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MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

web.mit.edu

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Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#21

Post by pkaye »

kasey_junk wrote: post #12

This seems like its likely to have dramatically more serious consequences for the less privileged students. Lots of people don’t have a place other than school they can live & be successful.

Do you mean less privileged MIT students? I though MIT is pretty good about giving scholarships and grants to those who are admitted. If your family income is below some threshold they fully cover the costs.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#22

Post by aquova »

I can see why the university is taking the actions that it is doing, but on the other hand, if I were still and undergrad, and suddenly told that I had to pack up all my stuff and move within the next 3 days, I can only imagine the chaos that entails. Every student on campus now has to suddenly not only find a place to stay, but also a way to move everything on short notice.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#25

Post by csallen »

narak wrote: post #10
neets wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aren't undergraduate ivy league programs more about signaling status than actually becoming educated?

MIT isn't ivy league and probably the least 'about signaling' school in the US...

Yes and no. It's been 10 years since I graduated, but I doubt much has changed. The curriculum is rigorous, the students are smart, and people are serious about learning. But nevertheless, going to MIT does signal something much stronger than the vast majority of other schools, and MIT students are highly aware of that, as is the institution itself.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#26

Post by wcarss »

itronitron wrote: post #19

is this move to protect the students or the faculty?

this is to protect the health care system and all of the residents of the region, by reducing the density of a very large very dense, externally densely connected and high travel community in advance of a serious epidemic that may (likely will) require more intensive care beds than the region has to provide.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#27

Post by varenc »

kasey_junk wrote: post #12

This seems like its likely to have dramatically more serious consequences for the less privileged students. Lots of people don’t have a place other than school they can live & be successful.

The letter explicitly calls out that undergrads may request an exemption so that they can stay on campus.

  - International students who have concerns that they would not be allowed to return to MIT due to visa issues.
  - International students who will have difficulty returning to their home country if it has been hard-hit by COVID-19.
  - Students who do not have a home to go to, or for whom going home would be unsafe given the circumstances of their home country or homelife.
(just cutting down the dorm population by 90% will have a huge effect at slowing the disease, so I imagine there'll be plenty of room to give exemptions for students without safe/stable homes to return to)

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#28

Post by whymauri »

pkaye wrote: post #21
kasey_junk wrote: post #12

This seems like its likely to have dramatically more serious consequences for the less privileged students. Lots of people don’t have a place other than school they can live & be successful.

Do you mean less privileged MIT students? I though MIT is pretty good about giving scholarships and grants to those who are admitted. If your family income is below some threshold they fully cover the costs.

Flights may be reimbursed to go home for low-income students, but not all students have a safe home to go back to. A common issue could be homophobia or transphobia. Some students are also highly reliant on on-campus jobs for income that makes gives them a living wage. This whiplash relocation may make finding new sources of income really hard for certain geographies/students.

The list of complications just goes on... and let it be known that there are still some classes that haven't canceled exams or other large milestones through this Friday.

Re: MIT moves all classes online for the rest of the semester

#29

Post by akhilcacharya »

kasey_junk wrote: post #12

This seems like its likely to have dramatically more serious consequences for the less privileged students. Lots of people don’t have a place other than school they can live & be successful.

There are probably only a handful of MIT undergrads that are actually underprivileged per year (its unlikely enough with a middle class upbringing). I doubt this will be much of an issue, at least as much of an issue as it would be if my alma mater did this. They'll be fine.
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