The search for the 16^th president of MIT was led by the Corporation Committee on the Presidency, a 14-member group of trustees chaired by James A. Champy ’63, Chairman of Consulting at Perot Systems Corporation.  The CCOP worked closely with the Faculty Advisory Committee to the Corporation, a committee of 17 members of the MIT faculty chaired by Professor Jerome I. Friedman, Institute Professor and Professor of Physics.

Throughout the first eight months of 2004, the Corporation Committee on the Presidency and the Faculty Advisory Committee sought the ideas and suggestions of persons from all constituencies of the MIT community to help it frame its work.  They encouraged faculty, students, staff, administration, and alumni to offer their thoughts on the issues and challenges facing MIT in this decade and on the experience and personal qualities they should be looking for in a new president. They also welcomed nominations of individuals who might be considered for the presidency.

Mechanisms were developed to allow the various constituencies to personally convey thoughts and ideas to the committees.  A Student Advisory Group (SAG) was established that provided students a direct advisory mechanism.  (Read the public version of the SAG's March 2004 report, "The Student Perspective on the MIT Presidency".)  Staff and administration used existing groups such as the Administrative Council and the Working Group on Support Staff Issues to play important roles in informing the work of the committees.  

A recent update on the search appeared in MIT's Tech Talk (June 9, 2004).

An electronic comment page is available through this web site.  You are invited to use the online form to give the committees your comments and suggestions.  These messages will be received by Kirk Kolenbrander, the assistant to the chair and secretary to the Corporation Committee on the Presidency, who will convey them to the committees..