MIT Reports to the President 1998-99
One of the Institute's four corporate officers, the Vice President and Secretary of the Corporation is responsible for administering the operations of the Corporation, MIT's board of trustees, including membership and standing committees, and, through the Office of the Vice President and Secretary of the Corporation, quarterly meetings of the board, and 27 Corporation visiting committees that conduct biennial reviews of the Institute's academic and research programs. The Vice President and Secretary also serves as secretary of the Executive Committee, Recording Officer of the Corporation, and joint signatory with the President in the awarding of academic degrees.
CORPORATION MEETINGS
On October 1, 1998, an orientation program was held for new members of the Corporation. In the evening, new members and their spouses and guests were joined by members of the Executive and Membership Committees for a reception and dinner.
At the annual meeting on October 2, 1998, new members were introduced. The Corporation approved the action of the President in the awarding of September degrees, and voted to approve the list of nominated members of the visiting committees, one new visiting committee chair, and one new member of the Corporation Development Committee. Members also approved the report of the President, and heard additional reports from the Treasurer, and from the chairs of the Auditing Committee, Membership Committee, and three visiting committees. Memorial resolutions were adopted by the Corporation on Life Member Emeritus Semon E. Knudsen ‘36.
At the meeting on December 4, 1998, the Corporation adopted a resolution of appreciation honoring retiring treasurer Glenn P. Strehle, naming him Treasurer Emeritus, effective January 1, 1999. Members approved a new degree program in archaeological materials, and heard reports from the President, the Vice President for Resource Development, and the chairs of the Membership Committee, the Community Service Fund, and four visiting committees. The Corporation also approved a resolution authorizing the goal of the upcoming fundraising campaign.
On March 5, 1999, the Corporation approved the action of the President in the awarding of February degrees, approved a new doctoral program in bioengineering, and approved new fund administrators of the Sloan Basic Research Fund in the Physical Sciences. Reports were presented by the President, and by the chairs of the Corporation Joint Advisory Committee on Institute-Wide Affairs, Membership Committee, Screening Committee, and four visiting committees. A presentation during the meeting by Dean of Admissions Marilee Jones led to a working lunch at which Corporation members participated in the admissions process by reviewing actual applications and making admissions recommendations based on MIT's criteria.
The final quarterly meeting of the academic year was held on June 4, 1999, prior to Commencement exercises, at which the speakers were Thomas F. Magliozzi '58 and Raymond L. Magliozzi '72, hosts of the National Public Radio series Car Talk. At the meeting, the Corporation approved the action of the President in the awarding of June degrees, and approved four new degree programs. The Corporation elected new Corporation members, members of the standing committees and committees of annual recurrence, chairs of the visiting committees, and members of the Corporation Development Committee. Resolutions were read to honor three members completing their terms of service on the Corporation. Remarks on the transfer to Life Member Emeritus were read for Life Members Paul M. Cook '47 and William S. Edgerly '49. Memorial resolutions were adopted on the deaths of Life Members Emeriti Harold J. Muckley '39 and Thornton A. Wilson '53. Members heard reports from the President and the chairs of the Membership Committee, Screening Committee, and three visiting committees, as well as from the retiring chair of the faculty. Corporation members participated in the academic procession to Killian Court for Commencement exercises, for which Norman B. Leventhal '38 served as Corporation Marshal.
CORPORATION MEMBERSHIP
Completed Service Effective June 30, 1999: Richard A. Jacobs, Peter M. Saint Germain, Mark Y.D. Wang.
Elected to a Five-Year Term Effective July 1, 1999: Morris Chang, Edie N. Goldenberg, Kenneth F. Gordon, Harbo P. Jensen, Judy C. Lewent, A. Neil Pappalardo, Pardis C. Sabeti, Barrie R. Zesiger.
Elected to Complete an Unexpired Term Effective July 1, 1999: Kenan E. Sahin.
Elected Life Member effective July 1, 1999: Denis A. Bovin, James A. Champy.
Ex officio Member for a One-Year Term Effective July 1, 1999: Brian G.R. Hughes, 1999-2000 President of the Association of Alumni and Alumnae of MIT.
Ex officio Members: Allan S. Bufferd, Treasurer, effective January 1, 1999; David P. Driscoll, Commissioner of Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Transferred to Life Member Emeritus: Paul M. Cook (April 1999); William S. Edgerly (June 1999).
Deaths: Semon E. Knudsen, July 6, 1998; Thornton A. Wilson, April 10, 1999; Harold J. Muckley, April 11, 1999.
CORPORATION COMMITTEES
The Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility did not meet as a group in 1998-99. The Treasurer monitors votes in accordance with guidelines previously established by the Committee and is charged with convening the Committee if new issues arise during the year.
Meetings of the Auditing Committee were held on October 1, 1998 and March 4, 1999, and were attended by Auditing Committee members; representatives from PricewaterhouseCoopers, MIT's independent public accountants; and by MIT Audit Division and Finance personnel and other invited members of the MIT administration.
Discussed at the fall meeting were the financial statements for Fiscal Year 1998, the auditing inputs from the Institute's internal staff, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and responsible Government agencies, and the certification and pro-active management letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers. The spring meeting focused primarily on audit plans for Fiscal Year 1999, a review of detailed plans to avoid any material failures or disruptions as a result of Year 2000 issues, and the need for senior management involvement in ensuring real effort at the level of departments, labs, and centers, and on the status of continuing the SAP financial system roll-out.
The Corporation Joint Advisory Committee on Institute-Wide Affairs (CJAC) held three meetings during the year to discuss the issues raised in the Report of the Task Force on Student Life and Learning. One meeting, held jointly with the Screening Committee, also focused on the process of nomination and election to the Corporation. The ongoing discussions of the Task Force report culminated in the drafting of a "scorecard" by which the Institute can measure progress in implementing solutions to issues of concern. The chair, Richard A. Jacobs, presented a report of CJAC's activities to the Corporation at the March meeting.
Activities of the Corporation Development Committee are covered in the annual report of the Vice President for Resource Development, under the Office of Individual Giving.
The Executive Committee held ten meeting during the past year. Its agenda included such topics as developments in interdisciplinary education and research; student recruitment and admissions and financial aid policies; student life; campus planning; external relations; the sponsorship of research; and changes in the senior administration. The Committee devoted substantial time to the discussion of budget processes, financial planning, and the management and enhancement of the Institute's resources.
The Investment Committee held three regularly scheduled meetings during fiscal year 1999 under the chairmanship of Samuel W. Bodman. Glenn P. Strehle served as an ex officio member until his retirement on December 31, 1998. Allan S. Bufferd served as Secretary of the Committee until his election as Treasurer of the Corporation, starting January 1, 1999. Susan B. Weisenbeck, Investment Officer, was appointed as Secretary of the Committee starting January 1, 1999, at which time Allan S. Bufferd became an ex officio member.
The Wellington Management Company of Boston remained the primary investment manager and advisor for publicly traded securities, both domestic and international. The Institute continued the program, managed by four other investment management firms, of equity investments in smaller capitalization companies. During Fiscal Year 1999, the Institute diversified the management of its international equity securities by hiring two other investment management firms in addition to Wellington. The program for domestic and international alternative investments to publicly traded securities was continued. These alternative investments–including venture capital, private capital, real estate, event arbitrage, and distressed debt–are typically managed by several investment managers through pooled investment funds.
The Membership Committee held three meetings during the academic year to discuss matters concerning membership on the Corporation, and nominations to various Corporation standing committees and committees of annual recurrence.
The Corporation Screening Committee for Nomination of Recent Graduates, in collaboration with CJAC, held a joint dinner meeting for students on October 1, 1998, in part to explain the nomination and election process for membership on the Corporation. The committee met via two teleconferences in January and February 1999 to review all nominees. From a group of 78 candidates, the committee selected ten for the ballot. Ms. Pardis C. Sabeti ‘97 received the nomination and was elected in June to serve a five-year term on the Corporation.
Thirteen Corporation Visiting Committees convened for regular two-day meetings during the academic year 1998-99: Aeronautics and Astronautics; Biology; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Economics; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Libraries; Music and Theater Arts; Ocean Engineering; Physics; and Political Science. In addition, special one-day meetings were held for the visiting committees for the Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education and the Sloan School of Management.
In 1998-99, the Institute's 27 visiting committees were comprised of 404 persons and 511 membership positions: 67 Corporation members filled 161 slots; 187 presidential nominees filled 192 slots; 153 alumni nominees filled 154 slots. (Six people each filled both a presidential nominee slot and an alumni nominee slot.)
Women comprised 24 percent of the visiting committee membership and minorities 13 percent; 66 percent of the members were affiliated with corporations, 33 percent with academia, and one percent with government and foundations.
Kathryn A. Willmore
The offices within Public Relations Services support the mission of the Institute by enhancing public understanding of MIT and of higher education and research more generally and by supporting the community life of the Institute through communications and special events. The academic year 1998-99 was eventful for the Institute and for Public Relations Services on all these fronts.
Staff from all offices in Public Relations Services participated in the complex planning for April's visit by the Premier of the People's Republic of China, Zhu Rongji, which drew on the experience with tight deadlines and high security developed during the Commencement visit of President Clinton the year before. This year's successful Commencement events were highlighted by the thoughtful wit of the guest speakers, Thomas F. Magliozzi '58 and Raymond F. Magliozzi '72, hosts of National Public Radio's "Car Talk."
Work continued this year on a range of efforts to strengthen and make more consistent the Institute's internal and external communications. These efforts draw on the talents of all the offices and staff within Public Relations Services; most of them involve other offices throughout the Institute as formal or informal partners. Major aspects of this activity include graphics, branding, and institutional identity; improving the experiences of prospective students and other campus visitors; enhancing public support for higher education and research through media coverage and institutional publications; and providing for the Institute-wide coordination of major activities and special events. Much of this work is accomplished through informal working groups, but the monthly meetings of the Communications Operating Group and the Information Group, both chaired by the Vice President and Secretary of the Corporation, provide regular forums for the exchange of ideas and information on these issues.
Kathryn A. Willmore
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
The Communications Office publishes official reference information on MIT's educational, research, administrative, and financial policies and programs that is current, accurate, and accessible, in both print and electronic versions; distributes publications; and disseminates information available through the office. In conjunction with the Publishing Services Bureau (PSB), the Office advises and assists the MIT community regarding publishing policies and procedures.
In its role as customer of and partner with the Publishing Services Bureau, the Communications Office continues to model publishing solutions with the Institute's key reference publications. The design of cover templates for the Reports to the President and Reports of the Treasurer, as well as the MIT telephone directories, distinguishes this family of publications, underscoring the importance of design in creating and strengthening a visual identity for MIT. The Office also worked with PSB to conduct focus groups with key constituencies at MIT, to gain a better understanding of communications practices and challenges at the Institute, and assisted with planning PSB's first "Pub Forum."
Over the past year, the Office met its publishing deadlines despite the loss of key personnel. In addition, with financial support from the Office of the Provost, the Office began to produce a new faculty picture book, the first since 1992. The challenges were to develop an efficient process that would enable faculty to submit the digital image of their choice (most from the MIT Card Office); to develop a database for storing images and text; and to coordinate the work of content providers to ensure that information published in the MIT Bulletin's faculty lists and in the faculty picture book remained consistent. The new publication will be available in the early fall of 1999.
The Communications Office plans the following activities for the new academic year:
This year, the Communications Office said farewell to two stellar staff members: Shannon McCord made the difficult decision to leave her position to provide full time care to her new daughter, and Ruth Davis accepted a new position as Communications Manager in the Department of Facilities. Lori Weldon has been a new team member since January. As a graduate of the Department of Physics, Lori brings a refreshing new perspective to the work of the office.
More information about the Communications Office can be found on the World Wide Web at http://web.mit.edu/communications/www/.
Barrie Gleason
CONFERENCE SERVICES, EVENTS AND INFORMATION CENTER
The mission of the Center is to meet the information needs of the MIT community, visitors to the campus, and the public; to promote a sense of community within MIT; and to support conferences and events which enhance MIT's role in the broader academic community.
Events and Information Center
The Center continued to serve as an information and welcome point for visitors, as well as a central information source for members of the MIT community. Staff in the Center distributed over 40,000 pamphlets, brochures, maps, guides and catalogues; answered and directed to other offices thousands of telephone and in-person inquiries; and served as a clearinghouse for mail addressed simply to MIT. Head guide for the campus tours was Aladdine Joroff '99. Terri Priest Nash trained 30 guides who conducted tours for 13,949 visitors, of whom 5,056 were prospective students, 1,898 were international visitors and the remaining were guests visiting MIT. Terri also arranged short-term visits which brought an additional 658 guests to campus.
Donald Ferland, Assistant to the Director, handled the arrangements for nearly 300 recruitment presentations by companies and other organizations that visit MIT under the auspices of the Office of Career Services and Preprofessional Advising.
The Director managed the logistics of the visit in April of Premier Zhu Ronghi of the People's Republic of China. The Center also assisted in the arrangements for the farewell celebrations for retiring Vice President for Finance and Treasurer Glenn P. Strehle in December; the community celebration in honor of retiring Vice President of Human Resources Joan F. Rice in April; a special student-initiated event to honor members of the minority community with 20 or more years of service to the Institute in May; and the Institute's Annual Retirement Dinner in June.
Commencement activities began with the Hooding Ceremony for 400 doctoral degree recipients, held in Rockwell Cage the afternoon of 3 June. Chancellor Lawrence S. Bacow presided over this year's ceremony.
The 133rd Commencement Exercises brought another first to campus. Thomas F. Magliozzi '58 and Raymond F. Magliozzi '72, hosts of National Public Radio's "Car Talk," delivered this year's Commencement Address.
Conference Services
The Office of Conference Services manages the logistical arrangements for conferences and meetings sponsored by MIT faculty and staff. This year, the Office coordinated 35 events which brought more than 10,000 guests to campus. These events included the International Symposium on Information Theory, the Magnetic Bearing Symposium, the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Symposium on Secrecy in Science, the Massachusetts State Special Olympics Summer Games, and the American Chemical Society's Colloid and Surface Science Symposium.
Personnel
The Center, under the direction of Gayle Gallagher, includes Donald Ferland, Assistant to the Director; Kathleen Barrett and Lee Corbett for information dissemination and visitor services; and Terri Priest Nash, who was promoted to Coordinator of Special Visits to reflect more adequately the scope of her work. The Conference Services staff are now formally supervised by Cathi Di Iulio Levine, who was promoted to Manager of Conference Services in September, and include Marie Seamon, Joy Hubbard, and Eva Cabone. Jeannie Lauricella, who retired from MIT's Research Laboratory for Electronics in 1996, has provided special assistance on many fronts in the Center throughout this past year.
Gayle M. Gallagher
The mission of the News Office is to achieve the highest level of public interest in MIT by finding and reporting newsworthy stories and photographs about MIT and its people; to encourage and assist reporters to develop their own stories here; to publish the official newspaper, MIT Tech Talk; to monitor internal and external developments that might bring favorable or unfavorable public attention; and to handle them with integrity in the best interest of MIT.
The news story that brought the most credit to MIT was the release of the report of the Committee on Women Faculty in the School of Science, documenting subtle but systematic gender discrimination and the effective actions taken by the Institute to address the inequities. The report received front-page coverage in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and newspapers across the country, while a lead editorial in The San Francisco Chronicle praised MIT for its forthrightness. Thousands downloaded the report from the MIT Web site, while Professor of Biology Nancy H. Hopkins, who had helped launch the study, was invited to be one of four panelists at a White House discussion marking Equal Pay Day.
The biggest television story was the Junior Summit at the Media Laboratory, which brought the best junior-high-school computer science students from nearly 100 nations to MIT for discussions about what they would need to create a just and equitable society. Nearly every youngster was accompanied by a TV crew from his or her own country, while TV crews from major international media covered the entire event. The Junior Summit closed with the announcement that Isao Okawa, chairman of CSK Corp. and Sega Enterprises, was donating $27 million to create a new Center for Future Children at the Media Lab.
A historic and well-documented moment came with the demolition of MIT's famed Building 20 to make way for the Ray and Maria Stata Center for the Computer, Information, and Intelligence Sciences. The 35th anniversary celebration of the Laboratory for Computer Science included an announcement by Bill Gates that the Gates Foundation would give $20 million to help build a new building for LCS as part of the Stata Center.
The visit to MIT on April 14 of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji followed six weeks of intense preparation by staff and faculty throughout the campus. His speech, on Chinese-American trade relations, was broadcast live nationally and internationally by CNN. This high-security event was followed by a more relaxed Commencement in June. The choice as Commencement speakers of alumni Thomas F. Magliozzi '58 and Raymond F. Magliozzi '72–better known as Click and Clack (the Tappet Brothers), of "Car Talk" on National Public Radio–brought wide media coverage.
The leading science and engineering story at the Institute this year was the development of a small implantable microchip capable of delivering precise amounts of drugs. Other research achievements generating considerable publicity were the creation of a perfect mirror, the generation of maps of Mars that are more accurate than the best maps of Earth, and the discovery that learning the multiplication table is more like learning a laundry list than a mathematical function.
For students on campus, the most controversial story was the August decision that freshmen would be housed on campus beginning in the fall of 2001, when a new undergraduate residence will open. (Like all MIT dormitories, the new facility will house students from all four classes.) Students have participated in a variety of other planning initiatives, including the Task Force on Student Life and Learning, and are contributing to the development of plans for the residence system.
Many other news stories reflected the achievements and spirit of MIT people. Seven MIT students won Rhodes and Marshall scholarships. MIT scientists and engineers won five R&D 500 Awards and two Discover Awards for recent inventions. MIT students led the nation in National Science Foundation grants, winning 117 of the 900 scholarships. U.S. News and World Report again ranked MIT first in 18 areas of graduate study. Finally, and not surprisingly, student hackers recreated the robot R2D2 on MIT's Great Dome to celebrate the release of the new Star Wars movie.
The full-time News Office staff are Denise Brehm, assistant editor of MIT Tech Talk; Donna M. Coveney, assistant director/photojournalist; Myles P. Crowley, administrative assistant; Lisa Damtoft, editorial and graphics assistant; Patricia M. Foley, senior office assistant/receptionist; Deborah Halber, science writer; Mary Anne Hansen, administrative secretary; Robert J. Sales, associate director; Elizabeth A. Thomson, assistant director for science and engineering; Alice C. Waugh, assistant director and editor of MIT Tech Talk; and Sarah H. Wright, senior writer. We received part-time help from students throughout the year for the Hometown Bureau and related database work and filing. During the summer, MIT sophomore Ernesto Pascual and Cambridge student Myra Zuleta worked with us. During the school year, we were aided by sophomore Janet Oloo and juniors Ricci Rivera and Lia Rodriguez.
More information about the News Office can be found on the World Wide Web at http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/www/.
Kenneth D. Campbell
The mission of the Publishing Services Bureau (PSB) is to act as a single coordinated channel for publishing activities across the Institute, applying the principles of supplier consolidation, strategic planning, technological awareness, cost savings, excellence in design, continuous learning, and customer satisfaction.
PSB and Campus Wide Information Systems (CWIS) coordinated over 1,200 jobs, from publication planning and vendor selection to design, production, and printing. With the help of its database, PSB tracked all aspects of publishing activities for jobs passing through the Bureau, creating a baseline for the analysis of design, production schedules, and printing costs as well as an archived job history.
Approximately $1.7 million in print was processed in Fiscal Year 1999, with an additional $2.7 million channeled directly to MIT/PSB interim print partners. Design worth $367,000 and Web site development worth $310,000 were managed through the PSB and CWIS joint partnership.
Throughout the year, PSB worked with 15 interim print partners, testing supplier consolidation assumptions and modeling best practice behaviors. Concurrently with the interim partnerships, PSB mailed letters of intent and began contract negotiations with outside partner vendors. Grid pricing was established for the production of letterhead and envelopes. In addition to print vendors, PSB and CWIS developed partnerships with 20 print and web design groups.
PSB partnerships with both the Communications Office and CWIS led to the exchange of ideas and information about related business processes and aligned planning activities, providing seamless support interface for MIT customers in the area of electronic publishing and strategic print planning.
Strategic alliance with CWIS produced "one-stop shopping" for MIT customers for coordinated print and web design and implementation. PSB has coordinated over 50 electronic publishing projects with CWIS and continues to collaborate on variations of the main MIT home page. Pursuing the concept of "offices with invisible walls," CWIS maintains an office in E28 where the combined teams meet with clients and provide presentations and training to the MIT community.
Collaboration with the Communications Office has led to a relationship in which PSB plays a role as both a broker and a partner. While PSB advises the Communications Office on its own publishing projects, both organizations have joined together to model and advise on effective publishing processes. Ongoing efforts include planning communication strategies for Student Services, the Graduate Students Office, and the Admissions Office.
Other partners at MIT include CopyTech, Mailing Services, and Document Services, with PSB working to promote the services of these groups at MIT and establish smoother lines of communication and workflow.
PSB investigated and began developing an identity system for the Institute to reflect MIT's mission and values as well as facilitate the operational handling of the Institute's communications. Focus groups were conducted with a number of Institute constituencies, preliminary sketches for graphic marks were generated, and PSB collaborated with several MIT departments and offices to develop test templates for business papers.
As part of its effort to establish equity in an MIT identity system, PSB has taken on several projects to design publications for high-level or high-visibility publishing efforts, such as the covers for the MIT telephone directories and the development of an Institute organization chart. Other projects have been recycled into templates for the entire MIT community. The freshman admit package, the freshman admissions and financial aid application, the freshman viewbook, various MIT Museum publications, invitations, posters, and newsletters, as well as coordinated letterhead/business card systems for several departments have been springboards for future PSB work with the MIT identity.
Future plans include the following:
Purchasing assistant Andrew Barnes, purchasing broker Richard J. Frye, assistant broker Brian D. Ellis, and print and design broker Elizabeth Brinkerhoff left PSB this year. Joining PSB were Minerva Tirado, procurement assistant; Christopher J. Reese, new-media designer; and Victor José Santana, publishing intern. Jean G. Caloggero was promoted to assistant procurement broker and assistant to the director.
More information about Publishing Services Bureau can be found on the World Wide Web at http://web.mit.edu/psb/.
Bruce Bernstein
MIT Reports to the President 1998-99