Harness that resolve
Yesterday it felt tough to read the news, with the United States Supreme Court striking down affirmative action—racial and ethnic consideration—in college admissions.
Recent blog posts from MIT colleagues convey what's at stake. Chris Peterson explains in one why our Office of the General Counsel filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court arguing for "the vital role that diversity, including racial diversity, plays in achieving the educational missions of institutions of higher education for all students." A quote from MIT’s recent Strategic Action Plan for Belonging, Achievement, and Composition is worth repeating here for its resonance with the mission behind my own organization, the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab.
MIT has offered generations of people the opportunity to change the trajectory of their lives, develop their full potential, and have an impact in the world. Yet the Institute is part of a society in which opportunity is not evenly distributed and in which not all people feel their contributions are valued. To more fully live up to its mission and increase its impact, MIT will continue increasing the diversity and sense of belonging in its community, removing barriers to opportunity, and shaping an environment in which all people can do their best work and thrive.
MIT Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill lays out the rationale for the Institute’s commitment to diversity in a recent message that notes that people at MIT now feel both more concern, and more resolve, for the important work that remains to be done.
At J-WEL, we have countless reasons to harness that resolve. The value of MIT's depth, diversity, rigor, and engagement is evident across campus each day, and is what inspires J-WEL’s wide-ranging efforts to bring MIT ideas and know-how to collaborations with educational innovators around the world.
Just days ago, MIT was ranked the world's No. 1 university by QS for 2023-2024, for the 12th time in a row. This provides us with a special opportunity: People from all over the world ask MIT, “How can we improve learning, research, and impact?” At MIT, the three are intertwined. J-WEL’s platform provides an unparalleled opportunity to share ideas, experiences, and knowhow, to learn by doing as we collaborate, and to better understand how our own institution can deliver more impact in working with educators in the Global South, former Eastern Block, and elsewhere. The day after affirmative action was struck down, our mission feels more important than ever.
I woke up this morning thinking about how what we do at J-WEL must help fill the breach left by the new SCOTUS ruling. Our job is to open the doors of MIT to the world and to reach millions of learners by working with educators and leaders everywhere. It's more important than ever!
Dr. Anjali Sastry
Faculty Director, MIT Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab
Associate Dean, MIT Open Learning
Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management