Committee present: Andy Eisenmann, Eric Liu, Kirk Kolenbrander
Important to hear the new vs. old argument – what is the distinction?
Offer ways to implement the goals
This is one of the first implementation tools presented as a result of the task force report
Report focuses almost solely on the UG experience - the report is not 100% complete. The decision to house freshman on campus is what drove the committee
Graduate students were mentioned more as how they would be a benefit for undergraduates, not as their own entity
McGregor does have a sense of community and hopefully that fact is not lost on the committee
There is a right vs. wrong way to convert McGregor if it comes to that. It would be good to do it in phases
More varied choices are important
Tang vs. Ashdown – Tang offers much less community
Social element is key for foreign students who are a majority of the Graduate student population. Ashdown provides a tremendous sense of community
Why fix it if it isn’t broke?
Fear is of change because change involves loss.
What would make things better than they are now? What improvements can be made?
There is a benefit to Graduate student input – ex: where they lived as an undergrad (most likely it wasn’t at MIT.)
Can a Graduate student be added to the committee at this point in time?
Ashdown provides many of the community/social ideas/tools for the committee to have chosen it
Look at MIT’s success and failures within the housing system
The strongest MIT communities are the self-built one’s
Tansition will be key
Graduate students are important in and of themselves, not in relation to undergrad
MacGregor does have community despite singles; perfect for them houses; transition – do it longterm; layout is unique – heterogeneous; diversity
Ashdown’s proximity is important to graduate students; more unique compared to other grad student housing; Ashdown is working on a proposal
First year graduate students need programming; graduate focus makes interactions hard
Graduate students most likely have done their undergraduate studies at other colleges/universities and have a different and unique perspective.