follows:
|
Freshmen |
Sophomores |
Juniors |
Seniors |
Total |
|
|
MIT |
4 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
41 |
|
Harvard |
4 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
13 |
|
Tufts |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Wellesley |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
Total |
9 |
17 |
16 |
17 |
59 |
Of the 59 students enrolled, 56 (95 percent) were on scholarship and 15 (25 percent) were minorities, including 21 women (36 percent).
An assortment of special cadet activities continued unchanged from previous years. These included a freshman orientation program emphasizing Air Force knowledge, physical fitness, and drill; an Air Force Dining-In, a formal dinner with guest speaker; and the Tri-Service Military Ball, parade, awards ceremony and commissioning ceremony at the USS Constitution.
Some of the highlights of the year include:
The cadre for the 1997-98 academic year included Colonel Rutley, Captain Brown, Captain Eherenman, Captain Liechty, Captain Rickert, TSgt Briggs, TSgt Marcaurelle, and Mrs Cronin. Captain Eherenman retired in the spring and Captain Brown arrived to take his position for spring term. Colonel Rutley will be retiring from the Air Force on July 31 and enjoyed his two years as visiting professor of aerospace studies here at MIT. Colonel Kuconis arrived here in June following an assignment as commander, 425th Air Base Squadron, Izmir Air Station, Turkey.
For more information about our program, please visit our detachment web page at the following URL:
John E. Kuconis
ARMY ROTC
The purpose of the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is to provide instruction and training in military science subjects, to include a focus on leadership development. When coupled with the completion of a bachelor's degree, this training qualifies selected students for commissions as officers in the Active Army, Army Reserves, or Army National Guard.
The 1997-98 Academic Year was successful in commissioning highly qualified graduates who promise to represent our program well in both the active army and the army reserves. In the spring, scholarships were awarded on campus for the first time. The Professor of Military Science chaired the review board and ultimately selected a maximum of 10 scholarships worth $21,900 per year. This campus-based scholarship program allows cadets to compete locally, greatly simplifying the nomination process that traditionally was a national selection board.
At the end of the academic year, 46 students were enrolled in our program. Of those 46 students 15 (33%) were minority, including 10 women.
|
Freshmen |
Sophomores |
Juniors |
Seniors |
Total |
|
|
MIT |
3 |
0 |
7 |
6 |
16 |
|
Harvard |
7 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
15 |
|
Wellesley |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Tufts |
1 |
3 |
7 |
2 |
13 |
|
Total |
11 |
4 |
19 |
12 |
46 |
Of the 16 enrolled MIT students, all are currently on scholarship, and two were awarded 2-year scholarships this spring.
This year the Army ROTC Department commissioned nine new second lieutenants, three of whom were from MIT. Of the nine, two are entering the Reserves, and seven will be reporting to Active Duty.
Most faculty positions changed this year. Departing staff includes Major Long, Captain Filosa, Sergeant First Class Acton, Staff Sergeant Weir, and Sergeant Thrall. Replacements are Captain Brown, Sergeant First Class Anderson, Sergeant Hiett, and Staff Sergeant Sullivan.
Social highlights for this year included a formal Military Ball where cadre, cadets, and guests participated in dinner and dancing. Army ROTC sponsored the Annual Tri-Service Awards Banquet with 85 cadets and midshipmen receiving awards from 37 organizations. Army ROTC supported the MIT Community Service Fund by participating in the 4-mile Road Race around the Charles River Basin. Tri-service commissioning ceremonies at Tufts, Harvard, and for MIT, at the USS Constitution were memorable events marking the transition to officer.
On- and Off-campus learning opportunities continued to attract cadets who voluntarily trained at Fort Benning, GA (Airborne School); Schofield Barracks, HI (Air Assault School); Washington, D.C. (Pentagon Internship); and Ansbach, Germany (Troop Leadership). Participation continued strong in the MIT Pershing Rifles Company, a group of both ROTC and non-ROTC students dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in leadership and tactics.
More information about this department can be found on the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://web.mit.edu/armyrotc/
Robert R. Rooney
NAVY ROTC
The Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program at MIT provides challenging and comprehensive leadership and academic training for students attending MIT, Harvard, and Tufts. In the 1997-98 Academic Year, a total of 19 Graduates were commissioned. Program enrollment just prior to June commencement was as follows;
|
Freshmen |
Sophomores |
Juniors |
Seniors |
Total |
|
|
MIT |
17 |
5 |
7 |
14 |
43 |
|
Harvard |
10 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
31 |
|
Tufts |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
|
Total |
29 |
16 |
16 |
22 |
83 |
The Navy's financial assistance for MIT students totaled approximately $1,039,500 for the year. We are expecting approximately 35 new freshmen entering the program this year.
Annual activities included Freshmen Orientation held in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Navy and Marine Corps Birthday Ball, where Col Alauria, USMC, was the honored speaker. The MIT NROTC Color Guard participated in the Boston's Veteran's Day parade, as well as in several MIT football games. The midshipman battalion was also active in community, working closely with the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, teaching computer skills to veterans.
The MIT NROTC sailing team competed successfully this year. The team participated at the Georgetown and Cornell regattas and hosted the Fourth Annual Beaver Sailing Regatta on the Charles River. The spring semester also included three military excellence competitions at Villanova, Cornell, and Holy Cross.
During the summer, all of the scholarship midshipmen participate in active duty training with deployed naval units. This summer, midshipmen are cruising aboard submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and other vessels.
Vice Admiral Richard Mies, Commander Submarine Force visited to discuss submarine warfare with the students at a leadership lab.
Rear Admiral John Padgett, Commander Submarine Group Two was the guest speaker at the MIT Commissioning ceremony held 5 June alongside the USS Constitution. The commissioning party consisted of 12 MIT students.
More information about this department can be found on the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/navyrotc/home.html
Randall D. Preston
The mission of the Student Financial Aid Office is to develop and maintain fair and equitable financial aid policies and practices which assure equal access by all students qualified for admission to MIT. Activities that advance this mission include counseling students and parents in all financial aid matters, managing grant and loan funds from outside agencies, stewarding undergraduate scholarship endowment funds, managing g on- and off-campus student employment opportunities, and faculty and administrators on all matters pertaining to financial aid policies.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
The reorganization of the Bursar's office and the Office of Student Financial Aid was completed this year. A new organization was created called Student Financial Service and combined with Academic Services within the Office of Educational Services. The organizational structure of the new office is team-based and reflects the work done over the past year in the reengineering of student services.
As a result of the improved fiscal condition of the US economy and the scholarship endowment, the need for unrestricted funds decreased for the third year in a row. This improved aid situation allowed MIT to reduce the self-help component of the standard aid package by more than 11% from $8,600 to $7,600.
The year brought new financial aid competition into the aid picture. For the first time in decades a number of Ivy League schools as well as Stanford made significant changes in the formulas used for determining aid eligibility. These changes were Institution-specific and diverged from the national standards of need determination. The effect on MIT's enrollment picture for the year were negligible, partly as a result of MIT's lowered self-help. Future admissions and aid years will likely be characterized by increased price competition among these schools and others hoping to enroll MIT's admitted students.
During the year some significant achievements were made by the Office of Student Financial Aid. These included coordinated admissions and aid notifications for prospective freshmen, improved processes for application processing that eliminated paperwork and staff time, and an increase of 20% in the number of applications processed for the fall-term bill. A wider staff from the new Student Financial Services organization became involved in the evaluation of financial aid applications. In the area of systems design and analysis important work was done on the potential cost-effect to MIT of differing financial aid policies as schools created new institution-based aid formulas. Projects were also completed to improve the data matching of federal and institutional aid information assuring compliance with a myriad of federal regulations.
The office was successful in delivering aid more efficiently and in a more complex competitive market than ever before. Improved yield figures for the incoming class attest to the effective work done in coordinating financial information with admissions processes. This was done while significant time was spent on reorganizing the offices and planning for the physical move from Building 5 to Building 11.
Significant changes in the federal tax laws were made during the year. Two tax credits were established to aid families with college costs. These credits will be effective in the 1998 tax year. MIT and schools across the country are gearing up for the significant school reporting requirements that are part of these new laws. For the most part the traditional aid programs associated with Title IV of the Higher Education Act have remained the same in terms of funding and delivery. Only modest changes in these programs are expected in the coming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act due this coming year.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
Awarded to undergraduates with need, in $000's
|
Source |
1995-96 |
1996-97 |
1997-98 |
|
Pell Grants |
1,183 |
1,159 |
1,153 |
|
SEO Grants |
1,970 |
1,913 |
1,847 |
|
ROTC Scholarships |
601 |
715 |
665 |
|
Scholarship Endowment |
12,021 |
13,269 |
14,063 |
|
Current Gifts |
773 |
986 |
894 |
|
Direct Grants |
3,311 |
3,160 |
2,995 |
|
Unrestricted Funds |
14,965 |
12,908 |
12,755 |
|
Total Grants Awarded |
34,824 |
34,110 |
34,372 |
Fiscal year 1998 saw a continuation of the strong national economy and the moderating demand for grant support to needy students. The number of needy undergraduates decrease by 4% to 2,505 and the average need increased by 3% to 21,285. The total of endowment and current gifts used to fund grants increased in FY98 by 5%. The decreased number of needy students lowered the required draw down of unrestricted sources for grants and scholarships to $12.8 million which represents about 13% of total undergraduate tuition revenues.
LOANS
Received by needy and non-needy students, in $000's
|
Source |
1995-96 |
1996-97 |
1997-98 |
|
Awarded to Undergraduates |
|||
|
Technology Loan Fund |
2,061 |
2,118 |
1,922 |
|
Perkins/Nation Direct Loans |
4,411 |
4,315 |
4,009 |
|
Stafford Loans to Needy Students |
8,642 |
8,818 |
8,358 |
|
Stafford Loans Beyond Need |
475 |
517 |
662 |
|
Other Loans to Students |
99 |
96 |
121 |
|
Sub-Total, Undergraduates |
15,688 |
15,864 |
15,072 |
|
Awarded to Graduate Students |
|||
|
Technology Loan Fund |
4,577 |
4,631 |
4,986 |
|
Perkins/Nation Direct Loans |
177 |
21 |
4 |
|
Stafford Loans to Needy Students |
5,668 |
5,325 |
4,976 |
|
Stafford Loans Beyond Need |
3,562 |
3,963 |
3,763 |
|
Other Loans to Students |
97 |
184 |
0 |
|
Sub-Total, Graduates |
14,081 |
14,124 |
13,729 |
|
Total Loans to Students |
29,769 |
29,988 |
28,801 |
The reduced demand on aid funds was also reflected in the lower use of loans among undergraduate and graduate students. Total student loans decreased by 4%.
Parent Loans
|
Source |
1995-96 |
1996-97 |
1997-98 |
|
Federal Parent Loan |
2,421 |
2,966 |
1,039 |
|
MIT Parent Loan Plan |
1,515 |
1,550 |
1,766 |
|
Mass. Ed. Finance Authority (MEFA) |
1,889 |
2,104 |
2,379 |
|
Other Parent Loans |
113 |
51 |
0 |
|
Total Loans to Parents |
5,938 |
6,671 |
5,184 |
Fiscal 98 also saw a reduced demand for parent loan assistance. The use of the Federal Plus loan declined significantly while the use of the Massachusetts Educational Financing plan continued its steady increase. MIT's Parent Loan Plan also saw a modest increase.
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT
Opportunities in the off campus job increased significantly in 1997-98. Students could be very selective in choosing employment. In fact, for the first time in many years some of the larger on-campus employers found it difficult to fill their positions. High end jobs were on the rise; employers were seeking more technical skills and language skills.
2,773 undergraduate students worked on campus earning $5,587,855 in 1997-98.
The MIT Student Minimum Wage was remained $7.25. (Does not include UROP) This minimum has been in effect for two years.
The Federal College Work- Study Program allocation increased by 8%. At least half of the extra funding was to be committed to community service, with emphasis on providing work study jobs for reading tutors. This tutoring program is known nationally as the America Reads Program.
The primary goal of the America Reads Program is to have children reading at grade level by the end of third grade. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was an unlikely candidate to launch such a program. Although MIT has no school of education and no existing program that can train its students to tutor elementary school children in reading, the MIT ReachOut (Help Teach a Child to Read) Program attracted MIT students in large numbers. One hundred and thirty students joined the program last fall. (both work-study and volunteers) MIT students were tutoring in the Patrick O'Hearn, the Lucy Stone and the Neighborhood Charter House schools. This was the first time in many years that MIT had been able formally to support some of the Boston schools. Tutors also went to the Edward Devotion school in Brookline. The largest placement (60 students) was at the Cambridge Community Center. The goals for the upcoming year is to ensure a strong and sustainable program, to assess how the literacy training is being used by the tutors, and to provide books to those centers that do not have libraries.
A Federal Work Study Community Service computer system was developed in Power Builder. The system provides better integration with the student information system. The system monitors payroll, earnings ceilings and produces bills and reports.
PERSONNEL
Karen Wilcox resigned as Assistant Director to take a position in financial aid at Wellesley College.
FUTURE PLANS
The new Office of Student Financial Services will integrate the services provided by the Bursar and Financial Aid. The coming year will bring the integration of this change and the development of team-based service delivery for financial services.
More Information about the Office of Student Financial Aid can be found on the World Wide Web at the following URL:http://web.mit.edu/finaid/
More information about the Office of Student Employment can be found at this URL:http://web.mit.edu/seo/
Stanley Hudson
The mission of the Student Services Center is to provide financial and academic services to all students, staff, faculty, parents, and alumni/ae in a friendly, accurate, and timely manner, and in a way that ideally will allow more time for pursuit of their educational and personal interests.
With this sense of mission the Student Services Center (SSC) opened its doors to the MIT community on the 18th of August 1997. As with all new organizations, the SSC spent this past year accomplishing two main tasks. First, the office had to organize and develop a staff while, at the same time, the work of serving students and the MIT community had to be met on a daily basis.
Staff development focused on learning to work together and to work in new ways. Staff had intensive training in the policies and procedures available at the SSC. This training resulted in a manual that will be useful for all Financial Services Staff as they assist with public contact during heavy traffic times. The other aspect of staff development involved working as a team. Staff developed the SSC mission statement, operating norms, tools to measure success, and other practices and protocols that allowed the staff to function as a team.
The other major task of the SSC was providing high quality service to the MIT community. Increased efficiency and convenience was the first achievement. At the SSC students could go to one place to handle a variety of administrative tasks -- from adding money to a meal plan, turning in an academic petition, and signing promissory notes for student loans. This one stop approach makes it easier for students to handle several types of administrative tasks in less time.
Also, representatives from the Bursar's Office, Student Financial Aid Office, and the Registrar's Office were available to work with students to resolve problems. This coordinated approach saved time as representatives of more than one office could work together in one location. Students also appreciated the fact that they could go to one location to handle complicated problems that in the past would have required trips across campus.
From the day that the SSC opened, it has been busy. During the month of September 1997, the SSC recorded almost 13,500 contacts with students. Over 95% of these contacts were walk-ins. While the entire year did not sustain the volume of September, the SSC did average over 5,800 student contacts per month for October through May.
The SSC provides a starting point for the new Student Financial Services organization. During the next few months, as construction is completed, additional student services will move into the Center. Ultimately, all four floors of the Student Services Center will be occupied and offering a broad array of services to students, parents, and others at MIT. Student Financial Services is organized into teams, a new experience for most, and we expect to reorganize staff and space as we learn to work in new ways and improve our processes.
More information about the Student Services Center can be found on the World Wide Web at the following URL:http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena.mit.edu/org/s/ssc/index.html
Carolyn Bunker