Progress: All OVC Priorities (2017-2022)

The mission of the Office of the Vice Chancellor is to advance educational innovation and foster the growth of every student at MIT, empowering them to make a positive impact at MIT and beyond.

Guided by the charge issued by the chancellor when OVC was created in 2017, we have focused our efforts to date on several key strategic priorities:

  • Engaging with students and departments to develop and pursue a roadmap for enhancing the first-year student academic experience;
  • partnering with community members to make improvements for students in areas such as advising, professional development, diversity and inclusion, and well-being;
  • implementing the residential education innovations called for in the Institute-wide Task Force on the Future of MIT Education; and
  • working with the staff from undergraduate and graduate education to conduct an organizational review that positions the two offices to support the above efforts as well as optimize services for our students and faculty.

Our progress on these priorities from 2017 to 2022 is outlined below.

Key

The status of each item is delineated as follows:

Completed= Completed
In progress= In progress
Not started= Not yet started

Undergraduate Experience

With a particular emphasis on the first-year academic experience, we aim to provide students with the education they need to fulfill their personal aspirations — and to make a better world.

CompletedImplement first-year CUP experiments
CompletedFLC curricular pilots
CompletedAnalyze relationships between student outcomes, admissions, etc.
Enhance academic advising
Improve communications about undergrad tuition/financial aid
Identify common experiential learning risk areas
Not startedSurvey how prospective students perceive MIT

Graduate Experience

By taking a holistic view of the graduate student experience, we strive to create an environment in which students can produce their best work while enhancing the teaching and research mission of MIT.

CompletedStrengthen GradSupport team
In progressInstitutionalize prof development competencies, best practices, programs
In progressDevelop best practices in admissions, recruitment, student success programs
In progressEnhance advising

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We recognize that different perspectives not only create a rich and dynamic community, but also promote the best solutions and outcomes. To that end, we are committed to fostering an environment where everyone can be the best version of themselves.

CompletedPromote DEI in grad admissions, recruiting, and inclusive teaching
CompletedDevelop healthy workplace environment for OVC staff                            
Work to understand needs of community
Expand # of students OME reaches through Interphase EDGEx

Career and Professional Development

Equip students with the mentoring, career guidance, and professional skills they need to thrive — in a variety of workplace settings — over the course of their careers as national and global leaders.

CompletedProvide more professional development opportunities                              
CompletedDevelop financial literacy program

Academic infrastructure

Provide students, faculty, and staff with the best tools, systems, and physical spaces to optimize student learning and intellectual growth.

CompletedDevelop roadmap for IT resources/solutions to meet educational needs
CompletedEvolve classroom spaces
CompletedDevelop roles-based Student Support Network (Canopy)
Improve subject/teaching evaluation process
Provide more effective navigation to resources

Live Our Mission and Values

In all our work on behalf of students and the MIT community at-large, our goal is to serve as a model organization that uses a principle-driven approach to arrive at the best outcomes.

CompletedDevelop process for surveys/data administration and sharing
CompletedConsider OVC strategic priorities from “Three Lenses” perspective