The relationship between graduate students and their faculty mentors is the most sensitive, important, and most productive component of MIT’s academic and intellectual fabric. It is totally unacceptable that the Faculty – a core stakeholder in the University’s mission – is sidelined with respect to the Graduate Student Union negotiations. Eventually, we need a Standing Committee to deal with these new issues, and in the meantime an Ad Hoc Committee. This committee must be elected only by faculty (as is our FNL Editorial Board) to avoid conflict of interest.

In the fall, the Faculty Newsletter Editorial Board will hold a Faculty Forum on relating to the new union. Faculty interested in serving on the Program Committee should communicate with Managing Editor David Lewis <fnl@mit.edu>.

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