Opinion guest column

Our successes together

MIT’s partnership with the GSC and other student representatives has led to many substantive improvements for graduate students over the past five years

On April 4 and 5, some of MIT’s graduate students will participate in an National Labor Relations Board-run election to determine whether to form a union associated with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America.

Whatever the outcome of this election, all of us who lead MIT will continue to support every one of our extraordinarily talented students. Like every institution, we will always have room for improvement. Those of us who have devoted our lives to MIT and making it a place of excellence and belonging for generations of our students, are deeply aware that we must always strive to do better. We respect and admire all of our graduate students and are committed to ensuring that each of them thrives during their time here.

Indeed, it is our deep interest in our students’ work and success that has led us to embrace roles in student support and academic life, rather than focusing solely on our teaching and research. And it’s why we’re invested in strengthening MIT’s uniquely effective collaboration with its student leaders — an approach that has been advocated by the Institute’s student community, is in keeping with MIT’s spirit and values, and informs MIT’s work to create a more caring and supportive environment for everyone.

Over the past five years, our direct partnership with graduate student leaders, including the Graduate Student Council (GSC) and other representatives, has led to many substantive improvements for MIT’s graduate students, including:

As we draw closer to the election April 4–5, now is the time for graduate students to become as informed as possible on these matters. It is essential that every eligible student make it a priority to vote: This election’s outcome will be determined by a simple majority of those who vote, but will be binding on both voters and non-voters in the proposed bargaining unit.