mit faculty newsletter vol. xxiii no. 4, march/april 2011web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/234/fnl234.pdf ·...

in this issue we focus on education. Beginning with our editorial and theother two articles below, MIT faculty attempt to anticipate the upcoming nationalissues that are likely to threaten and change American education as it is currentlycomprised. We also offer the President of the MIT Graduate Student Council andthe Dean for Graduate Education on graduate student involvement in internationalengagements (page 12); and “The Roadmap to the Future of MIT’s StudentInformation System” (page 15).

MITFacultyNewsletter

Vol. XXIII No. 4March/April 2011

http://web.mit.edu/fnl

MassachusettsInstitute ofTechnology

continued on page 4

From The Faculty ChairReinventing andSustaining theFaculty of the Future

EditorialProtecting Educationin America

THE RECENTLY RELEASED REPORT

on MIT Women in Science andEngineering celebrated the progress madesince the original 1999 and 2002 reports,while cautioning that much workremains to be done. The progress is atribute to the voice of faculty; in this casethe MIT women faculty, who used dataand personal experiences to call outinequities. It’s also a tribute to the goodsense of MIT’s leaders who acceptedresponsibility for the problems and tookactions to address them. I open this column on this note not

just to congratulate the community for itsgood work, but also to suggest thatperhaps we should use this example totake a hard look at the future of our pro-fession itself. I worry that some features ofthe faculty role are perhaps no longer wellsuited to recruiting and retaining the best

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Little Red Schoolhouse

THE DOMESTIC NEWS I S F I LLED

with accounts of the Tea Party efforts inWisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and Florida tocut public investment in public services,often with a focus on K-12 public educa-tion. In the U.S. Congress, the same polit-ical forces are proposing severe cuts in thebudgets of the National ScienceFoundation, National Institutes of Health,Department of Energy, Department ofEducation, and other federal agencies. These cuts will have significant nega-

tive effects not only on university-basedresearch, but also on the fabric of highereducation in the U.S. The initial impactwill be borne by reduced support forgraduate students and for junior faculty,including our own students and col-leagues. This will, of course, lower inno-vation in many areas of science andtechnology, and slow economic recovery.

Thomas A. Kochan L. Rafael Reif

AN ARTICLE IN THE January/February2011 Faculty Newsletter introduced MIT’sapproach to international engagement.The article pointed out, among otherthings, that it is important that all collab-orating institutions benefit significantlyfrom the engagement. It also recognizedthat much of the international interest ininstitutions such as MIT is driven by thedesire to understand MIT’s culture ofinnovation and of successfully transfer-ring innovative research results to indus-try, since the latter benefits the nationaleconomy and, by extension, society atlarge.The ongoing domestic debate regard-

ing our national budget, in particular thedebate about what constitutes a cost thatpotentially could be reduced, in contrastto an investment in the future that shouldbe protected, provides us with an oppor-

The Contributions ofInstitutions Such AsMIT to a Knowledge-Based Economy

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Vol. XXIII No. 4 March/April 2011

Alice AmsdenUrban Studies & Planning

John Belcher (Secretary)Physics

Robert BerwickElectrical Engineering & Computer Science

*Markus BuehlerCivil & Environmental Engineering

Nazli ChoucriPolitical Science

Olivier de WeckAeronautics & Astronautics/Engineering Systems

Ernst G. FrankelMechanical Engineering

*Jean E. JacksonAnthropology

Gordon KaufmanManagement Science/Statistics

*Jonathan King (Chair) Biology

Helen Elaine LeeWriting and Humanistic Studies

Stephen J. LippardChemistry

Seth LloydMechanical Engineering

David H. MarksCivil & Environmental Engineering

Fred MoavenzadehCivil & Environmental Engineering/Engineering Systems

James OrlinSloan School of Management

Ronald PrinnEarth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences

George VergheseElectrical Engineering & Computer Science

Rosalind H. WilliamsScience, Technology, & Society/Writing

David LewisManaging Editor

*Editorial Subcommittee for this issue

AddressMIT Faculty NewsletterBldg. 11-268Cambridge, MA 02139

Websitehttp://web.mit.edu/fnl

Telephone 617-253-7303Fax 617-253-0458E-mail [email protected]

Subscriptions$15/year on campus$25/year off campus

From The 01 Reinventing and Sustaining the Faculty Faculty Chair of the Future

Thomas A. Kochan

01 The Contributions of Institutions Such As MIT to a Knowledge-Based EconomyL. Rafael Reif

Editorial 01 Protecting Education in America

09 MIT 3rd in World University Rankings

10 Departmental Discussions of Diversity and InclusionEdmund Bertschinger

12 Practical Considerations for the Involvement of Graduate Students in MIT’s International EngagementsUlric J. Ferner, Christine Ortiz

15 The Roadmap to the Future of MIT’s Student Information SystemMary Callahan, Eamon Kearns

17 Free Market Apocalypse: Safeguarding the World from Large DisastersErnst G. Frankel

18 About DSpace@MIT Ann Wolpert

Letters 19 Disappointed in NRC Rankings ProminenceJohn Guttag

M.I.T. Numbers 20 U.S. News & World Report:Graduate School Rankings 2002 – 2011

contentsThe MIT FacultyNewsletterEditorial Board

MIT Faculty NewsletterMarch/April 2011

3

Almost certainly the laying off ofteachers and reducing investment in K-12education in Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida,and other states will result in a reductionof high school graduates with a qualityeducation. This will certainly be followedby efforts to reduce public investment incommunity colleges, state colleges, andstate universities. One wing of the TeaParty forces will argue that since there arefewer high school graduates that canbenefit from a college education, there isless need for institutions of higher educa-tion. The other wing will argue that asector of higher education should be pri-vatized and left to for-profit colleges whocan provide education more “efficiently.” Across the nation, the broader socialimpact of lowering the wages of publicsector workers will be to lower the stan-dard of living of a significant sector of themiddle class in the U.S., and reduce theprospects of those living at the bottom tomove up.Though we may be temporarily insu-

lated, it would be a deep error for MITfaculty to think of ourselves as outside ofthe struggles going on in Wisconsin and inWashington. If public higher education inthe U.S. is pushed back, all of us in highereducation are at increased risk. If we sitback and let our public school system beundermined, we undermine the founda-tion of higher education in the nation –whether public or private.Since MIT has no school or depart-

ment of education, we lack a regularforum for discussion of general aspects ofeducation in the U.S. As one small step toincrease our ability to assess the impact ofthese events, the Faculty Newsletter will beholding a series of forums in the fall onthe general subjects of Higher Educationin the U.S. and on K-12 STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering, andMathematics) Education in the U.S.

In the meantime, we urge those of youwho sit on Education or Public PolicyCommittees of your professional societiesto press for an active response in defense

of continuing public investment in highereducation in general, in addition to theR&D component. One easy step is tomake sure that forums on these issues areincluded in the programs of societies’national and regional conferences. Boththe National Education Association andthe American Federation of Teachers willprovide speakers addressing the issues.

. . . . . . . . . .

Putting the Genie Back in the Bottle:MIT Faculty and Nuclear ArmsReductionAFTER THE MANHATTAN PROJECT

and the bombing of Hiroshima andNagasaki, the Cold War resulted in anenormous proliferation and deploymentof nuclear weapons by the U.S., theU.S.S.R., and their spread to othernations. In parallel, a robust movementagainst the development and testing ofnuclear weapons also developed. Startingin 1945, many Manhattan Project alumniwere active participants in the effort tomake sure that these weapons wouldnever be used again, and to warn thegeneral public about their dangers. AtMIT, this included Phil Morrison, VictorWeisskopf, Bernard Feld, Cyril StanleySmith, and others. As the years went onand the problem only got larger, many

more joined in. At MIT there were HenryKendall, Salvador Luria, Jerome Wiesner,Kosta Tsipis, George Rathjens, VeraKistiakowski, Aron Bernstein, Jonathan

King, and others among the faculty, aswell as many staff, students, and postdocs. On March 4, 1968 a day of protest

about the development of multi-warheadmissiles (MIRV) was held at the Institute.This event initiated a worldwide move-ment and led to the formation of theUnion of Concerned Scientists, later ledby Henry Kendall. [See www.ucsusa.org/about/founding-document-1968.html forthe “Founding Document: 1968 MITFaculty Statement.”] The MIT campusaspects of this concern were aided by theTechnology and Culture Forum. As a contribution to the MIT150 com-

memorations, the MIT Faculty Newsletter,the Technology and Culture Forum, theProgram in Science, Technology, andSociety, and the Department of Physicshave organized a symposium[Wednesday, May 4, 4-6 pm] to honor andreview this part of MIT history, and tofocus on today’s no less urgent need toprevent nuclear war – the ultimate disas-ter for the Earth. The current urgent con-cerns include nuclear reactor accidents,nuclear weapons proliferation, and tocontinue and accelerate the global reduc-tion and eventual elimination of nucleararsenals.

Editorial Subcommittee

Protecting Education in Americacontinued from page 1

As a contribution to the MIT150 commemorations, theMIT Faculty Newsletter, the Technology and CultureForum, the Program in Science, Technology, and Society,and the Department of Physics have organized asymposium [Wednesday, May 4, 4-6 pm] to honor andreview this part of MIT history, and to focus on today’sno less urgent need to prevent nuclear war – theultimate disaster for the Earth.

MIT Faculty NewsletterVol. XXIII No. 4

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and brightest talent needed to keep MITand our peer institutions the beacons ofinnovation that the nation and the worldneed and will be willing to support.The standard image of the faculty

career is a lockstep sequence of move-ment from assistant to associate professorto tenure in eight or so years, followed bypromotion to full professor several yearslater, and then a long sequence of teach-ing and research to retirement. Thatmodel no longer captures what mostfaculty do. Research careers are incubatedor aborted earlier and end later in lifethan in the past. Interests change, knowl-edge grows, and disciplines evolve fasterthan many faculty can keep up with overthe full course of their careers. Mostfaculty spouses or partners are highlyeducated and employed professionals, socareer choices and patterns are dual notsingular decisions. Teaching technologiesare changing in ways that are alteringwho, when, and how we teach.Retirement at the “normal” age is becom-ing an oxymoron.Moreover, I believe societal forces will

pose increasing challenges to the businessmodel that supports traditional lock-stepcareers. Witness the current attacks onpensions, benefits, and tenure of elemen-tary and secondary schoolteachers. Do wereally believe universities will be leftunscathed? Universities that fail to adaptto both the changing labor market and toincreased scrutiny from families and tax-payers that buy their services may find thebest and the brightest choosing othercareers, and parents and students turningto less costly educational alternatives.An alternative conception would be to

take a life cycle model to our careers, onethat better integrates professional work,personal, family, and community activi-ties and that is punctuated periodicallywith time taken to renew our knowledge,develop new skills, and reallocate use ofour time. Consider the following stages inthe life cycle model depicted in the figureon the next page.

PipelineLast year’s report on Faculty Race andDiversity highlighted the need to reachout and expand the pipeline of young tal-ented people motivated to pursue an aca-demic career. This is essential to ourefforts to attract more underrepresentedminorities to MIT and to our peer institu-

tions. MIT has a number of outreach pro-grams on campus such as the Laureatesand Leaders Program and many individ-ual faculty members mentor undergradu-ates through UROPs and other researchprojects. Many of us have made appear-ances in local elementary and highschools to share our work and to motivatestudents to explore exciting issues in ourfields. Some faculty have brought studentswho have surpassed what their highschools can offer into their labs, andserved as mentors and showed these highpotentials the excitement that comes fromworking on the frontiers of scientific dis-covery and problem solving. The wondersof online tools now make it more andmore possible to bring university lecturesand modular teaching into high schoolclasses, thereby making for a smoothertransition from high school to college. All of these efforts need to become

more integral parts of our professionalresponsibilities and careers. I will comeback to this point when I discuss therenewal stage of the life cycle model belowsince it represents an opportunity to bringthe university level expertise, mentoring,and teaching into our high schools, some-thing that can only benefit our nationaleducation reform agenda as well as incu-bate the next generation faculty talent pool.

Early Career We now lose too many talented youngpeople, and especially talented young

women, to alternative careers, becauseacademia has not adequately changed andinvested to address the work and familychallenges of young faculty. The updatedWomen in Science and Engineeringreports both note the progress MIT hasmade on this front in the last decade withexpanded day care facilities, tenure clock

extensions, and time off for child care. Butas the reports note, these are just firststeps. More child care support, either oncampus or through specialized highquality child care providers, remains a toppriority for young faculty women andmen and for those involved in recruitingthem. I would venture a guess that in thenext decade universities competing for thebest talent will be in a race to the top to seewhich institutions can offer the bestopportunities for starting a career andnurturing a family. MIT will need to con-tinue to invest resources to address thislabor market imperative.Reducing the loss of talent in the early

career stages will require taking a hardlook at that limbo role we call post-docs.Post-doc time is lengthening in scienceand post-docs are beginning to becomemore common in engineering disciplinesand departments. A naïve question mightbe: Are these really necessary develop-mental and screening opportunities or asource of relatively cheap apprenticelabor? We ignore these trends at our ownperil. Watch for increased unrest and/orpressures from post-docs to improve theirlives and shorten their time in this role.

Mid Career The need for lifelong learning is becomingmore important for all occupations,including faculty. Faculty members needtime and resources to retool their skills asknowledge advances in their chosen fields

Reinventing and Sustaining FacultyKochan, from page 1

Moreover, I believe societal forces will pose increasingchallenges to the business model that supportstraditional lock-step careers. Witness the current attackson pensions, benefits, and tenure of elementary andsecondary schoolteachers. Do we really believeuniversities will be left unscathed?


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of study and/or as their interests expandor their careers carry them into new orallied areas of research, teaching, and pro-fessional service. Sabbaticals are the tradi-tional means for meeting this need butthey too come in lockstep seven-year,semester-long increments. Many of ourfaculty already go well beyond standardsabbaticals by taking time off to start busi-nesses or work in industry or government.Some faculty spend time at other researchor teaching institutions to be with spousesand families spread across the globe. Thegrowing number of international partner-ships are taking faculty to sister institu-tions. As we expand our role in mid careeror executive education, more varied formsof teaching will be expected of faculty. Thegrowing power of online learning tech-nologies will mean that the best of ourfaculty will be teaching not just traditionalMIT students on campus but their “class-rooms” will have a global reach. Anotherprediction: If we don’t adapt our careersto reach out in these ways, our competi-tors (peers and other online teachingmills) will. Each of these departures from

the standard career model illustrates theneed for investment in mid-career retool-ing, and will continue to grow.

Renewal Retirement is indeed becoming an oxy-moron. Most of us are healthy enoughand want to find ways to continue engag-ing in interesting and constructive profes-sional activities and maintain a link toMIT well beyond the previously pre-sumed retirement age. But we also wantto make room to renew MIT with newrecruits. The standard model of buyingout faculty with small financial incentiveswastes money and doesn’t address thereal interests of most faculty. We need tobetter fund and support a new model offaculty renewal in which faculty transi-tion from full-time teaching and researchto a phased process of doing profession-ally rewarding work, perhaps in part atMIT and in part by putting their talents,wisdom, and experience to work in ourcommunities, schools, private enter-prises, and non-profit institutions.Imagine, for example, the contributions

our senior colleagues would make if weencouraged and supported them inteaching and mentoring the youngpeople we want to bring into the aca-demic pipeline! That is just one exampleof how we can put our human capital towork as we gradually wind down ourroles at the Institute. These days I spend a good portion of

my waking hours encouraging teachersand school district leaders to not justdefend themselves against their criticsand attackers but to be proactive inrenewing the way they educate students,govern their schools, and reinvent theteaching profession. We should do noless. Now is our moment to get ahead ofthe curve by investing the resources andimplementing the innovations needed tokeep our profession sufficiently strong,respected, and rewarding to attract andretain the best and brightest talent and toretain the support of those who pay forour services.

Thomas A. Kochan is a Professor ofManagement and Faculty Chair([email protected]).


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tunity to remind ourselves (and, hope-fully, others in the U.S.) of the ways inwhich institutions such as MIT contributeto the well-being of our nation. In fact,MIT’s mission statement refers to theadvancement of knowledge and the edu-cation of students in ways that “will bestserve the nation” as well as the world, andit is important to reflect periodically onhow well we are living up to that part ofour mission. International interest in MITinnovation can remind us of how ourown nation is served by the advancementof knowledge and the education of stu-dents taking place at institutions such asMIT. There are, of course, many ways in

which an educational institution such asMIT contributes to the development ofindividuals and society. The purpose ofthis article is to focus on its value from thepoint of view of educating students – thehuman capital – who contribute to societythrough knowledge creation and applica-tions and, more specifically still, on itsvalue to a knowledge-based, domesticeconomy. Much of the content of thisarticle aims to describe the MIT model forachieving these goals, and therefore willlikely be familiar to our faculty, who liveour mission statement in their daily activ-ities, and hence are at the forefront ofknowledge creation, dissemination, andapplication.

I. PremiseNations that lead in innovation typicallyshare at least the following three assets:

• Human capital,

• Educational and research institutionswhere knowledge is taught, created, pre-served, and used to solve important prob-lems, and

• A society that develops its human capitaland supports its educational and researchinstitutions, that incentivizes the creationof knowledge and competitive products

that benefit society, that embraces andpractices meritocracy, that encourages thefree flow of ideas and talents, and that pro-tects intellectual property.

It is important to acknowledge thatthese assets are necessary, but not sufficient,for success in the knowledge economy. Forexample, a reliable infrastructure, the ruleof law, and access to financial capital areabsolutely essential as well. This article willfocus only on the three noted above.

II. Human capitalIn order to play a leading role in innova-tion, a nation needs a significant pool ofwell-educated and highly creative individ-uals within its population. This could bepartially achieved by attracting talentedindividuals willing to cross nationalboundaries for better opportunities.However, in order to truly succeed andremain successful in the ever-changingknowledge economy, a nation needs toinvest continuously in its human capital.It can do so by educating and preparing itsyouth to compete in the knowledge-basedeconomy. It can do so by refreshing whatthey are taught, and innovating how theyare taught. In the process, studentsdevelop the self-confidence that comeswith learning, and they themselves learnto innovate, to create, to compete, to beentrepreneurial, to take risks, to persevere,to strive for excellence, and to be unafraidof failure. In this way, a nation’s humancapital is continuously renewed.

III. Educational and research institutionsThe importance of educational andresearch institutions where knowledge istaught, created, preserved, and used tosolve important problems may seemobvious. But to succeed in the innovation

economy, a nation needs institutions thatdeliberately prepare its young people tocompete in the global marketplace ofideas, knowledge, and products – and tocompete not only against local talent but

against talent from all over the world. If anation wants to succeed in the knowledgeeconomy, its educational institutions needto provide their students with the skillsand self-confidence to think in creativeand innovative ways. MIT is an example of an academic

institution where knowledge is taught,created, preserved, and used to solveimportant problems. It does so by meansof the following five interrelated princi-ples and approaches that have evolvedover the years and that are intrinsic to thefabric of the Institute.

First: Interdepartmental/interdiscipli-nary research units. MIT has approxi-mately 30 academic departments, whichhire virtually all of MIT faculty. Thesedepartments also organize and carry outundergraduate and graduate teachingprograms, and award degrees in theirdisciplines. A defining aspect of MIT’sapproach is that we also have approxi-mately 50 interdepartmental researchunits (e.g., laboratories, centers, insti-tutes, initiatives). These units cut acrossdepartmental boundaries and focus onbroad research themes (e.g., microsys-tems), or on a specific research mission(e.g., energy, cancer). Working across dis-ciplinary boundaries, these interdepart-mental research units make it possiblefor interested MIT faculty, students, andstaff to work collaboratively on the solu-tions of difficult and important chal-lenges by applying a variety of tools andperspectives.

Contributions of Institutions Such as MITReif, from page 1

Much of the content of this article aims to describe theMIT model for achieving these goals, and therefore willlikely be familiar to our faculty, who live our missionstatement in their daily activities, and hence are at theforefront of knowledge creation, dissemination, andapplication.


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Second: MIT integrates education andresearch. Research is in the DNA of MIT,and almost everyone at the Institute isinvolved in it. MIT believes that teachingand research must go hand in hand, andthat they make each other stronger. As with other private U.S. universities,

at MIT the funding for the teaching andlearning component of our academicenterprise comes mainly from tuition rev-enues, support from investments, and gifts.These funding sources represent a signifi-cant fraction of MIT’s annual revenues. On the other hand, funding for research

is typically obtained by, and awarded to, anindividual professor or groups of profes-sors. This funding comes primarily fromresearch sponsors such as the U.S. FederalGovernment, industry, private founda-tions, and foreign governments. Altogether,MIT received ~$600M in research fundinglast year (Fiscal Year 2010), an average of~$600,000/year per faculty member. Thequality of the education that MIT providesdepends heavily on this research support.Without it, our ability to integrate researchso closely with teaching and learningwould not be possible.

Third: MIT pursues – and values – themost abstract, curiosity-driven, funda-mental research, and the most applied,market-oriented innovations. At MIT,our faculty members pursue fundamen-tal, curiosity-driven research and, at thesame time, use knowledge to solve impor-tant problems. In fact, long-term funda-mental research provides the foundationsfor knowledge advancement that in turnoften finds application to real-worldproblems. MIT benefits immensely fromthe strengths and accomplishments inresearch and education of faculty, stu-dents, and staff from our five Schools.While the Schools and departmentsprovide rigorous depth of knowledge intheir fundamental and applied disciplines,the interdepartmental research units serveto interconnect the different disciplines.This interlocked education and researchinfrastructure sustains an academic insti-tution that is simultaneously deep andbroad, fundamental and applied.

Fourth: MIT interacts with industry. OfMIT’s roughly $600M in annual researchvolume, about 70% comes from the U.S.Federal Government, about 15% comes

from industry, and the remaining 15%comes from foundations and foreign gov-ernments. Research funded by the U.S.Federal Government typically supportsthe creation of knowledge and the solu-tion of problems regardless of whether theresearch results might benefit an existingindustry sector, or create a new market orindustry sector. This fundamental andenabling support of our research activitiesgreatly benefits society through the cre-ation of knowledge and the education ofstudents. In fact, long-term governmentfunding of research is a great example of anation’s investment in its own future. Industrial funding plays a different, yet

extremely important, role. By and large,industry tends to sponsor research thatcreates new knowledge or solves impor-tant problems in the industry sector of thesponsor. The value to our research enter-prise of interacting with industry extendsfar beyond the funding itself. Workingwith industry exposes us to real-worldproblems and allows us to work on realis-tic and practical, but still long-term, chal-lenges. It has the added benefit ofaccelerating the transfer of knowledgegained at MIT into the marketplace.Another way in which MIT interacts

with industry is via our Industrial LiaisonProgram (ILP). The ILP works closelywith nearly 200 member companies,matching their needs with the expertise ofour faculty. A significant fraction of theILP matchmaking efforts leads to eitherindustrial research funding for faculty oncampus, enrollment in executive or othereducational offerings, and/or other forms

of mutually beneficial engagements. Yetanother channel to industry is throughour Technology Licensing Office (TLO),which manages the process of transferring

technology from MIT to the commercialsector. This office typically negotiates ~90technology licenses every year, and helpscreate about 15-20 start-up companiesannually. Research funding, ILP, and TLOare just a few examples of MIT’s interac-tions with the industrial sector.Technology transfer also occurs natu-

rally when students graduate and join themarketplace. In fact, the largest form oftechnology and knowledge transfer hasalways been and will always be the educa-tion of students who carry new ideas withthem into industry. For example, close to26,000 currently active companies havebeen founded by MIT alumni, whichtogether generate annual revenues of $2 trillion and employ about 3.3 millionpeople (from Entrepreneurial Impact: TheRole of MIT, E.B. Roberts and C. Eesley,Kauffman Foundation, February 2009).The continuous flow of internationalscholarly publications is also a major con-tributor to knowledge and technologytransfer.

Fifth: MIT is an institution driven by amission of service.MIT’s history is rootedin a tradition of research efforts that resultin practical benefits for society. MITresearchers address challenges with anunderlying motivation to serve society byreaching solutions that improve our long-term quality of life. Service includes, among many exam-

ples, additions to the pool of practicalknowledge. For example, MIT is typicallyawarded over 160 patents annually, each

continued on next page

Altogether, MIT received ~$600M in research fundinglast year (Fiscal Year 2010), an average of~$600,000/year per faculty member. The quality of theeducation that MIT provides depends heavily on thisresearch support.


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one representing an innovation pro-duced by MIT faculty, staff, and/or stu-dents motivated to create the knowledgethat will impact society. Patented tech-nology licensed for development some-times achieves financial success,contributing to general economic growthand job creation. In summary, educational and research

institutions educate and develop ourhuman capital, create new knowledge andapply that knowledge to solve importantsocietal problems. At their best, these vitalinstitutions develop the innovators andthe innovations that fuel a knowledge-based economy. Investing in them isinvesting in our future.

IV. A society that develops its humancapital and supports its educationaland research institutions, that incen-tivizes the creation of knowledge andcompetitive products that benefitsociety, that embraces and practicesmeritocracy, that encourages the freeflow of ideas and talents, and thatprotects intellectual property.How does an innovative society support anddevelop its human capital? First, by offer-ing rigorous and accessible pre-collegeeducation. Second, by offering rigorousand accessible college education. Third, byoffering a vibrant domestic technologyjob market that absorbs the flow of collegegraduates and that keeps them engagedand productive. And fourth, by embrac-ing meritocracy, so that fair competitionbased on merit is encouraged, practiced,and respected. In such a society, an insti-tution such as MIT is only one piece of alarge, complex system of education andresearch that challenges students to dotheir best, to seek to be challenged, and tocompete with other talented students. In acompetitive society, many of the brightestminds end up pursuing college andadvanced degrees at places such as MIT,where they are exposed to a rigorous anddemanding education that actively

encourages them to innovate, to takerisks, and to be unafraid of failure. Like other U.S. universities, MIT prac-

tices meritocracy. Meritocracy, in its sim-plest definition, means competition based

on merit – that the best ideas prevail, nomatter to whom they belong, and that themost talented and capable people succeed,regardless of their background. Forexample, for undergraduates, MIT prac-tices need-blind admissions and need-based financial aid, which means thatstudents are admitted to MIT based onmerit, regardless of their ability to pay,and are offered financial aid packagesaccording to individual need that allowsthem to attend MIT. Meritocracy alsomeans that we want the best of the best atMIT, regardless of where they come from.Approximately 40 percent of MIT stu-dents pursuing graduate degrees wereborn outside the United States. Fortypercent of our faculty members also wereborn outside the United States. In otherwords, even when there is significant andstrong native human capital, it is vital torely on broad competition on the merits, toyield the best talent. To practice meritoc-racy successfully, a society must acceptand embrace merit and excellence as fun-damental values, and as the primary crite-ria for individual advancement.

How does an innovative society supporthigher education and research that createsknowledge and solves important problems?Four forms of support are vital: First, asociety must invest in its future throughlong-term, reliable, research funding. Asmentioned earlier, MIT receives 70% of itsresearch funding from the U.S. FederalGovernment via a competitive grantprocess. That continuous flow of fundsover several decades has made institutionssuch as MIT powerful engines of innova-

tion and economic growth (see, forexample, Entrepreneurial Impact: The Roleof MIT, E.B. Roberts and C. Eesley).Second, funding must be earned throughcompetitive mechanisms, such as peer

reviews that let ideas compete for support,which is then given to the best ideas.Third, society must take a very long-termperspective, and support also fundamen-tal, curiosity-driven, non-applied research,with the confidence that it will lead tounforeseeable technological innovationsover the very long term. And fourth, asociety needs a set of laws and policies thatprotect innovative ideas and encourage andreward the transition of ideas into products.In such a society, people in institutions suchas MIT have the ability to think imagina-tively, the confidence to think long term, thetime to think deeply, and the encourage-ment to think practically.

What does “free flow of ideas and talents”mean? This means deliberately removingbarriers that can exist within a given insti-tution, between different institutions,between sectors like academia and indus-try, and even between nations. MIT collab-orates regularly with industry, hospitals,government, and other universities, in theU.S. and abroad. Within MIT, talentedpeople find or make their own connectionsand, if those are not within their academicdiscipline, they are able to connect throughinterdepartmental research units definedby common interests.

How does society protect intellectualproperty? It is not enough to grant patentsand copyrights for inventions. An innova-tive society must have a reliable legalsystem so that patents and other intellec-tual property can be confidently trans-ferred by contract from one party toanother, and so that infringement can beprevented or compensated for.

Contributions of Institutions Such as MITReif, from preceding page

MIT’s history is rooted in a tradition of research effortsthat result in practical benefits for society. MITresearchers address challenges with an underlyingmotivation to serve society by reaching solutions thatimprove our long-term quality of life.


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V. SummaryAs the United States faces increasing globalcompetition for talent, ideas, and com-merce, it is important to recognize some ofthe values that have contributed to makethe United States a strong economic power:

1. Meritocracy. In people, ideas, inven-tions, and institutions – all competing ontheir merits: are they original, do theyhold promise, do they change things forthe better, and do they benefit society?

2. Openness and collaboration.Among andwithin institutions, disciplines, andsectors, so that people and ideas can flowto where they serve society best.

3. Long-term commitment. In funding,law, and policy; to talent, education, andresearch; so that innovators are encour-aged to take risks, are rewarded if suc-cessful, and are not stigmatized if theyfail.

These values, when embedded in asociety rich in human capital, andembraced by institutions committed toexcellence and to the creation, utilization,and dissemination of knowledge, fuelinnovation, entrepreneurship, andprogress. The United States and institu-tions such as MIT within the United Statesare great examples of what can be achievedby staying true to these values.

L. Rafael Reif is the Provost ([email protected]).

MIT 3rd in World University Rankings

MIT WAS RANKED TH I RD in therecent World University Rankings 2010-2011 by the Times Higher Education.Harvard University was ranked first fol-lowed by the California Institute ofTechnology. The Institute was rankedsecond in the Engineering & TechnologyUniversities category, again followingCalTech.

Overall rankings were based on 13 sep-arate performance indicators, combinedin the following categories:

• Teaching – the learning environment(30% of overall score)• Research – volume, income, and reputation (30%) • Citations – research influence (32.5%)

• Industry Income – innovation (2.5%)• International Mix – staff/students (5%)

This is the seventh year that the Timeshas provided these rankings, but theysuggest a recent overhaul of the method-ology “deliver[s] our most rigorous,transparent and reliable rankings tablesever.”

Top 10 World Universities 2010–2011

96.1

96.0

95.6

94.3

94.2

91.2

91.2

91.1

90.6

89.5

1 Harvard University

2 California Institute of Technology

3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

4 Stanford University

5 Princeton University

6 University of Oxford

6 University of Cambridge

8 University of California Berkeley

9 Imperial College of London

10 Yale University


10

Edmund BertschingerDepartmental Discussions of Diversity and Inclusion

THE MIT DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

is committed to increasing the diversity ofits faculty and student populations toimprove our excellence and to better servethe society that supports our work. Thismission statement appears on our depart-mental Website (web.mit.edu/physics); asDepartment Head, I promote it to thefaculty. It is consistent with MIT’s ownmission statement, which refers to “adiverse campus community” and says, “Weseek to develop in each member of theMIT community the ability and passion towork wisely, creatively, and effectively forthe betterment of humankind.” Missionstatements encapsulate our institutionalcore values and provide a compass for nav-igating change. By themselves, however,such statements accomplish little.Accomplishing the mission requires astrategy and its implementation.This article discusses one element of

our strategy to improve diversity andinclusion at the department level:monthly facilitated discussions at acatered luncheon. Faculty, staff (adminis-trative, support, and research scientists),postdocs, and graduate students areinvited. Each month, between 15 and 25people attend and many are repeat visi-tors. The model is easily copied and Iencourage other departments, labs,centers, and institutes at MIT to do so.I began this luncheon series one year

ago with three purposes in mind: to buildand support the community interested inimproving diversity and inclusion in mydepartment, to share with my colleaguesinformation about diversity and inclusionthat would help them in their work, andto recharge myself and others leading

change. All three goals have been met.Attendees regularly tell me how muchthey enjoy and look forward to theselunchtime discussions.

As MIT faculty we are generally nottrained in discussing topics like racialclimate, gender inequity, implicit bias, andwork-life balance, yet they surround us.How does one begin a luncheon seriesfocusing on such issues? In our case, wedid so with small group discussions ofwhat diversity and inclusion means toeach member of the community. Thismethod takes advantage of the distributedintelligence at MIT and helps us see amore personal side of each other. At thefirst luncheon, after briefly welcomingattendees and discussing the purpose ofthe lunches, I encouraged respectful con-versation within tables of six-to-eightpeople, during which time everyone had achance to speak. Afterwards, facultymembers told me it was the first time theyhad heard about the background andexperiences of some graduate studentswhom they had taught, while staffmembers told me they appreciatedhearing about the work-life balance con-cerns of some of our (mostly male) youngfaculty. The group – richly diverse andbalanced by age, race, gender, student oremployee status, and perceived power –wanted more.

At the outset I was unsure about howto select topics for discussion and howmuch of my role could be delegated. Bothconcerns evaporated quickly. In the fol-

lowing I will summarize several of themonthly topics of broad interest. After leading two lunches, I had no dif-

ficulty getting volunteers to facilitate sub-sequent discussions and even to gather orprepare background materials for thegroup. I request each participant to do asmall amount of reading or reflectionbefore each luncheon. This preparationhelps focus the discussions and gives theattendees resources they can share withothers.The luncheon that attracted the most

faculty members to date was devoted tothe Report on the Initiative for Faculty Raceand Diversity that was released in January2010. Faculty members were interested inlearning about the report’s conclusionsand how the report’s recommendationswould be implemented by MIT. Paralleldiscussions were taking place at the levelof the School deans, so this discussion wastimely. Everyone was concerned thatunderrepresented minority facultymembers were being promoted withlower probability overall than majorityfaculty, and there was discussion aboutthe tension at MIT around the concepts ofdiversity and inclusion versus excellence.

As MIT faculty we are generally not trained in discussingtopics like racial climate, gender inequity, implicit bias,and work-life balance, yet they surround us. How doesone begin a luncheon series focusing on such issues?


11

Not all faculty members agree that MIThas yet to achieve the ideal of a meritoc-racy and that further improvements areneeded to achieve the excellence we pro-claim. Senior faculty members sometimesforget how unforgiving and even cold thesystem can be for junior faculty, and some-times they assume that because it workedfor them, change is not needed. Listeningto junior faculty – and to the staff and stu-dents who see their occasional distress – isa good way to broaden one’s perspective.At another luncheon we discussed

implicit bias, a topic that most facultymembers might understandably prefer toavoid. Fortunately, academic psycholo-gists Tony Greenwald and MahzarinBanaji have made it fun and easy to revealhidden bias by creating an ImplicitAssociation Test that is available online atimplicit.harvard.edu. Play it like a shortvideo game and you will discover howhard it is to prevent implicit bias –whether about obesity, wealth, politics,gender, or many other topics – fromaffecting your judgment. Having atten-dees take the test before coming to lunchprepared the group well for discussionand for understanding why implicit bias isa concern in faculty search proceduresand letters of recommendation.Two lunches so far have been devoted

to the subject of work-life balance. This isone of the most important concerns atMIT, and those who attended the discus-sions were thoroughly engaged. In thefirst, staff members presented research onthe challenges faced by working couplesand told their own stories. The discussionthat followed was animated and eyeopening for graduate students. In thesecond luncheon, staff and junior facultyshared tips on how to balance time, whichwere distributed in a handout to atten-dees. One measure of change is that themajority of junior faculty members in mydepartment now have children, some-thing unthinkable in my day. In mostcases both partners work. Family andparental leave, access to affordable qualityday care, and family-friendly policies areessential for universities wanting to

recruit and advance the best faculty.However, we must not forget that thesame concerns are held by staff, postdocs,and graduate students. I believe that MITcan and should do more, especially withregards to childcare.For me, the most valuable luncheon

was one that broached the topic of racerelations by viewing and discussion ofsegments of the Intuitively Obviousvideos produced in the 1990s by theCommittee on Campus Race Relations.These videos are available at diversity.mit.edu/videos. I stronglyencourage all faculty to view them, espe-cially video 5. Although campus race rela-

tions are a little better now than they were15 years ago, the concerns remain andmay be even more visible given the muchhigher percentage of black and Hispanicundergraduate students now than in thepast. Some faculty members participatingin this discussion recognized for the firsttime that their own efforts to help stu-dents could be interpreted very differentlyby students who face discrimination. Asympathetic remark like “It’s okay to get aB” can be interpreted as “You don’t thinkI’m capable of earning an A because of myrace.” If this seems unwarranted, note thatmost MIT students – and many facultymembers – have at least occasional doubtsthat they belong among such brilliantpeers.Lunchtime participants were also

struck by the problems students andothers faced by being stereotyped.Whether they are Asian students who arenot offered help because they aremembers of the “model minority” orwomen faculty members who areexpected to have soft and sweet personali-ties, we damage others with stereotypes.

(An ironic exception is the male facultymember who gives equal time to child-care.) This lunchtime discussionscratched the surface of MIT socialdynamics enough to reveal some gleam-ing insights.MIT faculty members are very busy

and they rightly cherish and protect timefor research and professional activities.Why then should they create and attendsuch discussions? My experience says thatby doing so they will help themselves andtheir group members to be more effectiveand happier in their work. Understandingimplicit bias and the damaging effects ofstereotypes helps us to make wiser deci-

sions that ultimately provide a leadershipadvantage – they help us recruit a strongerfaculty and to have more successful stu-dents. Discussing work-life balance withpostdocs helps prepare the next genera-tion of faculty members. Even those withaggressive personalities benefit fromlearning techniques to help their studentsovercome impostor syndrome andachieve their full potential. As PresidentHockfield recently noted in her coverletter to the 2011 Report on the Status ofWomen Faculty in the Schools of Scienceand Engineering at MIT, we must “rein-force the importance of our efforts tostrengthen MIT’s culture of inclusion, sothat everyone at MIT can do his or herbest work.”Community-building discussions cen-

tered within department-sized units arean excellent way to strengthen the cultureof inclusion. I would be glad to discussimplementation issues with any unitinterested in starting their own series.

Edmund Bertschinger is a Professor andHead of the Department of Physics([email protected]).

For me, the most valuable luncheon was one thatbroached the topic of race relations by viewing anddiscussion of segments of the Intuitively Obvious videosproduced in the 1990s by the Committee on CampusRace Relations.


12

Ulric J. FernerChristine Ortiz

Practical Considerations for theInvolvement of Graduate Students in MIT’sInternational Engagements

THE TOPIC OF I NTERNATIONAL

engagements has been one of recent con-versation throughout the MIT commu-nity, with discussions taking place on theopportunities, risks, principles, funding,and strategy for involvement [L. RafaelReif, “MIT’s Approach to InternationalEngagement,” MIT Faculty Newsletter, Vol. XXIII, No. 3, Jan./Feb. 2011].Graduate students are involved in a broadarray of international programs (see thetable, page 14), and MIT receives largenumbers of proposals from abroadinvolving graduate education, includingmany for dual and joint degree programs. MIT is not unique in this arena. In

2007, a survey of graduate deans foundthat 29% of responding U.S. universitieshad graduate-level collaborative pro-grams with international institutions ofhigher education and 56% of both thelargest 10 and the largest 50 universitieshad at least one collaborative program[Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)International Graduate Admissions SurveyPhase II: Final Application and InitialOffers of Admissions, August 2007]. Onlineeducation, distance-learning, and com-munication tools are greatly facilitatingthe development of such initiatives.Discussions of benefits, challenges, andbest practices for international engage-ments involving graduate education havebegun to emerge [“Degrees of Success,”International Educator, May-June 2008;“Joint Degrees, Dual Degrees, andInternational Research Collaborations,”Council for Graduate Schools Report2010]. The MIT Global Council, in their2009 report Mens et Manus et Mundus:New Directions for Global Education and

Research at MIT, urged the Institute tomake international studies a core part ofthe MIT education, and also to pursuenew avenues for engagement of graduatestudents in international initiatives.Recommendations included building tar-geted fellowship support for graduatestudents engaging in research on globalchallenges, creating an internationalgraduate resident tutor program, andexpanding department-based initiativessuch as the Electrical Engineering andComputer Science Course VI-AInternational Masters of EngineeringThesis Program [via.mit.edu/]. Given theincreasing interest in this topic, here wediscuss a number of factors to take intoaccount when considering internationalprograms and engagements involvinggraduate education.

Educational aspectsA recent report by the Council forGraduate Schools articulates the manyeducational benefits to graduate studentsfor involvement in international pro-grams, such as: enhanced research skills,expanded research networks, access tospecialized equipment and expertise,exposure to different academic, pedagogi-cal, and scientific styles, and increasedcareer prospects [“Joint Degrees, DualDegrees, and International ResearchCollaborations,” Council for GraduateSchools Report 2010]. Such experiencescan train students to become “globally-cognizant” scholars; those who have anappreciation of their discipline in abroader cultural and socio-economiccontext, who build a meaningful under-standing of different regions of the world,

and who construct deep local relation-ships that constitute a basis for lifelonginteractions with other institutions, coun-tries, and cultures. In addition, the addedvalue of immersion in another cultureoften significantly benefits the personaldevelopment of the student, in particularself-confidence, leadership skills, workingin multinational teams, and communica-tion. At MIT, there has been muchthought about providing substantiveintellectual and educationally enrichedinternational programs, which are muchmore than “academic tourism.” One critical area to consider is aca-

demic advising. In particular, open com-munication is needed between the studentand advisor on how travel abroad fits inand complements the student’s educa-tional program and the formulation of aplan to ensure that the student’s academicmilestones and goals are met, so as not toincrease time-to-degree (e.g., qualifyingexaminations, thesis proposals, thesiscommittee meetings, etc.). Understandingmutual work expectations is a key compo-nent of any advising relationship; clearmilestones, timelines, and timely anddetailed feedback are highly beneficial[Graduate Student Council, “The advisor-advisee relationship: Where we are, andwhere we are going,” 2010 Report]. TheSingapore-MIT Alliance [web.mit.edu/sma/]explored the use of distance-learning ingraduate education and was able to createtrans-pacific advising, research collabora-tions, and classroom discussions betweengraduate students and faculty at MIT andin Singapore. Advisors should also con-sider a graduate student’s willingness toparticipate in and travel as part of an


13

international program, in particular forgraduate students with families.For programs that involve research, it

should also be ensured that graduate stu-dents have appropriate access to necessaryfacilities and instrumentation abroad, aswell as a rich intellectual environment toensure a high quality educational experi-ence, while not extending the time-to-degree. Additional areas to bear in mindinclude: maintaining admissions stan-dards and processes, research ethics andresponsible conduct of research, synergyof educational curricula and activities,program quality assurance and assess-ment, accurate accounting of costs andresources needed (e.g., space, faculty time,administration, etc.), sustainability, differ-ences in graduate student fundingmodels, and strategies for enrollmentconsistent with the educational goals ofthe program.

Graduate policiesFor MIT graduate students involved ininternational programs and collabora-tions, the length of travel varies greatly,from a few weeks to an entire calendar yearor more abroad. If the length of contem-plated travel is equal to an academicsemester or more, programs should ensurethat the student’s residency requirement ismaintained [web.mit.edu/admissions/graduate/requirements/degree_req.html].Residency requirements are consistent withthe philosophy that MIT will grant MITdegrees for those who carry out their edu-cation at MIT in Cambridge, MA (02139). There are two types of student status

under which thesis research may becarried out while not in formal residenceat the Institute. “Thesis Research inAbsentia” is applicable to all graduatedegrees and intended primarily for stu-dents who are on location away from MITbut who maintain in every other respectfull access to and contact with the aca-demic life of the Institute. This status isappropriate for trips of shorter durationthan one semester. “Nonresident DoctoralThesis Research Status” is available only todoctoral students who have completed allrequirements other than the thesis and is

granted one semester at a time to studentswith limited access to the campus andMIT resources [web.mit.edu/odge/gpp/degrees/thesis.html]. The visiting studentcategory can be used for students pursu-ing a graduate degree at universi-tiesabroad who have been invited byfaculty in an MIT department or laboratory/center to do research [https://web.mit.edu/iso/iso/visiting/visitor.shtml].

Risk managementIt is advisable for graduate programs andadministrators to be aware of the itiner-aries, passport, and health insuranceinformation of their graduate studentstraveling abroad. The Global EducationOffice [web.mit.edu/geo/] maintains thedatabase MIT-Horizons, which capturessuch information for GEO study abroadprograms, the MIT International Scienceand Technology Initiatives (MISTI), andtravel through the Public Service Center(PSC). Additionally, students shouldinform themselves about their destina-tion. General MIT travel policies can befound through the Office of the VicePresident for Research [vpf.mit.edu/site/travel/policies_procedures/mit_policies_procedures/mit_travel_policy2]. The MITRisk Acknowledgement form [web.mit.edu/studyabroad/forms/riskform.pdf] is requiredfor travel with MIT-sponsored programs.One should also be aware of MIT’s TravelRisk Policy [informit.mit.edu/epr/3.1travel_risk.html] regarding countrieswith travel warnings. Travelers should alsoobtain a membership card for theInternational SOS program [https://vpf.mit.edu/site/insurance/policies_procedures/inter-national_sos], which provides 24-houremergency medical and security evacua-tion services to MIT travelers. It shouldbe noted, however, that these services arenot a substitute for personal healthinsurance.

Immigration All students, both domestic and interna-tional, should secure an educational visafrom the embassy or consulate of thecountry they will visit. Visa regulationsvary dramatically depending upon the

host country and the student’s country oforigin; there are no generic visa require-ments that apply to all nationalities.International students must also contendwith getting their U.S. immigrationpapers and status in order so that they canreturn to the U.S. and MIT in a timelyfashion. This will invariably involve strategicplanning in consultation with theInternational Students Office advising staffbefore departure [web.mit.edu/ISO/].Once again, with U.S. immigration

regulations, the difficulty of getting arenewed student visa to return is depend-ent upon country of nationality and fieldof study. International students who con-template studying abroad have to be con-cerned about extended visa securityclearances, which are more likely if theyhave been abroad during their MITdegree program. In addition, their abilityto take advantage of pre- and post-com-pletion employment benefits associatedwith their F-1 or J-1 student visa statusupon return may be impacted. If an MITinternational is out of the U.S. for morethan five months, they will likely need toaccumulate another academic year ofstudy in residence in the U.S. before theywill be eligible to apply for employment-based benefits such as CPT, OPT, orAcademic Training.

Cultural acclimationInternational programs may want to con-sider formal cultural training for studentstraveling abroad prior to departure.MISTI [web.mit.edu/MISTI/] has been aleader in this regard and includes exten-sive country-specific preparation sessionsfor each of the countries to which theysend students. Topics include: safety,political and socioeconomic backgroundand history, language, practical aspectssuch as in-country travel and cultural dif-ferences. These sessions are available to allMIT students.

Personal support, professional develop-ment, cohort building, and communityGraduate students at MIT are given accessto and utilize a wide variety of support



14

services including, for example; advisingand counseling on academics and gradu-ate policies and procedures (e.g., Office ofthe Dean for Graduate Education, depart-mental graduate administrators andchairs), personal and professional devel-opment (e.g., Graduate Student Council,MIT Career Development Center, etc.),medical emergencies, wellness and stressreduction (MIT Medical), mental healthservices (MIT Mental Health andCounseling), conflict resolution(Ombuds), immigration and visa issues(International Students Office) and familysupport (Center for Work, Family &Personal Life). In addition to an adminis-trative coordinator at MIT and abroad,equivalent support to those services avail-able on the MIT campus should be identi-fied for graduate students. Lastly,cohort-building and graduate studentcommunity aspects should be consideredas well.

Graduate student initiativesMIT has a large international graduatepopulation: 2356 graduate students or38% of all enrolled graduate students (fall2010) representing 97 countries [Office ofthe Provost, Institutional Research], aswell as a growing number of internationalexchange and visiting students. The grad-uate student community actively partici-pates in bringing international companiesand universities to MIT through numer-ous events, such as the MIT EnergyConference [T. Zeller Jr., “Energy GeeksConverge on M.I.T.,” green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/energy-geeks-converge-at-m-i-t/, Mar. 5, 2011], the MIT 100K compe-tition [www.mit100k.org], the MITEuropean Career Fair [www.euro-career.com], and the MIT Career Fair, allorganized by students [career-fair.mit.edu].MIT can provide support to such graduatestudent-organized initiatives, as well ascoordination with laboratory, department,School, and Institute-wide activities.

The Office of the Dean for GraduateEducation ([email protected]) and the GraduateStudent Council ([email protected])welcome feedback and are happy to provideadvice and support on this topic.

Involvement of Graduate StudentsFerner and Ortiz, from preceding page

Programs Weblink

Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy atMIT and KFUPM (MIT’s Department ofMechanical Engineering and King FahdUniversity of Petroleum and Minerals, SaudiArabia)

ccwce.mit.edu

Center for International Studies (CIS) web.mit.edu/cis/index.html

Department of Chemical Engineering PracticeSchool Program

web.mit.edu/cheme/academics/grad/mscep.htmlweb.mit.edu/cheme/academics/grad/phdcep.html

Department of Electrical Engineering andComputer Science Course VI-A InternationalMasters of Engineering Thesis Program

via.mit.edu

Department of Urban Planning and StudiesInternational Studies and Practica andSENSEable City Lab

senseable.mit.edu

MIT Community Innovators Lab (Co-Lab) web.mit.edu/colab

MIT International Science and TechnologyInitiatives (MISTI)

web.mit.edu/MISTI

MIT Public Service Center web.mit.edu/mitpsc

MIT Sloan Action Labs actionlearning.mit.edu

MIT Zaragoza Master of Engineering inLogistics and Supply Chain Management(ZLOG)

mastersupplychain.edu.es

Singapore-MIT Alliance web.mit.edu/sma

The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research andTechnology (SMART)

smart.mit.edu/home.html

Singapore University of Technology and Design(SUTD) Dual Masters

www.sutd.edu.sg

Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation andGlobal Leadership

mitsloan.mit.edu/fellows

Sloan Masters of Science in ManagementStudies

mitsloan.mit.edu/academic/msms

Selected MIT Initiatives and Programs that Involve International Components and Graduate Students

Ulric J. Ferner is President of the MITGraduate Student Council ([email protected]);Christine Ortiz is MIT Dean for GraduateEducation; Professor of Materials Science andEngineering ([email protected]).


15

Mary CallahanEamon Kearns

The Roadmap to the Future of MIT’sStudent Information System

IN EARLY FALL , I N FORMATION

Services and Technology (IS&T), in part-nership with the Offices of the Dean forUndergraduate Education (DUE),Graduate Education (ODGE), andStudent Life (DSL), finalized the MITEducation Systems Roadmap, 2011-2014(web.mit.edu/itgc/EducationSystemsRoadMap.pdf). The three-year Roadmapfocuses on implementing high-impactprojects that increase efficiency andimprove the user experience within appli-cations that make up MIT’s StudentInformation Systems (SIS). This includesprojects that address long-standingrequests from faculty and students totransform outmoded paper processes intostreamlined electronic processes. Initialprojects include both online grading andonline registration.

Following the RoadmapThe Roadmap follows a multi-yearprocess in which IS&T and its businesspartners analyzed the current StudentInformation Systems, gathered ongoingand new user requirements, and consid-ered solutions for enhancement orreplacement. Based on a review of thefindings and an assessment of the pro-posed options, it was determined that thebest way to move the systems forward wasthrough incremental improvements andstabilization rather than a wholesalereplacement. Advantages to this incremental

approach include:

• Increases MIT’s ability to accommodatenew and diverse business requirements

• Allows MIT to focus on high-impact,customer-facing functionality thatenhances the user experience

• Enables incremental stabilization of thetechnical infrastructure

• Assures long-term sustainability

The Education Systems Roadmappicks up on the incremental directionand moves aggressively towards our goalsto modernize the systems. To enable thisprogress, MIT doubled our annual devel-opment investment amount in thestudent systems from FY10 to FY11. The Education Systems Roadmap

focuses on five equally important strate-gic priorities:

Digitization to create efficiencies in busi-ness process by replacing paper withonline self service and workflow review.This will modernize and streamline busi-ness processes to meet communityexpectations.

Enrich Advising Support through mean-ingful communications, curriculum plan-ning tools, and context sensitive help. Thiswill allow advisors to spend better-focused time discussing academic, per-sonal, and career issues with students; andprovide timely information to students sothey are better able to steward their aca-demic and financial records.

Seamless User Experiences by providing aconsistent, coherent, unified view betweenand among processes and to information.This will streamline work, provide systemintegration efficiencies, and support aconsistent user experience.

Technical Stabilization by providing stan-dard structure and components for newand replacement software being devel-oped by Student Information Systemsthat will enable a foundation for systemsustainability; developing roadmaps toincrementally replace obsolete systemcomponents to reduce technology riskand support sustainability; and providingongoing operational support for SIS.


The Roadmap follows a multi-year process in whichIS&T and its business partners analyzed the currentStudent Information Systems, gathered ongoing andnew user requirements, and considered solutions forenhancement or replacement. Based on a review of thefindings and an assessment of the proposed options, itwas determined that the best way to move the systemsforward was through incremental improvements andstabilization rather than a wholesale replacement.


16

Fulfill Mandated Changes by respondingappropriately to address government orfaculty mandated changes.

Current ProjectsBased on the Roadmap timeline, develop-ment has begun on projects and applica-tions that reflect these priorities. The coreproject team, with representation from theRegistrar’s Office and IS&T, is utilizing theexpertise of the Faculty Working Group indeveloping these applications. Facultymembers involved include Adam Albright,Bob Berwick, John Essigmann, SteveGraves, Eric Klopfer, Paul Lagace, HaynesMiller, and Bob Redwine. An update ofcurrent projects is outlined below.

Online GradingThis application will allow faculty tosubmit end-of-term grades, gradechanges, completion of incomplete/out-standing grades, and other final grades viaa Web interface. An initial pilot waslaunched in IAP ’11, with an expandedpilot planned for spring ’11.

Online RegistrationThe goal of the project is to improve regis-tration for students and faculty by aug-menting our current registration process(such as requiring face-to-face advising)

with intelligent messaging, digital signa-tures, and electronic submission. A teamis currently developing a digitized versionof the paper registration form. The digi-tized form is due to be piloted and imple-mented in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Enhanced Advising ToolsSubsequent to the Online Registrationproject, academic advising will beexplored in greater depth to determineif/how technology can be utilized toenhance the current advising process.

Student and Classroom SchedulingSystem ReplacementMIT’s current scheduling system is olderand needs to be replaced. Planning for thenew solution is currently underway withthe implementation phase of the projecttargeted for FY12.

Oracle Forms ReplacementOracle Forms is a product that is reachingend-of-life and needs to be removed fromthe student system. This is a major techni-cal stabilization effort that will span over anumber of years.

The Education Systems Roadmapprovides the foundation necessary tostrategically enhance educationsystems that support faculty, students,alumni, and administrators through-out MIT. Please see related article: “Student

Systems – A Vision for the Future,” MITFaculty Newsletter, Vol. XX No. 1[web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/201/ssv.html.]

The Roadmap to the FutureCallahan and Kearns, from preceding page

Mary Callahan is the Registrar([email protected]);Eamon Kearns is Associate Director,Education Systems in Information Services &Technology ([email protected]).

Online RegistrationThe goal of the project is to improve registration forstudents and faculty by augmenting our currentregistration process (such as requiring face-to-faceadvising) with intelligent messaging, digital signatures,and electronic submission.


17

Ernst G. FrankelFree Market Apocalypse: Safeguarding theWorld from Large Disasters

WHILE FREE MARKET ECONOMIES

thrive and basic capitalism works well, itdoes require effective regulation to policeor curtail corruption, self-serving, andharm to people and society. Recent majorcalamities such as the BP Gulf of Mexicooil spill, the northern Japan nuclearreactor problems, and others show that wemust limit the role of private enterprise inmanaging major disasters that may harmsociety, public interests, and the world atlarge. Common interests and safety aretoo often in conflict with interests ofprivate business.Profit and asset value maximization

are often in direct conflict with publicinterest and safety, as noted most recentlyin the BP Horizon oil spill and the north-ern Japan earthquake- and tsunami-trig-gered nuclear reactor disaster. In bothcases, government agencies deferred to theowners to correct faults, assure safety, and– even after failure – left the owners withthe responsibility to correct the problemsand ameliorate the consequences. Therespective governments apparentlyassumed that the owners/investors wouldwant to do their best and have publicsafety and interest foremost in mind. Yetin both cases, the public was greatly disap-pointed as owners put their financial andliability interests first and dealt with theproblems in a way that would minimizetheir own potential costs and exposure.In these cases, as well as other similar

accidents or disasters, potential threatswere forewarned long before the respec-tive accidents, yet little or no correctiveactions were taken. These and other phys-ical disasters follow a hierarchy of finan-cial or economic disasters, such as the

sub-prime mortgages, student loan fraud,and various other financial or financingschemes which not only brought the U.S.but much of the world’s economies totheir knees. Most were triggered by greed,lack of regulation and oversight, outright

corruption or political self-interests, andself-serving objectives.For example, BP refused to collect the

bulk of the oil spilled out at the site andinstead preferred to hide it by sinking itbelow the surface through use of millions ofgallons of poisonous dispersants, thoughmuch of the spilled oil still ended up onbeaches or in coastal power plant coolingsystems. The surplus oil continues to existas a huge oil and dispersant subsurface andpoisonous cloud which is expected to killand harm sea life for decades to come.The owners of the Japanese nuclear

power plants acted similarly, and instead ofimmediately taking dramatic affirmativeaction to seal off and insulate the damagedpower plants by encapsulating them undera heap of sand and concrete and buryingthem for good under an insulating moundof dense material – which would have ame-liorated the spread of radioactivity and letit cool over many years – they tried various

halfway measures designed to reduce radi-ation and dangers of explosions, withoutdeveloping a long-range plan or solution.So far all the work has consisted of stopgapmeasures, which generally only exposedother problems.

In order to rectify these continuingunacceptable actions, there is an urgentneed for the establishment of a supernational disaster management agencywith authority to take drastic measures toprotect humankind and the planet, ratherthan narrow financial and nationalisticinterests. Most importantly, unbiased aca-demic experts should always be consulted,and perhaps even a global council of aca-demic experts should be created to advisethe disaster response authority in devel-oping and imposing safeguards and solu-tions which are truly in the interests ofhumankind and the future of the world.Large-scale disasters (natural ormanmade) increasingly negatively affecthumankind and the world at large, andcannot be assigned to or managed bylocal, often biased, authorities.

Ernst G. Frankel is a Professor Emeritus in theDepartment of Mechanical Engineering([email protected]).

Profit and asset value maximization are often in directconflict with public interest and safety, as noted mostrecently in the BP Horizon oil spill and the northernJapan earthquake- and tsunami-triggered nuclearreactor disaster. In both cases, government agenciesdeferred to the owners to correct faults, assure safety,and – even after failure – left the owners with theresponsibility to correct the problems and ameliorate theconsequences.


18

Ann WolpertAbout DSpace@MIT

DSPACE@MIT I S AN I NNOVATION

of the MIT Libraries that was launched in2002 to address the growing challenge ofcollecting, preserving, and distributingMIT’s scholarly content in various digitalformats. The digital repository wascreated in the spirit of the Institute’smission – to disseminate and preserve thescholarly work of MIT’s great minds sothat it may be openly available and used toadvance knowledge around the world. Currently DSpace@MIT houses over

45,000 items from 62 depositing “com-munities” representing MIT faculty,researchers, departments, labs, andcenters. Collections in DSpace@MIT con-tinue to expand as new communities andimportant works are added – the growthof collections such as the MIT OpenAccess Articles collection, containing thescholarly articles that MIT faculty havechosen to make openly available throughthe Faculty Open Access Policy, is a recentexample.

In addition to scholarly articles, therepository includes a wide array of otherdigital material such as working papers,technical reports, preprints, images, andmore that are vetted by each MIT com-munity and submitted to the repository.

The MIT Libraries also maintains col-lections within DSpace@MIT, the largestof which is a collection of over 29,000MIT theses and dissertations dating as farback as the mid-1800s. Since 2004, all newMasters and PhD theses are automaticallysubmitted to the repository in digitalformat; theses completed prior to 2004 areadded as they are digitized by theLibraries. Since its creation, DSpace@MIT has

been looked to as a model for digitalrepositories. It currently ranks twelfth inthe world in a ranking of over 1,100 insti-tutional Web repositories by theCybermetrics Lab, a research groupwithin the Consejo Superior deInvestigaciones Científicas (CSIC). MIT’srepository is ranked alongside other dis-tinguished institutions in the top 20, suchas CERN and the Smithsonian/NASAAstrophysics Data System. Usage data show that the collections in

DSpace@MIT are accessed from nearly

every country in the world at an averagerate of over 30,000 downloads a day. In2010 alone there were 11.2 million totaldownloads. Users are finding items inDSpace@MIT in a number of ways,mostly by Web search through engines

like Google and Google Scholar, but alsothrough externally hosted portals,through the DSpace@MIT user interfaceitself, and from published literature refer-ences via persistent identifiers. DSpace@MIT is a service of the MIT

Libraries for the faculty and researchcommunity at MIT and is open to newcontributors. The Libraries can provideassistance in establishing new collectionsin DSpace@MIT, as well as provide con-sultation and production services formetadata creation and digitization oflegacy print collections. Contactlibraries.mit.edu/dspace-help for moreinformation.

The original DSpace softwareplatform, on which DSpace@MIToperates, was developed jointlyby the MIT Libraries andHewlett-Packard (HP). Since itslaunch, the open source soft-ware has been widely adoptedby numerous organizationsfacing similar digital archivingchallenges. Today, the softwarethat began as an idea at MIT,has been adopted by over 1,000organizations worldwide. It con-tinues to be the software ofchoice for academic, non-profit,government, and commercialorganizations building digitalopen repositories.

In addition to scholarly articles, the repository includes awide array of other digital material such as workingpapers, technical reports, preprints, images, and morethat are vetted by each MIT community and submitted tothe repository.

Ann Wolpert is Director of Libraries([email protected]).


19

lettersDisappointed in NRC Rankings Prominence

To The Faculty Newsletter:

I WAS D ISAPPOINTED to see the NRCrankings data given prominence in therecent Faculty Newsletter [Vol. XXIII No. 2,November/December 2010]. There iswidespread agreement that the study wasdeeply flawed in many respects. I thinkthat seeming to crow about the results isin poor taste. If MIT had looked bad, wewould surely be complaining (appro-priately) about the way the study wasconducted.

John GuttagProfessor, Department of ElectricalEngineering and Computer Science

Editor’s Note: The following is from theNRC [National Research Council]Website: sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/Resdoc/index.htm.

Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs

Revised March 9, 2011

NRC Response to University Commentsof Ranking Data will Appear Shortly

The NRC has been reviewing each ofthe 453 comments and suggestions that itreceived in response to the release of itsdoctoral programs in late September.Changes will be made in three principalareas:1. Awards and honors. We discoveredcases where these were undercounted. Wehave corrected these.2. Citations. The NRC made an error inentering the 2002 citations. As a result,there will be slight changes in thismeasure for all programs except those inthe humanities.

3. The academic placement measure. Afew institutions had low response rates forthis measure, which was derived fromNSF data. To be fair to them, we haverecalculated this measure so that thedenominator is the number of respon-dents, not the total number of PhDs.We will recalculate the ranges of rank-

ings given these changes and a few otherchanges where the data sent to the NRCwere incorrectly entered. These recalcula-tions will result in some changes to theranges of rankings. Other commentsreflected disagreement with or misunder-standing of the NRC methodology. Ourresponse to these comments will be tosuggest that the programs refer users ofthe NRC worksheet to their programwebsite, where they may present whatthey feel is the correct data and maypresent updated data. The recalculationswill be posted by early April.

DSpace@MIT – MIT Open Access Articles Collection(2010 Article Downloads by Country)

DSpace@MIT Item Types (45,867 Total Items as of 12/31/10)


M.I.T. NumbersU.S. News & World Report: Graduate School Rankings 2002 – 2011

mit faculty newsletter vol. xxiii no. 4, march/april 2011web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/234/fnl234.pdf ·...

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