Plans include increased staff representation, mental health support, and more courses
Maximo MachadoThe Tech
The MIT Asian American Initiative, (AAI), has publicly released a set of recommendations to Institute senior executives so that MIT could provide a better learning environment for Asian American students.
These are the recommendations DetailThese were written by undergraduate AAI members, according to the AAI website. According to the website, members listened to and incorporated feedback form various Asian cultural student group representatives at MIT and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion(DEI) to make this list as relevant and representative of student groups as possible. AAI also collaborated with more than 70 other Asian American student groups from across the country through the Intercollegiate Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Coalition.
AAI began to think about the recommendations as a response to rising anti-Asian hate starting in 2020. Alana 22 wrote in an email. Tech. Amelia Dogan 23 said that they started drafting recommendations after MIT’s disappointing response to the March 2021 shootings at the Atlanta Spa.
Dogan stated that while many of the core recommendations have remained unchanged over the past year, discussions with staff, students and other stakeholders have allowed for refinement.
These are the recommendations:
MIT must recruit culturally competent mental healthcare professionals for the Asian American community.
AAI appeals to MIT to improve mental resources for Asian American student by citing a 2019 enrolled students SurveyA 2021 AAI survey of Asian American students. The first survey revealed that 24% (1500) undergraduate respondents had used counseling services within the past year. 18% also reported feeling depressed and unable to function. The second survey found that 81% (87 respondents) rated their perceived level MIT mental health support to be two or three on a 5-point scale. One indicates no support and five indicates complete help. Most respondents agreed that it is important to have therapists who are culturally competent (86%), and that they share their ethnic background (70%).
AAI encourages MIT, in particular, to hire multiple full time clinicians in Student Mental Health and Counseling Services, reflect the diversity and needs of Asian American students, and implement an online scheduling system to MIT Student Mental Health and Counseling.
MIT must create a permanent physical space for Asian American student and increase cultural representation.
According to the AAI website several Asian student groups on campus are having difficulty finding and booking space to hold events. A space that is dedicated to Asian American students corporealizes the common ground we find within ourselves, based on shared experiences, should be available for these events.
The website cites MIT’s five year DEI plan, specifically commitment 4, which states that the Institute will collaborate with student and administrative leaders in order to identify and create opportunities for cultural student groups to convene.
AAI also believes that MIT could do more to promote Asian cultural events such as improving Asian food representations in campus dining rooms.
AAI urges MIT to create a permanent space for Asian American students and groups. It also encourages greater representation of Asian literature, cultural celebrations, food, and music within the space.
MIT must offer courses on Asian American Studies, increase the level of Asian Language Classes, and implement ethnic studies programs.
AAI states that MIT students should have the opportunity to study a variety of languages and ethnic studies courses in order to be able to matriculate with the cultural sensitivity and skills to understand people from different backgrounds.
The website also states that these are not new requirements and that the global language program have had high student demand over many years. Yet, MIT recently restructured GSL [Global Studies and Languages](GSL faculty were reassigned into other Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences department in 2019, but GSL majors, minors and concentrations remained in force).
AAI requests that MIT create an Ethnic Studies concentration by 2024; offer an Ethnic Studies minor/major as a Course 21 interdisciplinary Minor/Major in 2026; offer a minimum five Asian American studies classes per semester; offer a greater variety of Asian languages than Chinese, Japanese, or Korean; and offer higher-level courses for those languages that are already part the established programming. MIT offers only up to third-year proficiencyIn many languages programs, which is insufficient to use effectively for business and insufficient for those who want to converse fluently within a specific language with family members and/or community members.
MIT must hire more Asian American faculty and staff.
According to the AAI website, MIT faculty and staff are composed of only nine percent and 12%, respectively, according to the Institutional Research Dashboard. These statistics are disproportionately low compared with MIT’s Asian student population which comprises 32% of undergraduates. This is a poor representation of the diversity of the Asian community at MIT.
AAI requests that MIT makes a greater concerted effort in order to recruit, retain, promote, and promote more Asian American-identifying faculty, staff, and administrators.
MIT must separate data on Asian American enrollment, graduation, admissions, and other factors by ethnicity.
According to the AAI website, MITs IR Diversity Dashboard doesn’t break down Asian American groups. AAI calls for data to be disaggregated in order to show how MIT serves different Asian American community members as they enter and travel through MIT.
AAI states that data disaggregation can reveal patterns or trends in factors that deeply impact a student’s journey through MIT in various ways. This includes performance, sense of belonging and development within different pockets of the incredibly diverse Asian American population.
AAI requests MIT to release a report on patterns and trends in the performance, senses of belonging, and development of the Asian American community, specific to different ethnicities.
The AAI website showcases artwork related to the five recommendations. Each is accompanied with an artists statement. The featured artists include Audrey Cui 24, Mulan Jiang 23, Yijun Yahn 24, Sammi Cheung 22 and Alana Chandler 22. The website also contains a link that allows students at MIT to sign a petition to support the recommendations.
AAI credits Black Students Unions 2015 RecommendationsThanks for helping to create the AAI recommendations and being an inspiration.
Dogan stated that AAI has a timeline in mind for some recommendations but they are aware that change is possible, especially when it comes to course offering or hiring. Dogan referred to MIT’s BSU recommendations and stated that the AAI has also observed how the Institute has taken its own time with student recommendations.
AAI plans on working with a number of offices around these recommendations, such as MIT Mental Health, Institute Community and Equity Office, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, and many others.
