MIT
MIT Faculty Newsletter  
contents Vol. XXIV No. 2
November / December 2011

This issue of the Faculty Newsletter features commentary about "MIT 2030." We also offer "Improving Graduate Admissions Processes at MIT," and an In Memoriam tribute to long-time faculty member and dean Bob Silbey.

Spotlight

Kendall SquareArchitects’ Rendering of Kendall Square

New Retirement Program for Faculty and Staff Hired On or After July 2, 2012
The Provost and the Executive Vice President/Treasurer explain the new retirement program.
The Future of Learning Management at MIT
Evaluation of and recommendations regarding the Blackboard Learning Management System.
 
Editorial
Long-Term Planning for MIT's Future
Editorial Subcommittee
The administration and the MIT Investment Management Company have recently put forward an ambitious proposal – MIT 2030 – for the redevelopment of the . . .
MIT 2030: Concerns for the Future
O. R. Simha
On October 1, 2010, the MIT Corporation was presented with a perspective on MIT’s future planning and development, “MIT 2030.” The MIT 2030 proposal is . . .
From the Faculty Chair
MIT 2030: The Education Part
Samuel M. Allen
MIT 2030 has gotten a lot of exposure in the past year. According to the MIT 2030 Homepage, “MIT 2030 is a long-range planning process designed to help MIT . . .
Twenty to Thirty Questions About MIT 2030
Caroline A. Jones and the SAPiens
MIT 2030 represents a bold beginning for a comprehensive plan that anticipates the renovation of MIT’s aging facilities and produces a map of its future research . . .
A Brief History of MIT's Land Acquisition Policies
O. R. Simha
In 1912, Francis Hart, the sixth treasurer of MIT, oversaw the purchase of 46 acres of land in Cambridge for the new campus. The purchase cost was $775,000 or . . .
New Retirement Program for Faculty and Staff
Hired On or After July 2, 2012
L. Rafael Reif and Israel Ruiz
The Institute-wide Planning Task Force was formed in 2009 to find creative ways to reduce overall expenses, as well as look for opportunities to make MIT even better.
The Future of Learning Management at MIT
Dan Hastings and Hal Abelson
In 2009, the MIT Council on Educational Technology (MITCET) charged the Faculty Committee on Learning Management Systems (LMS) to provide strategic guidance . . .
Improving Graduate Admissions Processes at MIT
Christine Ortiz
The graduate admissions process is central to maintaining the vitality and quality of our education and research enterprise. During the 2011 admissions cycle, MIT . . .
Review Committee on Orientation
Merritt Roe Smith
In March 2011, Dean for Undergraduate Education, Professor Daniel Hastings, and Dean for Student Life, Chris Colombo, charged the Review Committee on . . .
American Infrastructure Deficiencies
Ernst G. Frankel
It is shameful that a small snowstorm in October can disrupt essential power and telephone services for hundreds of thousands of people for weeks. America is the . . .
In Memoriam
A Tribute to Bob Silbey
Debra A. Martin
October 27, 2011 was a very bad day. It was the day that Bob Silbey passed away. He left us much too soon. Some say that the best amongst us are always the first ones . . .
The Alumni Class Funds Seeks Proposals for
Teaching and Education Enhancement
The Office of Faculty Support is requesting proposals for projects for the 2012-2013 academic year that improve the quality of teaching, enrich students’ learning . . .
Letters
Is there a conflict between diversity and excellence at MIT?
Edmund Bertschinger
In his recent letter to the September/October 2011 Faculty Newsletter, Professor James H. Williams, Jr. worries that I have set up an opposition of diversity versus . . .
M.I.T. Numbers
MIT Campus 2011
M.I.T. Numbers
MIT 2030 Vision
   
MIT