CUP 2023 Experiment Proposal Feedback

[Kathryn Jiang]

Hello Undergraduates,

I write to you today to update you on current deliberations of the MIT
Committee on the Undergraduate Program (CUP) 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.

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.

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.

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 here
<https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/meeting-slides/Slides%20-%20Proposals%20for%20Educational%20Experiments%20for%20Class%20of%202023.pdf>
.

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. Please
send comments or suggestions on the feedback form
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVpf1rzzs2aF3r1yg6OGND_ZGNZBJOXZsgOw8m5EoAUdRRwg/viewform?usp=sf_link>
or via email to cup-fall19-feedback at mit.edu
<https://owa.exchange.mit.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=TvxywWOR5KhChe-c2KkZ6X3bWy42AeNgG8x8RC-7GXix7OsFBKDWCA..&URL=mailto%3acup-fall19-feedback%40mit.edu>
.
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. 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.

Thank you in advance!

Kat Jiang


-- 
Kathryn Jiang
Department of Mathematics
Vice President of the Undergraduate Association
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2020
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