[UA] Shape the Future of the Institute

[Yu Jing Chen]

[cid:D8709E6F-C342-469F-BFD7-D25BA27EEAC2]


Hello Undergrads!

2020 was a year that tested the world in more ways than one. During this time of great disruption and change, MIT set off on a number of Institute-wide efforts to transform its status quo. Through the formation of Task Force 2021, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Action Plan, the Climate Action Plan, and most recently, the Values Committee, the Institute is taking steps to confront and address our shortcomings as a university.

Great change is underway and it is crucial that student voices are embedded and prioritized within these Institute decisions and plans. I encourage you to seize this moment by exploring the initiatives below and actively engaging with them.

DEI Strategic Action Plan

The Institute Strategic Action Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is MIT's 5-year plan for DEI led by the Institute Community Equity Officer John Dozier and Associate Provost Tim Jamison. From the data we’re tracking to assess MIT’s progress to our recruitment methods or education itself, this plan will redefine the way MIT goes about DEI.

Right now, the plan’s steering committee is seeking to host community engagement sessions with underrepresented community groups, and more information regarding these sessions will be released soon. Meanwhile, the website<https://deiactionplan.mit.edu/achievement> is collecting community input for the 3 different pillars of the plan— Achievement, Belonging, and Composition. Please submit any and all feedback there!

Undergraduate representatives on the steering team through the Institute Committee Nominations process include myself, Orisa Coombs ‘21, and Zaina Moussa ‘21. We will be hosting an open call to answer any questions about the plan, and to discuss and brainstorm with you all this Friday, February 12 at 5PM ET on Zoom<https://mit.zoom.us/j/98328144018>. Please come by with any and all thoughts, questions, concerns, ideas, anything! Definitely feel free to reach out to us with any input or initial thoughts asynchronously as well.

Check out the website here<http://deiactionplan.mit.edu/> and read the initial announcement of the plan here<http://inj9.mjt.lu/nl2/inj9/mhrgm.html?m=AMwAAIFk5YEAAcrlA5wAAAKPK0oAAYCq_bgAJOu3AAiQzwBfbPfRzCYh8OypQnWcDuQN7Kzl5QAIIWc&b=809cb8a1&e=5b07b590&x=FbLyo5TfBRc0PJ7fBO0YpA> to learn more.


Task Force 2021 and Beyond

Task Force 2021 and Beyond, as announced<https://president.mit.edu/speeches-writing/presidential-charge-task-force-2021> by President Reif back in May, is a group of 150+ students, staff, and faculty charged with building what a better MIT could look like in the post–Covid-19 world. From proposals around MIT’s local community impact to its core mission statement to completely renaming MIT buildings, the Task Force is challenged to think big in terms of how MIT should change, taking this time of great change as an opportunity to completely rethink.

The Task Force proposals are currently open for feedback and review as we narrow down the recommendations that will be prioritized for initial implementation. Check out the proposals on our website<https://tf2021.mit.edu/> and send in your comments and feedback there! Read the latest communications about the plan here<http://inj9.mjt.lu/nl2/inj9/mi0r5.html?m=AUsAABsRZU4AAcrm4QgAAAKPK0oAAYCq_rEAJQBtAAiQzwBf4QdtLBxCzhKtTIqKZoT7sxGAyQAIIWc&b=85a8d136&e=b6faa566&x=FbLyo5TfBRc0PJ7fBO0YpA>. There are a number of undergraduates on the Task Force, including myself, Alexis Jones ‘22, Albert Gerovitch ‘21, Baptiste Bouvier ‘22, Oby Nwodoh ‘21, Sandra Li ‘21, and Shuli Jones ‘22. Reach out to any one of us with any thoughts or feedback on the initial proposals!

Climate Action Plan

The 2021 Climate Action Plan, a renewal of the 2015 Climate Action Plan (CAP), is MIT’s plan of action for how the Institute will combat climate change in the coming 5 years. The CAP will outline everything from the way we engage with private sector stakeholders who have significant sway over global emissions to the way we educate our students about sustainability to the emission and waste reduction goals we set for MIT’s physical campus.

The Climate Action Advisory Committee (CAAC), chaired by Vice President for Research Dr. Maria Zuber, is charged with sourcing and providing recommendations for the plan. On Monday, February 22 from 2:30PM ET to 4PM ET, the CAAC will host a webinar wherein students from across the sustainability landscape at MIT will present on what they hope to see in the plan. This will then be followed by an open discussion amongst CAAC members and student presenters. Attendees will have an opportunity to submit their questions and ideas to the presenters and CAAC.

You can register for the webinar here<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mit-climate-action-plan-forum-student-voices-tickets-141044649343>. If you have any questions/feedback for the student presenters or want to get involved in contributing to the Climate Action Plan, feel free to fill out this form<https://forms.gle/jstBd8NgsvX8jHd2A>!

Values Committee

Over the past several years, efforts to promote a more diverse and equitable environment at MIT have consistently led community members to the fact that the Institute does not have a central statement of values. A values statement is essential to building a set of shared goals and expectations for our community, and thus, the Institute has recently created a committee<https://chancellor.mit.edu/values-statement-committee> charged with writing this statement.

A central component of the committee’s work will be gathering feedback from community members on what to include within the values statement. We will be in touch soon with more information on the best ways to provide feedback. In the meantime, please never hesitate to reach out to our undergraduate student representative on the committee, Fiona Chen ‘21 (fionac at mit.edu<mailto:fionac at mit.edu>), with any input or initial thoughts.


As MIT embarks on these efforts to radically better itself, let’s make sure that student voice is at the forefront. Let’s not let these efforts go by without our voices being heard. If you have any questions or ideas for more meaningful engagement, please let us know here<http://ua.mit.edu/feedbackpage> or email me! In the UA, we are always looking for different ways to truly embed student voice into the Institute’s future. Good luck with this next semester, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
Yu Jing Chen
Vice President of the Undergraduate Association
She/her/hers

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Full Zoom Invite:
Topic: DEI Strategic Action Plan Open Call
Time: Feb 12, 2021 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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