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LETTER TO PARENTS OF MIT STUDENTS FROM PRESIDENT VEST (MARCH 18, 2003)

March 18, 2003

Parents of MIT Students:

Recently, we have received a number of calls and letters from parents wanting to know how MIT is preparing for emergencies that might arise, how we are helping to alleviate anxiety among our students during these uncertain times, and how we are planning to communicate developments on campus.

Your best connection to the activities and life of MIT is through contact with your daughter or son. They greatly value communication with you, especially in difficult times and want to be informed about happenings at home and about the welfare of family and friends. We encourage students to stay in frequent contact with you, and we recommend that you foster such communication by phone, E mail, or letter.

Another easy way to keep updated and follow campus developments is to visit our Community web site at http://web.mit.edu/community/. It contains a rich summary of the opportunities, resources, and policies that guide us.

Let me assure you that we are prepared to manage potential emergencies or extraordinary events and that our plans have been strengthened since September 11, 2001. You might wish to visit our Emergency Preparedness and Response web site at http://web.mit.edu/emergency/, where, in the event of an emergency, instructions and contact information would be provided to the members of our community.

To facilitate continued communication with you, it would be helpful if you were to share your E mail address with us. I invite you to take a moment to visit the MIT Parents Association web site at http://web.mit.edu/alum/connect/parents/ and update your information to include your current E mail address.

If you have questions or concerns not addressed here, please contact the MIT Parents Association at mykidis@mit.edu or call 617 253 8183, and your questions will be directed to the appropriate individual or office at MIT.

These indeed are uncertain times, given the impending military action in Iraq, the tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, and the continuing threat of terrorism in the United States and elsewhere. As in the rest of this country, members of the MIT community range from those who are called to active military duty, to those who vigorously oppose war, to those who express strong views about other aspects of the world situation.

We respect the rights of the members of our community to express their views, and we likewise support those who do not wish to participate in vigorous debate or demonstrations of their views. We are especially mindful that MIT is an international community, with students and visitors from many different countries and ethnic backgrounds. Our campus will be safe for and supportive of all of its members.

Sincerely yours,

Charles M. Vest