MIT Presidential Task Force on Student Life and Learning Reports

Report of the MIT InterFraternity Council Committee on R/O Proposals Fall 1997

In the past few weeks, the MIT's system of orientation and residence selection has been called into question. The attention of the media, faculty, and administration has mainly focused on the fraternities. While many upperclass students and alumni feel that living in fraternities, sororities, and independent living groups (FSILGs) has contributed immeasurably to their freshman year experiences and to their overall MIT experience 1 , discussions taking place amongst the administration and faculty include housing all freshmen on campus and moving residence selection to the spring semester or to sophomore year.

The experience of living with a community of choice throughout one's tenure at MIT is a system unique to our institution. This residence system is not without its flaws, however. The InterFraternity Council (IFC) recognizes the need for improvements to our current R/O Week. These changes, however, should not be drastic and should provide solutions to the problems that need to be addressed.

The IFC committee charged with drafting this proposal aimed to address the concerns surrounding orientation and residence selection as expressed by students, parents, faculty members, and administrators. Major concerns addressed in this proposal include:

• Faculty perceptions of R/O as a "lost opportunity" and as an inadequate introduction to MIT.
• Low levels of student-faculty interactions during R/O and throughout the year.
• The perceived absence of an MIT community spirit.
• Parental requests for more objective information regarding residences and better methods of maintaining communication with their sons and daughters.
• Student requests for more time to make residence decisions.
• The questionable safety of students living in off-campus FSILGs as evidenced by the death of a student at Phi Gamma Delta.
• The perceived low levels of interactions between students of different racial and cultural backgrounds.

This document, drafted from the above framework, represents the opinion of the IFC and its constituency of more than 1600 studentsregarding the current discussions on freshman orientation and residence selection.

Executive Summary

Section I: Orientation

A. Increase The Scope and Effectiveness of Orientation

B. Promote the Sense of the MIT Community

C. Increase the Level of Student-Faculty Interactions

Section II: Residence

A. Provide More Objective Information to Freshmen and Their Parents

B. Improve the Residence Selection Experience

C. More Residential Options, Especially For Women

D. Ensure the Safety of Freshmen Living in Institute-Approved Housing

E. Encourage Diversity in Student Life

Summary

Appendix A: Sample "Orientation 1998" Schedule

Appendix B: Educational Proposal for Orientation

Footnotes

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