While the opportunities for professional advancement and development may dictate a graduate student's choice of institution, each student is also properly concerned about the general environment, cultural and recreational opportunities, and living conditions at a particular university under consideration. In these respects MIT presents an unusual opportunity. There is a close relationship between faculty and graduate students, not only in research and study but also in a wide array of professional, cultural and recreational activities sponsored by the Institute and by student groups. Concerts, dramatics, arts, and athletic, religious, and social activities are all open to graduate students.

Student activities on campus accommodate all types of tastes and preferences. The MIT Student Center provides a wealth of services including shops, restaurants, bank, post office, self-service copy center, optician, barber, tailor, cleaners, and game room. It also houses the MIT Computer Connection, a student travel agency and a branch of the Tech COOP. Kresge Auditorium, adjacent to the Student Center, is the site of many plays, films, concerts, and lectures by prominent figures in the world.

Many programs are organized by students. There is a student-run film society which offers a wide and inexpensive choice of movies on campus each weekend throughout the year. Sports enthusiasts will find that intramural sports are very popular. The list of intramural sports spans the spectrum from backgammon to wrestling, and the Chemistry Department enters a graduate student team (supplemented by faculty members or support staff) in many sports. There are innumerable clubs and societies on campus which will satisfy any interest. Finally, there are excellent athletic facilities available on campus, including indoor and outdoor tennis courts, squash courts, Olympic-size swimming pool, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, gymnasia equipped with weight lifting and exercise rooms, ice skating rink, and indoor and outdoor tracks, all of which are available for recreational use. On the Charles River are a sailing pavilion and boathouse. The Graduate Student Council (GSC) is a group of graduate students that works with the Department's administration and serves as a liaison between the administration and the students. The GSC is active in several areas, such as intramural sports, preparation and analysis of subject evaluations, and arrangement of many social functions between the students and faculty.

Graduate students are housed both on and off the campus. On-campus housing for graduate students includes: Ashdown House, which accommodates 420 single graduate students; Tang Hall, with accommodations for 404 single graduate students; Westgate, an apartment development for 209 student families; Green Hall, a dormitory for 46 single women; Eastgate, a 30-story apartment tower with 197 units for student families; NW30, a new dormitory for 120 single graduate students; Sidney & Pacific, a new dormitory with accommodations for 750 single graduate students; and Edgerton for 190 single graduate students. Housing information is forwarded to new graduate students along with admission material. See graduate student housing for more information.

Chemistry Graduate Student Commitee
The Chemistry Department Graduate Student Committee, organized in 1998, arranges periodic forums for graduate students and post-docs in the department to discuss a wide range of topics including academic program concerns, laboratory issues, and aspects of graduate student life. These meetings are designed to gauge student opinion and brainstorm new ideas on these and related topics. Committee members meet regularly with the Department Head and Associate Head to provide feedback to the faculty and Chemistry Department administration on the concerns of graduate students and postdocs.

For more information on the Graduate Student Advisory Committee, see the CGSC website.

Women in Chemistry
Women in Chemistry (WIC) is a group of graduate women dedicated to making the Chemistry Graduate Program at MIT more fun and fulfilling for female graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. We work to provide events that encourage interaction and socialization within the department as well as events that address issues specific to women in science. Some past events include, lunches, site visits, annual Duck Tours, retreats, etc. We also run a mentorship program to help new women adapt to life in chemistry at MIT.

For more information about Women In Chemistry, please see the WIC website.

TGIF
TGIF Socials are held regularly in the department, usually the last Friday afternoon of each month. All graduate students, postdoctorals, and faculty are cordially invited to enjoy refreshments and interact informally at these events. Watch Department bulletin boards for announcements of the time and place of TGIFs.

Intramural Sports Teams
Chemistry Department graduate students organize a number of teams each year to compete in the MIT Intramural Athletics Program. Announcements concerning intramural sports teams can be found on bulletin boards and in department emails.

Chemistry Mediation and R.E.F.S.
To provide graduate students with a well-defined mechanism for conflict mediation, the Chemistry Department has appointed two members of the faculty, Professors Catherine Drennan and Moungi Bawendi , as "Department Mediators". The Department Mediators provide a resource to assist with a wide range of problems that may arise in the course of your graduate career.

Also available for conflict mediation are the CHEMISTRY "R.E.F.S" (Resources for Easing Friction and Stress), a group of chemistry graduate students trained and certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as mediators, and specializing in conflict resolution. All REFS were trained through MEDIATION@MIT in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, c. 233, sec. 23C. All interaction with the Chemistry Mediators and REFS program is confidential and voluntary. Please visit the REFS website for a comprehensive description of the program and REFS contact information.