[1190] in UA Senate
Re: Meeting tomorrow with Grimson
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Daniel Hawkins)
Mon Mar 14 18:02:05 2011
Reply-To: hwkns@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: <alpine.DEB.2.00.1103141647230.11753@lunatique.mit.edu>
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:02:01 -0400
From: Daniel Hawkins <hwkns@MIT.EDU>
To: Geoffrey Thomas <geofft@mit.edu>
Cc: Jessica Chen <jessicachen.dbhs@gmail.com>, Betsy Riley <rileyb@mit.edu>,
Timothy Robertson <tim_r@mit.edu>, ua-senate@mit.edu
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On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 4:54 PM, Geoffrey Thomas <geofft@mit.edu> wrote:
> Two random thoughts. The first is along the lines of that question: "What
> sort of advantages does being MIT faculty bring you in this position? having
> been an MIT student? What disadvantages? How would being / not being from
> MIT influence hiring people to work under you, or affect working with
> people?"
>
> Also, perhaps something roughly like "As a CS professor you could
> undoubtedly implement the code for electronic add/drop forms in a weekend.
> What do you think the challenges of modernizing our systems are? What do you
> think the role of technology and research in running MIT should be?"
>
> I'd be interested in seeing his response there -- obviously there's an
> argument against micromanaging, but there's also an argument that his
> perspective might help him figure out when the only thing that could
> possibly be getting in the way of an effort is bureaucracy/politics, not
> ability.
>
> --
> Geoffrey Thomas
> geofft@mit.edu
>
>
> On Mon, 14 Mar 2011, Jessica Chen wrote:
>
> I particularly like the question of
>>
>> To what extent do you think MIT should model itself after other schools?
>> Are
>> there areas of MIT that you think could be improved by copying or modeling
>> other institutions?
>>
>> because I feel like a lot of the conflicts we've been having is that yes.
>> change is good but MIT is unique in its own way and that change shouldn't
>> mean that we're changing MIT's core qualities.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> ~Jessica Chen
>> MIT 2014
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 2:07 PM, Betsy Riley <rileyb@mit.edu> wrote:
>> Some questions I have (with input from others) are...
>> -- What do you want your legacy as Chancellor to be? How do you want
>> to be remembered?
>> -- Why did you take the job of Chancellor even though you had such a
>> successful career as a faculty member? What is the appeal of being an
>> administrator? -- The faculty are sometimes said to "run" MIT, and
>> they have been known to defend students opposing the administration.
>> As a long-time faculty member, how do you view the administration? Do
>> you think your presence in the administration will help unite the
>> faculty and admins?
>> -- What is your take on the current state of student engagement? How
>> do you plan on improving it?
>> -- What are your top priorities for the coming year?
>> -- Do you see any value in preserving MIT traditions? How does one go
>> about doing that?
>> -- What value do you see in including students in administrative
>> decisions? What is the role of student government? What do you think
>> of the current model of student government at MIT?
>> -- To what extent do you think MIT should model itself after other
>> schools? Are there areas of MIT that you think could be improved by
>> copying or modeling other institutions?
>> -- One aspect of student life that matters a lot to undergrads is the
>> residential system here, with its self-selecting dorm and living group
>> cultures. What do you think of this system? What changes, if any, are
>> you planning on making to it?
>> -- The waiting list numbers for dorm transfers seem to have changed
>> rather dramatically recently, such that now East Campus has the
>> longest waiting list and Next House and Simmons have no waiting lists.
>> Although I can't be sure that this is due to the changes in dining
>> that will occur next year, if there is a mass exodus from dining-hall
>> dorms, how do you plan on handling it?
>> -- The dining plan will almost certainly continue to cause
>> controversy. What specific plans do you have to make the transition to
>> the new dining model smooth? How will you continue to gather student
>> feedback once the plan is in place? How flexible will you be about
>> modifying the plan based on student input?
>> -- In what ways has the undergraduate body at MIT changed since you
>> arrived here? What about ways in which student government and student
>> engagement here have changed?
>> -- What are the best/most functional and worst/least functional
>> aspects of the divisions you oversee (DUE, DSL, and DGE)?
>>
>> Betsy
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 12:07 AM, Timothy Robertson <tim_r@mit.edu>
>> wrote:
>> May I suggest we start presenting topics to ask Grimson?
>> Like what is his plan going forward the next six months,
>> or what is he intending to regarding student engagement.
>> Yes these are general concerns but I would like this
>> discussion to start before the meeting.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Tim Robertson II
>> MIT 2011
>> Mechanical Engineering
>> UA Senate Office Hours:
>> EC-B515 Sunday 5-8pm
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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++<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 4:54 PM, Geoff=
rey Thomas <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:geofft@mit.edu">geofft@m=
it.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"=
margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); paddi=
ng-left: 1ex;">
Two random thoughts. The first is along the lines of that question: "W=
hat sort of advantages does being MIT faculty bring you in this position? h=
aving been an MIT student? What disadvantages? How would being / not being =
from MIT influence hiring people to work under you, or affect working with =
people?"<br>
<br>
Also, perhaps something roughly like "As a CS professor you could undo=
ubtedly implement the code for electronic add/drop forms in a weekend. What=
do you think the challenges of modernizing our systems are? What do you th=
ink the role of technology and research in running MIT should be?"<br>
<br>
I'd be interested in seeing his response there -- obviously there's=
an argument against micromanaging, but there's also an argument that h=
is perspective might help him figure out when the only thing that could pos=
sibly be getting in the way of an effort is bureaucracy/politics, not abili=
ty.<br>
<font color=3D"#888888">
<br>
-- <br>
Geoffrey Thomas<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:geofft@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">geofft@mit.edu</a></fon=
t><div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"><br>
<br>
On Mon, 14 Mar 2011, Jessica Chen wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; borde=
r-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
I particularly like the question of<br>
<br>
To what extent do you think MIT should model itself after other schools? Ar=
e<br>
there areas of MIT that you think could be improved by copying or modeling<=
br>
other institutions?<br>
<br>
because I feel like a lot of the conflicts we've been having is that ye=
s.<br>
change is good but MIT is unique in its own way and that change shouldn'=
;t<br>
mean that we're changing MIT's core qualities.<br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br>
~Jessica Chen<br>
MIT 2014<br>
<br>
<br>
On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 2:07 PM, Betsy Riley <<a href=3D"mailto:rileyb@m=
it.edu" target=3D"_blank">rileyb@mit.edu</a>> wrote:<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0Some questions I have (with input from others) are...<br>
-- What do you want your legacy as Chancellor to be? How do you want<br>
to be remembered?<br>
-- Why did you take the job of Chancellor even though you had such a<br>
successful career as a faculty member? What is the appeal of being an<br>
administrator?=A0 -- The faculty are sometimes said to "run" MIT,=
and<br>
they have been known to defend students opposing the administration.<br>
As a long-time faculty member, how do you view the administration? Do<br>
you think your presence in the administration will help unite the<br>
faculty and admins?=A0<br>
-- What is your take on the current state of student engagement? How<br>
do you plan on improving it?<br>
-- What are your top priorities for the coming year?<br>
-- Do you see any value in preserving MIT traditions? How does one go<br>
about doing that?<br>
-- What value do you see in including students in administrative<br>
decisions? What is the role of student government? What do you think<br>
of the current model of student government at MIT?<br>
-- To what extent do you think MIT should model itself after other<br>
schools? Are there areas of MIT that you think could be improved by<br>
copying or modeling other institutions?<br>
-- One aspect of student life that matters a lot to undergrads is the<br>
residential system here, with its self-selecting dorm and living group<br>
cultures. What do you think of this system? What changes, if any, are<br>
you planning on making to it?<br>
-- The waiting list numbers for dorm transfers seem to have changed<br>
rather dramatically recently, such that now East Campus has the<br>
longest waiting list and Next House and Simmons have no waiting lists.<br>
Although I can't be sure that this is due to the changes in dining<br>
that will occur next year, if there is a mass exodus from dining-hall<br>
dorms, how do you plan on handling it?<br>
-- The dining plan will almost certainly continue to cause<br>
controversy. What specific plans do you have to make the transition to<br>
the new dining model smooth? How will you continue to gather student<br>
feedback once the plan is in place? How flexible will you be about<br>
modifying the plan based on student input?<br>
-- In what ways has the undergraduate body at MIT changed since you<br>
arrived here? What about ways in which student government and student<br>
engagement here have changed?<br>
-- What are the best/most functional and worst/least functional<br>
aspects of the divisions you oversee (DUE, DSL, and DGE)?<br>
<br>
Betsy<br>
<br>
<br>
On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 12:07 AM, Timothy Robertson <<a href=3D"mailto:t=
im_r@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">tim_r@mit.edu</a>><br>
wrote:<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0May I suggest we start presenting topics to ask Grimson?<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0Like what is his plan going forward the next six months,<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0or what is he intending to regarding student engagement.<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0Yes these are general concerns but I would like this<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0discussion to start before the meeting.<br>
<br>
<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0--<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0Tim Robertson II<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0MIT 2011<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0Mechanical Engineering<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0UA Senate Office Hours:<br>
=A0 =A0 =A0EC-B515 Sunday 5-8pm<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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