FAQ - More Information
According to Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP, formerly ARC) administrators Julie Norman and Liz Young, in an emergency Undergraduate Association (UA) senate meeting, the reasons for making these most recent changes to REX are not financial. Some faculty are allegedly concerned that students are worn out from the length of orientation, and unprepared for classes. This assertion is dubious at best.
What follows is a summary of the changes to be implemented: Freshman Pre-Orientation Programs (FPOPs) will all run from Thursday to either Sunday or Monday. All advanced standing exams will be offered on Monday, and all freshmen who wish to take an exam must select a four-day FPOP, or none at all. Freshmen not involved in an FPOP must be on campus by Monday evening, and may begin arriving no sooner than Monday morning. In past years, The housing readjustment lottery will close at 5pm on Tuesday, and the in-house selection and lottery will be on Wednesday, which marks the official end of REX. CityDays is being removed from the schedule.
It ought to be noted that Norman has stated that her department will not save money, but Housing, Dining, and other related divisions of student life stand to save considerable money from cutting 2 full days from REX.
Student life has been under fire from various wings of the administration for years, most recently, athletics, campus dining, housing, and many student groups. All of these announcements have been met with outrage by the student body.
If you are interested in more information about the situation, the Undergraduate Association is the major representation of student interests at MIT. Additionally, various student groups have formed explicitly to protest the adminstration's recent decisions on student life, including Say No, the Campaign for Students, and What's Next.
For more information of the developing situation, you can follow The Tech's ongoing coverage, and read these news stories:
- REX drastically shortened
- Dining ignites campus controversy
- Looking in-depth at orientation plans
Additionally, you can read the Dormitory Council's report on the proposed changes.
What follows is a summary of the changes to be implemented: Freshman Pre-Orientation Programs (FPOPs) will all run from Thursday to either Sunday or Monday. All advanced standing exams will be offered on Monday, and all freshmen who wish to take an exam must select a four-day FPOP, or none at all. Freshmen not involved in an FPOP must be on campus by Monday evening, and may begin arriving no sooner than Monday morning. In past years, The housing readjustment lottery will close at 5pm on Tuesday, and the in-house selection and lottery will be on Wednesday, which marks the official end of REX. CityDays is being removed from the schedule.
It ought to be noted that Norman has stated that her department will not save money, but Housing, Dining, and other related divisions of student life stand to save considerable money from cutting 2 full days from REX.
Student life has been under fire from various wings of the administration for years, most recently, athletics, campus dining, housing, and many student groups. All of these announcements have been met with outrage by the student body.
If you are interested in more information about the situation, the Undergraduate Association is the major representation of student interests at MIT. Additionally, various student groups have formed explicitly to protest the adminstration's recent decisions on student life, including Say No, the Campaign for Students, and What's Next.
For more information of the developing situation, you can follow The Tech's ongoing coverage, and read these news stories:
- REX drastically shortened
- Dining ignites campus controversy
- Looking in-depth at orientation plans
Additionally, you can read the Dormitory Council's report on the proposed changes.