REFORM GRADUATE ADMISSIONS AND FACULTY HIRING

Demand 1A - Make strategic commitments to reform graduate admissions and improve URM graduate student retention

Over the past ten years, there has been little to no progress in creating a more inclusive and representative graduate student body and the Institute has struggled to support and retain students from underrepresented backgrounds. If there is to be any progress on these fronts, MIT must evaluate each department’s admissions practices and establish Institute-wide standards for equitable admissions. Prospective students should be evaluated holistically by an admissions committee that has completed extensive bias training and includes valuable student input. The Institute must also actively work toward an inclusive climate to improve retention of underrepresented students. Departments must be able to demonstrate that all degree requirements have equitable outcomes and the Institute must ensure that the necessary support systems for URM students are built up to a sufficient level.

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Demand 1B - Promote diversity in faculty hiring & tenure through evidence-based practices

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Because faculty play a key role in shaping culture and creating inclusive workplaces, classrooms, labs, and departments, it is crucial to reform the faculty hiring and tenure processes to promote a more diverse and inclusive faculty body. To achieve this goal and reward faculty who work to create a safe and healthy culture at MIT, hiring and tenure must be holistic decisions which reward not just raw research output and teaching hours, but also the ability to create inclusive and equitable environments for students. Hiring and tenure decisions must also be made transparent, with consistent participation from students and regular evaluation in coordination with department DEI Officers.

Demand 1C - Increase student participation in hiring and tenure decisions'

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Faculty members are not just researchers, but also mentors to graduate students and postdocs, influencers of departmental health and culture, and leaders of the MIT community, and they must be evaluated as such. Because faculty spend so much of their time directly interacting with students, it is crucial that student input is involved in the hiring process. Students should be actively invited to participate in search committees and interview panels. Similarly, student feedback should also be included in the tenure application process in the form of student letters, disclosure of harassment/discrimination offenses, and consideration of the faculty member’s engagement with the departmental culture, graduate student body, and broader MIT community

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