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MIT Approaches COVID-19 Crisis by Delaying or Calling Off Scheduled Events

Large MIT functions, academic units, research facilities, and administrative entities have promptly decided to reschedule or cancel large-scale events scheduled up to May 15, following MIT's recent declaration about stricter regulations on events that could potentially draw in over 150 attendees.

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MIT suspends or cancels scheduled events due to COVID-19 response
MIT suspends or cancels scheduled events due to COVID-19 response

MIT Approaches COVID-19 Crisis by Delaying or Calling Off Scheduled Events

MIT has announced a series of changes and cancellations in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here's a rundown of the latest developments:

Classes and Events

  • Starting this week, classes with more than 150 students will be moved online. Midterm examinations will proceed as scheduled, with large courses running midterms in several rooms simultaneously to keep the number of students in each room below 150.
  • Many MIT events have been modified, offering increased opportunities for livestreaming. The Women's and Gender Studies Program's Women Take the Reel Series film event, the Myron Weiner Seminar, and the MacVicar Day symposium and reception are among the events that have been postponed until the fall.
  • The Forum on the Future of Cities: Urban Climate, hosted by the Senseable City Lab and the World Economic Forum, has been postponed until the Fall of 2020.
  • The MIT Scholarship and UROP Brunch, the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Gala, and the Mechanical Engineering Student Awards Banquet have been canceled.
  • The MIT Statistics and Data Science Conference (SDSCon 2020) has been postponed to fall 2020, while the March 13 lecture titled "Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped US-India Relations During the Cold War," has been postponed.
  • Solve at MIT, originally scheduled for May 12-14, will be virtual.

Athletic Events

  • DAPER has requested that only MIT students, faculty, and staff members attend upcoming home athletic events through May 15.
  • The Koch Institute is limiting attendance at the SCIENCE with/in/sight: 2020 Visions event.

Admissions and Student Programs

  • All scheduled admissions sessions and tours have been canceled between now and May 15. The Admissions Office will be connecting with admitted students, current students, and campus partners to discuss alternatives for Campus Preview Weekend due to COVID-19 precautions.
  • The Admissions Office will not host any programming for K-12 students between now and May 15, regardless of the size of the event.
  • The Office of Engineering Outreach Programs (OEOP) has canceled its SEED Academy program through May 15.
  • The Advanced Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (SuperUROP) has canceled the SuperUROP Showcase poster session, and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) has canceled Masterworks, the April 23 EECS poster session showcasing research by current and recent master's students.
  • The Department of EECS has also canceled the SuperUROP information session.
  • The MIT Graduate Alumni Gathering has been postponed, with plans for rescheduling to a later date in 2021.
  • The MIT Student Alumni Association's Dinner with 12 Strangers event series has been cancelled for the spring semester.
  • SpaceTech 2020 has been postponed.

Conferences and Awards

  • The 2020 Brazil Conference at MIT and Harvard has been canceled.
  • The MIT de Florez Award Competition will be conducted virtually.
  • The MIT Campaign for a Better World event in Toronto has been postponed.
  • J-PAL North America's Fourth Annual State and Local Innovation Initiative Convening has been postponed.

Career and Academic Opportunities

  • Career Advising and Professional Development is changing the format of the Spring Career Fair to a virtual career fair.
  • All MIT-sponsored student domestic travel of more than 100 miles will have to go through the Institute's high-risk travel waiver process.
  • The MIT Sloan School of Management is canceling all international study tours and treks.
  • The Program in Science, Technology, and Society's Morison Lecture and Prize in Science, Technology, and Society has been rescheduled for October 1, 2020.

Starr Forum and Other Events

  • The March 12 Starr Forum has been changed to a live webcast.
  • All MIT Communications Forum events have been postponed until the fall.
  • Digital Humanities @ MIT has been postponed until a date to be announced.

The Institute has announced new policies regarding gatherings likely to attract 150 or more people due to COVID-19 concerns. Events between April 16 and May 15 at MIT that were planned to be in-person are now held virtually. For example, the Spring 2025 IDE Lunch Seminar Series includes virtual seminars held on select Wednesdays from 12:00-1:00 PM Eastern Time, including one on May 7, 2025.

In his letter last Thursday, President L. Rafael Reif emphasised the importance of community and shared responsibility during these challenging times. The MIT community is encouraged to stay informed, follow health guidelines, and support each other as the Institute navigates this evolving situation.

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