UA Newsletter March: Student Involvement, Institute Dinners, and More!

[Martin F. Holmes]

Dear Undergraduates,

I hope all of you are excited for Spring Break!  Please find below links to the
first monthly UA Newsletter of the semester, which contains the Presidential
Address, Senate and Legislation Updates, Announcements, and UA Committee
Spotlight.  Additionally, you will find information about upcoming UA events
and ways to get involved.  For your convenience, the Presidential Address is
copied below.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or
comments.

Word:  http://web.mit.edu/goholmes/www/UA/UA_Newsletter_March.doc
PDF:   http://web.mit.edu/goholmes/www/UA/UA_Newsletter_March.pdf

Martin F. Holmes
UA President

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Dear Undergraduates

Over the past months, the Undergraduate Association has been working diligently
to improve problems we see with the level of student involvement in Institute
affairs.  Although collaboration with the administration is often successful,
we are distressed by several recent cases that represent a breakdown in the
process of interfacing with the student body.  We are concerned that these
events are creating a negative perception that the administration disregards or
fails to solicit student input.

Most recent problems have arisen when students were not given an opportunity to
share their perspective or when administrators failed to explain their
decisions.  These issues can be seen in controversies surrounding the planning
of the W1 and Green Hall dormitories, dining program overhauls, and community
support of students (press statements, hacking arrests, RIAA).

There are clear benefits to student involvement.  First, cooperation
demonstrates mutual respect, minimizes controversy, and promotes transparency.
Second, students can serve as an informational tool, bringing unique perspective
to decision-making.  Third, such collaboration aligns with MIT?s educational
mission of empowering students and developing leaders.

To bring us closer to this goal, we propose that President Hockfield form a
Committee on Student Involvement consisting of students, faculty members,
administrators, and corporation members.  This committee should be charged with
developing a coherent and comprehensive philosophy guiding student involvement,
proposing recommendations for greater student involvement, and establishing
methods to ensure the success of these recommendations.

If you have suggestions or want to be involved, we would love to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Martin F. Holmes, UA President (goholmes at mit.edu)
Ali S. Wyne, UA Vice President (awyne at mit.edu)
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