Institute sees precipitous decline in racial minority enrollment for incoming class year
MIT’s incoming Class of 2028 is the least racially diverse in recent memory. In the Institute’s first admitted class following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action, 16 percent of students are Black, Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Islander, a significant decrease from the 25 percent in an aggregated profile for the previous four classes.
Sunny Skies Welcome the Class of 2028!
Boston is rolling out the red carpet for the class of 2028 with sunny skies shining overhead for the start of Orientation! Temperatures are not too warm either - high 70s - so be sure to explore MIT and its surrounding areas! I like to walk along the Charles river or in Boston Commons when it's nice out! If it's getting warm in the dorms, take shelter where there is AC (dorm dining halls/stud) and crack open a window at night! Welcome home to MIT!
Future of Latino Cultural Center uncertain as Sin LíMITe, Latino CPW events face low turnout in spring semester
The Spring 2024 cohorts for Sin LíMITe and Ebony Affair were both opened for all admitted students, regardless of cultural or ethnic identification. Sin LíMITe’s 2024 cohort dropped in enrollment to around 40 students, which also included some participants who did not identify as Latino—a first for the program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’75 SM ‘76 slams alma mater in congressional speech as Washington erupts in protest
“It’s not only the campus protesters who get it wrong. It’s also the people who run those campuses,” Netanyahu said, about halfway through his speech. “Eighty years after the Holocaust, the presidents of Harvard, Penn, and I’m ashamed to say my alma mater MIT couldn’t bring themselves to condemn the calls for the genocide of Jews.”
End of Summer :(
With one month left until the start of school, the ominous lull of schoolwork approaches Boston accompanied by an increasing chance of rain. Each warm day (higher 80s) ends with a chance of showers, a great metaphor for the upcoming end of summer. The low temperature should be quite consistent, with 72 °F occurring each night. Enjoy the warm weather while it lasts - with the return of school comes the slow return to the cold.
Independence Day celebrations ensue with annual Boston fireworks show
On the evening of July 4, thousands of spectators gathered around the Charles River esplanade to watch the annual Boston Independence Day fireworks show.
Dialogues Across Differences: Susannah Heschel and Ezzedine Fishere host panel on dialogue engagement surrounding the conflict and war in the Middle East
On May 9, Susannah Heschel, the Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor and chair of the Jewish Studies Program at Dartmouth College, and Ezzedine Fishere, a senior lecturer on Middle East politics at the same university, held the final panel of MIT’s Dialogues Across Differences: Building Community, a speaker series hosted at the Schwartzman College of Computing. Heschel studies the evolution of Jewish and Protestant religious ideas in Germany throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Cambridge City Council Unanimously Approves Safety Audits Following Fatal Intersection Collision
In response to the death of Minh-Thi Nguyen G on the morning of June 21 following a fatal collision with a truck, the Cambridge City Council voted unanimously on June 24 to initiate safety audits at intersections where serious collisions have occurred.
MIT Expands Insurance Options with New Enrollment Partner
MIT is set to enhance healthcare accessibility for students with expanded insurance choices and a new enrollment system.
MIT Introduces New Guidelines for Personal Wheels (PWs)
MIT has introduced new guidelines for the use of "Personal Wheels" (PWs), including scooters, skateboards, and bicycles, in response to a surge in their popularity on campus.
In Memoriam: Minh-Thi Nguyen G
Minh-Thi Nguyen G, a third-year graduate student in the Department of Physics, passed away the morning of June 21 following a traffic collision while biking from her apartment to campus.
MIT’s Touchstone system to be powered by Okta starting June 17th
Starting June 17, Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) will update MIT’s single sign-on (SSO) web authentication service Touchstone to be powered by Okta Identity Engine, “a modern cloud-based and extensible platform,” to protect users’ identities and facilitate app access from any device.
Premature reports of Noam Chomsky’s death refuted by account from family of ongoing recovery
In June, reports of renowned linguist, philosopher, and political activist Noam Chomsky’s apparent death surfaced across several news sites and social media platforms.
Interphase EDGE hit with declined enrollment for current cohort amidst student speculation of broader trends
Student enrollment for the 2024 Interphase EDGE program has reportedly declined to around 30 students, according to student sources.
Majority of interim student suspensions stemming from on-campus pro-Palestinian protests lifted
23 different students received these suspensions; over the following weeks, they engaged in what they described as stressful, demoralizing meetings with representatives of the administration while continuing to engage in increasingly escalated process action, in a weeks-long review process that ultimately saw many of these sanctions lifted.
Israeli and Jewish students celebrate community and culture amidst pro-Palestinian protests
In the final weeks of the semester, Israeli and Jewish students came together on a number of occasions to celebrate community, culture, and identity in the aftermath of pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
After the firehose: the Class of 2024 reflect upon their time at the Institute amidst commencement celebrations
On May 31, the Institute’s Class of 2024 gathered at Killian Court for the Undergraduate Ceremony, part of three day commencement proceedings. 1099 undergraduates received their diplomas.
MIT administration releases results from 2024 Quality of Life survey
On June 5, the Office of the Provost released the results of the Quality of Life 2024 Survey. Open to responses from faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and students, the survey was open for a month between February 15 and closed on March 19. 11,746 students and employees from both the Institute’s campus in Cambridge and the Lincoln Laboratory responded in total for 43% response rate. Undergraduates responded at a rate of 38%, a slight increase from the response rate two years prior of 35%.
UA shares report regarding UROP student experiences
In an email to the undergraduate community on May 22, the MIT Undergraduate Association (UA) released the “Final Report on the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.” Paul Irvine ’24, UA Chair of Public Affairs (UAPA), stated that the report, which was written by himself, Lindsay Bolino ’24, Enoch Ellis ’26, Miguel Buitrago ’26, and Haylea Brock ’27, is a compilation of what the UA has learned regarding the student experience with undergraduate research at MIT.
Barnhart PhD ’88 announces formation of the Future of the Arts at MIT Committee
In an email to the MIT community on June 3, Provost Cynthia Barnhart PhD ’88 announced the formation of the Future of the Arts at MIT Committee to “advise the Institute on new ways to envision the place of the arts in our community.” Course 8 (Physics) Professor Peter Fisher PhD ’88 will chair the committee. Members of the committee include several MIT faculty and individuals from outside of the Institute, including Paola Antonelli, curator of design at the Museum of Modern Art and Paul Ha, director of the List Visual Arts Center.