Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Committee on Educational Survey records
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The collection also contains drafts of two supplemental reports from the Committee on General Education and the Committee on Staff Environment. There is some background material committee members read in preparation for writing their reports.
In a second accession of materials, the collection also includes a complete set of twelve bound volumes of the minutes and proceedings of the Committee on Educational Survey (January 1947 - January 1950) and an index to the volumes. Among the volumes are various drafts of the chapters of the final report and statistics and source material, as well as the proceedings of the two subcommittees: the Auxiliary Committee on Staff Environment and the Auxiliary Committee on General Education.
These volumes are believed to be an official set belonging to the secretary of the committee, John R. Loofborouw.
Dates
- 1930 - 1950
Creator
Access note
Intellectual Property Rights
Historical note
"The committee was instructed to reexamine the principles of education that had served as a guide to academic policy at MIT for almost ninety years, and to determine whether they were applicable to the conditions of a new era emerging from social upheaval and the disasters of war. The committee examined the educational mission and philosophy, the undergraduate professional education, sponsored research and the organization of the faculty. Among the main recommendations was that MIT should emphasize four general areas of education and research and that each area should be organized as a separate school with its own dean. The four areas were: engineering, science, architecture and planning, and humanities and social sciences. Allied to the work of the main committee were two additional groups: the Committee on General Education, which examined how to provide undergraduates with broad and more effective cultural training and recommended a general strengthening of the curriculum and required subjects in the humanities and social sciences; and the Committee on Staff Environment, which looked at how to provide the Institute with an improved environment for effective teaching and creative research."
In November 1949 and in subsequent years, many recommendations were implemented by the Institute, including the reorganization of the faculty committee structure to provide better planning and supervision of the undergraduate program, and the approval of a revised and expanded program of general education. The committee consisted of Professors Warren K. Lewis, chair; John R. Loofbourow, secretary; Ronald H. Robnett; C. Richard Soderberg; and Julius A. Stratton.
The Committee on General Education was chaired by Thomas K. Sherwood and the Committee on Staff Environment was chaired by W. Rupert Maclaurin.
Extent
2.6 Cubic Feet (1 record carton, 5 manuscript boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Location
Processing Information note
- Bryant, Lynwood
- Lewis, Warren Kendall, 1882-1975
- Loofbourow, John R.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- History Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Committee on Educational Survey
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Committee on General Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Committee on Staff Environment
- academic affairs Subject Source: Thesaurus for Use in College and University Archives
- administration of students Subject Source: Thesaurus for Use in College and University Archives
- advisory bodies Subject Source: Thesaurus for Use in College and University Archives
- curricula Subject Source: Thesaurus for Use in College and University Archives
- faculty governance Subject Source: Thesaurus for Use in College and University Archives
- planning Subject Source: Thesaurus for Use in College and University Archives
- research Subject Source: Thesaurus for Use in College and University Archives
Creator
- Title
- Guide to the Records of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Committee on Educational Survey, 1930-1950
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Hauke Kite-Powell and Judith Janec
- Date
- Copyright 1984; 2001
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries. Department of Distinctive Collections Repository
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries
Building 14N-118
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139-4307 US
distinctive-collections@mit.edu