Hello from the president

Welcome to MIT!

As your student body president, I am thrilled to share our vision with you. Our motto, "Dare to Dream, Dare to Do," encapsulates our commitment to transforming your dreams into actionable initiatives that enhance our campus experience. We believe that every student has the potential to make a significant impact, and we are here to support and empower you every step of the way.

Our team is dedicated to representing your interests and ensuring that your voice is heard. We are focused on creating a campus environment that is not only inclusive and supportive but also rich with opportunities for growth and innovation. Whether you are looking to start a new initiative, seeking support for your student organization, or simply wanting to make the most of your time at MIT, we are here to help.

We understand the diverse needs of our student body and are committed to addressing them through thoughtful policies and initiatives. From streamlining access to resources to advocating for better transportation services, from supporting international students to enhancing food services, we are working tirelessly to improve your MIT experience.

I encourage you to explore our site and get involved. Your feedback, ideas, and participation are vital to our success. Together, we can build a more vibrant, dynamic, and student-centered MIT community where everyone can thrive.

Thank you for your trust and support. Let's dare to dream big and dare to do great things together.

Your Humble Servant,

Participatory Budgeting

Overview

Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a process by which citizens determine how portions of the budget of a governing body is spent on the community.

The UA will apportion funds unused from previous years towards a Participatory Budgeting program for MIT undergraduates this academic year. This process aims to empower students to contribute ideas, vote on proposals, and oversee the implementation of winning projects.

Go to ua.mit.edu/participatory-budgeting for the basics and FAQs (including instructions on project submission), and see this document for all details!

Recent Actions:

Expanding Labor Protections for Unpaid Interns

Unpaid internships, which are typically exclusively filled by student workers, are a source of inequity and hardship for many students. By building support for our cause with other student groups and advocacy organizations, policymakers, and the public, we aim to (1) reduce the prevalence of unpaid internships (especially in the public sector) and (2) expand workplace protections for unpaid workers, to ensure students are not being subjected to exploitative or hostile work environments. Additionally, we broadly support all on-campus efforts that mitigate the issues associated with requiring unpaid internships as a graduation requirement.

UNPAID INTERNSHIPS POLICY POSITIONS

MASSACHUSETTS BILL S.1035 WRITTEN TESTIMONY

2023-2024 FOOD INSECURITY

VIEW THE FOOD INSECURITY REPORT

Key Findings

1. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to suggest that students on meal plans are any less likely to be food insecure than students who don’t have meal plans.

2. Students who experience food insecurity are more likely to need additional financial resources compared to their counterparts. However, when asked whether a lack of time or lack of money was the leading cause of food problems, the population was split (forty-one versus fifty-one percent, respectively). Furthermore, there’s no evidence to suggest that students that experience food insecurity spend more money on food or buy more expensive meals compared to their peers.

3. From the perspective of students, the effective TechCASH to USD exchange rate is roughly two dollars in TechCASH to three dollars in USD. That is, for every dollar that MIT gives students in TechCASH, the perceived value to the average student is roughly about sixty-six to seventy-five cents

THE UNDERGRADUATE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL CALLS ON THE MIT CLIMATE NUCLEUS TO RECOGNIZE APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STUDENT SUSTAINABILITY COALITION AS A STUDENT VOICE ON CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES

On-Campus Election Day Holiday Advocacy

Various students and student groups have expressed support for making Election Day a Student Holiday over time, citing the need to reduce academic and professional obstacles for students, staff, and faculty to vote; the symbolic value of MIT supporting civic engagement and democracy; and student life benefits of having an additional holiday mid-semester. We have met with relevant MIT administrators, faculty, and student groups to develop a proposal for an academic calendar change that we believe is the most feasible and practical option for implementing an Election Day Holiday. A recent UA Public Affairs survey shows that undergraduate student support for the proposal is above 90%. We are now in the process of working with MIT faculty governance and administrators to implement the proposal.

View the Election Day Holiday Interest & Proposal

2020 MIT Undergraduate Sustainability Survey: Data Report

Over the course of the Fall 2020 term, members of UA Sustainability worked to prepare this all-undergraduate sustainability survey, in collaboration with other groups on campus that included, but were not limited to, the MIT Office of Sustainability, Environmental Solutions Initiative, and the Student Sustainability Coalition. The survey was designed to get a clearer idea of which sustainability-related issues MIT undergraduates know and care about, so as to better inform the work of UA Sustain and other student sustainability groups going forward. Questions covered 6 main topics: campus community, campus sustainability, external relations, fossil fuel divestment and the Climate Action Plan, career choices, personal sustainability.

View the Data Report