skip to content

The working groups that make up MIT's Institute-wide Planning Task Force have begun to move from gathering information to identifying opportunities that offer the greatest potential to reduce costs and increase efficiencies.

Group members are working to categorize the hundreds of proposals gathered through Idea Bank submissions, outreach efforts and brainstorming sessions. Among the submissions received, many have focused on the need to automate more processes and to replace print products with electronic documents. Working groups will now quantify the level of cost savings that can be achieved while also evaluating opportunities that will make MIT more effective or generate additional revenues.

Automation, simplification and greater sharing of resources are among the many themes emerging from the working groups that may challenge elements of the MIT culture, which has tended to value qualities such as choice, options, flexibility and uniqueness. "This is an opportunity for the entire MIT Community to build a better, more efficient MIT," said Vice President for Finance Israel Ruiz, who is helping to coordinate the Task Force. "In that context, we will need to work together in the best MIT spirit in order to provide the simplest, fewest and most flexible solutions that meet our unique needs."