Propsal to Establish a Campus Planning Committee

The following motion will be introduced at the November 20, 2013 Institute Faculty Meeting.

MIT’s Charles River campus, with its buildings, open spaces, and landscape, is an essential component of the Institute’s educational and research environment. The faculty, students and staff are essential stakeholders in the Institute’s educational and research functions. The rapid economic development in the Kendall area, increased scarcity of available land, and increase in real estate costs, call for very careful long-term campus planning to ensure the availability of space to support future academic needs of MIT. Critical decisions affecting the future of the campus should be made with the fully considered input of the above stakeholders.

Therefore, a Campus Planning Committee – composed of a majority of faculty members elected by the faculty, together with student, staff and administration representatives – shall be established as a Standing Committee of the Faculty, prior to the end of the Spring 2014 semester.

Respectfully submitted,

Nazli Choucri, Prof. of Political Science;
Jean Jackson, Prof. of Anthropology;
Jonathan King, Prof. of Molecular Biology;
Helen Elaine Lee, Prof. of Comparative Media Studies/Writing;
David H. Marks, Goulder Prof. of Civil and Environmental Engineering;
Ruth Perry, Ann Friedlaender Prof. of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences;
Nasser Rabbat, Aga Khan Prof. of Islamic Architecture;
Frank Solomon, Prof. of Biology;
Roger Summons, Prof. of Geobiology;
Seth Teller, Prof. of Computer Science and Engineering.

Motion
Moved that Section 1.70 of the Rules and Regulations of the Faculty be amended as indicated (deletions stricken, additions in bold):

1.71

There shall be Standing Committees on the following: Faculty Policy, Graduate Programs, Undergraduate Program, Curricula, Undergraduate Admissions and Aid, Academic Performance, Student Life, Discipline, Library System, Outside Professional Activities, and Nominations, and Campus Planning.

Each member of these Standing Committees elected from the Faculty at large shall serve a three-year term, approximately one-third of the elected membership being elected each year.

The undergraduate and graduate student members, if any, of each Standing Committee shall be appointed from an ordered list of nominees provided by the respective student governments. The term of student members of the Standing Committees shall be one year, and shall begin on July 1.

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It is further moved that new text be inserted as Section 1.73.11 of the Rules and Regulations of the Faculty as follows:

1.73.11

The Committee on Planning shall consist of six elected Faculty members, one undergraduate student, one graduate student, and ex officiis, the Registrar, the Executive Vice President (or designated representatives), and one additional member designated by the Provost. The Chair of the Faculty shall appoint the Chair of the Committee from among the group consisting of the six elected faculty members.  

The Committee shall keep itself informed of plans relating to the future of the campus and shall be concerned with the relationship of construction projects and space planning to the activities of the Faculty and the future academic needs of the Institute. The responsibilities of the Committee include representing Faculty interests and perspectives in the development of the campus and its surrounding properties, including mechanisms of stewardship and oversight. The committee shall insure that major construction and renovation projects are discussed and assessed by the Faculty.

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