<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-9a681a39-7fff-d029-62a6-2e4b1ce086db"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Hello Undergraduates,</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I write to you today to update you on current deliberations of the MIT Committee on the Undergraduate Program (CUP) </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">on a possible one-year educational experiment to enable incoming first-year students in the Fall of 2019 (Class of 2023) to more effectively explore and discover fields and majors during the first-year. This experiment has long-term goals of increasing confidence and satisfaction related to major selection, improving overall first year experience, and improving long-term educational outcomes.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span class="gmail-Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre">        </span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">As you are aware, MIT is currently running a CUP-licensed experiment for students who entered in the Fall of 2018 allowing them to designate up to three Science Core subjects to be graded on a Pass or No Record (P/NR) basis after the first term. Throughout this year, the CUP has been considering the indicated effects of the current grading policy experiment based on assessment data provided by the Office of the Vice Chancellor (OVC) and feedback from departments and individual members of the MIT community. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span class="gmail-Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre">        </span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">When the current experiment was approved, the CUP agreed to consider future experiments for next year. The CUP is currently discussing a proposal brought forward by the Vice Chancellor for an experiment that would apply specifically to students entering MIT in the Fall of 2019. The proposal incorporates findings from the current experiment, a proposal from the Faculty Officers around the creation of a new category of “Discovery” subjects, and the CUP’s own discussions about Early Sophomore Standing. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span class="gmail-Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre">        </span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">More details on the current experiment and proposed experiment including rationale, data, indications, related concerns and opportunities for improvement were presented during the February 20 Faculty meeting last week and disseminated to all Faculty prior to the meeting. Those slides can be found </span><a href="https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/meeting-slides/Slides%20-%20Proposals%20for%20Educational%20Experiments%20for%20Class%20of%202023.pdf" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">here</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> .   </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span class="gmail-Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre">        </span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The CUP is making the OVC proposal available to the MIT community for comment, as attached. Note that the CUP has not made a decision with regard to the OVC proposal, and is also considering various modifications of it. </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Please send comments or suggestions on the </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVpf1rzzs2aF3r1yg6OGND_ZGNZBJOXZsgOw8m5EoAUdRRwg/viewform?usp=sf_link" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">feedback form</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> or via email to </span><a href="https://owa.exchange.mit.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=TvxywWOR5KhChe-c2KkZ6X3bWy42AeNgG8x8RC-7GXix7OsFBKDWCA..&amp;URL=mailto%3acup-fall19-feedback%40mit.edu" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">cup-fall19-feedback@mit.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. Given academic cycles and the opportunity to compare differences in student experiences from the two previous classes which have been heavily instrumented, the timing of decisions on an experiment for next year is important. </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The CUP asks for your comments by March 18 to allow time for the committee to consider that feedback and implications for the proposal, in support of our goal of making a decision by early April about a possible experiment for next year.  </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Thank you in advance!</span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Kat Jiang</span></p></span><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:12.8px">Kathryn Jiang</div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Department of Mathematics</span><br></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Vice President of the Undergraduate Association</span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><br></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2020</span><span style="font-size:12.8px"><br></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><br></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>