President Charles M. Vest plans a very different style of Town Meeting next Wednesday (May 15) from noon-2pm in the Student Center's Sala de Puerto Rico.
This meeting will be more informal than the one held last May. Rather than focusing specifically on reengineering, next week's meeting will give members of the community an opportunity to ask Dr. Vest about any MIT-related issue.
Dr. Vest will open the meeting with some short introductory remarks and then move to questions from the audience. There won't be a panel, but Dr. Vest may refer some questions to deans, vice presidents or other staff for more details. If there isn't an answer available on the spot, the question will be recorded so an answer can be provided later to persons who identify themselves, or anonymously in Tech Talk on issues of general interest.
"We started holding MIT Town Meetings to give the community an opportunity to ask questions and comment on some of the major changes occurring at the Institute. The first two meetings were focused on specific topics-the budget and reengineering. This time, I'm interested in learning what's on people's minds. I hope this open format will give me an opportunity to learn from and talk with the community on a range of the important issues we face," Dr. Vest said.
The Town Meeting is open to the entire Institute community. Supervisors are asked to assist with flexible scheduling wherever possible. The Town Meeting will be broadcast over MIT Cable to the Sloan School and Lincoln Laboratory.
Those attending should feel free to bring their lunch. Beverages and cookies will be provided in the West Lounge.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 8, 1996.
