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MIT Faculty Newsletter  
contents Vol. XXII No. 3
January / February 2010

This issue of the Faculty Newsletter focuses on diversity at MIT and its significant relationship to the recent tragedy in Haiti. Pieces include excerpts and commentary from the Report on the Initiative for Faculty Race and Diversity and our editorial, "Our 'Inescapable Network:' Haiti, the Diversity Initiative, and MLK."

Spotlight
walking in snow
From The Faculty Chair: The Haiti Challenge: Are We Doing Enough?
Tom Kochan asks the fundamental question. His piece and the three following all address MIT faculty response to the earthquake.
Reflections on MIT's Layoff Process
Lotte Bailyn and Bob McKersie report on the results of their inquiry into MIT's layoff process and the problems arising from a dismissal last spring.
The Demand for MIT Graduates
Although graduating during the worst economic crisis in recent history, MIT's class of 2009 still fared better than their peers. How was that accomplished?
 
Editorial
Our "Inescapable Network:" Haiti, the Diversity Initiative, and MLK
Editorial Subcommittee
It has been more than a month since a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. News reports estimate that the earthquake has killed 230,000 . . .
Report on the Initiative for Faculty Race and Diversity:
Excerpts and Commentary
Paula Hammond
We welcome our fellow faculty colleagues’ support in the release of the Report on the Initiative for Faculty Race and Diversity. For those who have not had the chance . . .
From the Faculty Chair
The Haiti Challenge: Are We Doing Enough?
Thomas A. Kochan
Every once in a while I'm reminded of the profound wisdom of our students. The recent Martin Luther King Breakfast was such an opportunity, not just for me, but for all . . .
Responding to the Earthquake:
A Workshop, Lecture Series, and More
Dale Joachim
News of the 7.0 earthquake of January 12 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, rang as a call to action. As I began calling colleagues from across the Institute to organize . . .
Building a Network of Organizations in the Haitian Diaspora
Phil Thompson
On the day of the earthquake, at about 3 pm, Paul Altidorp, a former SPURS Fellow and DUSP graduate from Haiti, Becky Buell, a fellow in the Community Innovator’s . . .
Short- and Long-Term Responses to the Tragedy in Haiti
Amy Smith
I too have asked those questions. What can I do? What can I give? How can I serve? And the answers have been frustratingly slow in coming. D-Lab does . . .
The Initiative on Faculty Race and Diversity: A Personal View
Lotte Bailyn
The Faculty Newsletter managing editor has asked me to write a brief retrospective on the experience of leading the research effort for the Race Initiative Report.
The Initiative on Faculty Race and Diversity: A Personal View
Paula Hammond
When asked to provide my reflections on the work of the Race Initiative for the Faculty Newsletter, one of the first things that came to mind were my colleagues.
Counting Faculty and Students
Lydia Snover
Every Academic Year, MIT counts the number of individuals holding appointments on October 31. This becomes the official MIT employee count. Likewise, the official . . .
Reflections on MIT's Layoff Process
Lotte Bailyn, Robert McKersie
In an August 12 letter, Tom Kochan, chair of the MIT faculty, asked Professors Lotte Bailyn and Robert McKersie to work with Vice President for Human Resources . . .
HR and MIT's Layoff Process
Alison Alden
I worked closely with Professors Bailyn and McKersie on their independent report and appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with them on this review of MIT’s layoff . . .
The Demand for MIT Graduates
Daniel Hastings, Steven Lerman, Melanie Parker
MIT’s Class of 2009 graduated during one of the worst job markets in recent history. Recent college graduates across the nation struggled in this economic climate . . .
Teach Talk
Toward a Personalized Graduate Curriculum
Christine Ortiz
Dramatic changes in graduate education education are taking place due to the emergence of knowledge-based societies, where new knowledge has become a . . .
2010 MIT Briefing Book Available Online
The MIT Briefing Book has been updated and is available online. The publication is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the MIT . . .
NRC Doctoral Rankings: The Weighting Game
Rankings of U.S. doctoral programs by the National Research Council (NRC) are widely anticipated. The new ranking approach, producing ranges of rankings . . .
Planning for the Future of the MIT Libraries
Ann Wolpert
In the summer of 2008, the MIT Libraries initiated a strategic planning process to consider how best to provide library services for the future at MIT. It was clear . . .
Stellar LMS Evaluation FAQ
Stellar is MIT’s online platform for learning and course management [stellar.mit.edu]. Faculty use Stellar to centrally organize course materials, assignments, and class . . .
Teaching this spring? You should know . . .
. . . the faculty regulates examinations and assignments for all subjects.
M.I.T. Numbers
Percent Underrepresented Minority (URM) Hires, 1991-2009
   
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