The Search for MIT's Next President

[Yu Jing Chen]

[cid:c503b0f5-5617-415a-962a-d35f8d6a13ba]

Tldr: Embed student voice in the search for MIT’s next President at the Undergraduate Town Hall on Saturday (6/18) at 2PM ET on Zoom<https://mit.zoom.us/j/93909115193>, at community focus sessions this month, through this survey<https://mit.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1SLRevl34h1yGFM>, or at pres-search at mit.edu<mailto:pres-search at mit.edu>


Hello Undergrads!


As President Reif steps down in December, this time presents a unique opportunity and important responsibility for us as the MIT community to determine the future direction of the Institute. The next President of MIT will have a large bearing on innumerable dimensions of student life, and as such, it is crucial that we capture the incredible range of perspectives that make up MIT’s student community in that search. We need your help in defining who it is that we need as our next President.


The Presidential Search Committee<http://inj9.mjt.lu/nl2/inj9/mj7yr.html?m=AVcAAFN_b6UAAcrs2qwAAAKPK0oAAYCrBAAAJbCEAAiQzwBiaszPeBPWqEf0SNissW8L47P5jwAIIWc&b=33f9ff6b&e=bed8bcc8&x=FbLyo5TfBRc0PJ7fBO0YpA> (PSC) has been put together to lead the charge in finding our next President. For the first time in MIT history, after much advocacy from the UA, we have student representation in the Search Committee itself, with Yu Jing Chen ‘22 as the Undergraduate member and Nick Allen as the Graduate member. To synthesize student input into the Search process, the PSC charged a Student Advisory Committee (SAC) to the Search. We write today as the SAC, and encourage you to reach out to us at psc-sac at mit.edu<mailto:psc-sac at mit.edu>. Learn more about the search here<https://presidentialsearch.mit.edu/>.


The month of June is devoted to widespread community engagement, before the PSC begins to interview candidates for President. This process moves quickly so that your input can be most meaningfully synthesized to impact the timely candidate search and interview process. We urge you and your communities to engage as the opportunity to influence who leads MIT is one that doesn’t come often. Here are ways you can engage with the Search:


  1.  Undergraduate Town Hall on Saturday, 6/18 at 2PM ET on this Zoom<https://mit.zoom.us/j/93909115193>
     *   Corporation, faculty, and staff members of the Presidential Search Committee will also be in attendance. This town hall will be a special opportunity to speak directly to PSC members before candidate interviews and interaction.
  2.  Community Focus Sessions throughout June
     *   We will be in touch with a number of community groups, particularly ones that represent distinctive dimensions of the MIT community that an incoming leader could not otherwise anticipate, to schedule specific focus sessions in the upcoming days. These groups include living groups, cultural and religious groups, academic groups, and more.
     *   If your community group does not receive a message from us in the next couple days but have a distinctive perspective that would benefit from an individualized focus session, please fill out this form<https://forms.gle/LRnh3dUDvYJXdSb58>. We will try our best to fulfill all requests, but please understand that we are a small volunteer committee.
  3.  Presidential Search Committee Survey<https://mit.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1SLRevl34h1yGFM>, results of which go directly to the PSC.
     *   The survey closes on Friday, June 17, at midnight ET.
  4.  Email pres-search at mit.edu<mailto:pres-search at mit.edu> to reach the Chair of the Search, John Jarve, or psc-sac at mit.edu<mailto:psc-sac at mit.edu> to reach the members of the Student Advisory Committee


This time of Institute history necessitates strong leadership more than ever, both to guide MIT globally as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and as the world faces the growing consequences of climate change, as well as internally while our dorms undergo renovations<https://studentlife.mit.edu/east-campus-renewal> and we continue to see our campus physically evolve from upcoming Student Center renovations<https://thetech.com/2022/05/26/stud-renovations-plan> to the development of the new Music Building<https://thetech.com/2021/08/05/music-building-construction-begins>. Who do you want to see at the helm of these changes?


All the Best,


Undergraduate Members of the Student Advisory Committee

Yu Jing Chen ‘22

Carolina Gutierrez ‘23

David Spicer ‘23


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