The Graduate Community Fellows program offers a sustained and systematic method of building graduate community at MIT, especially in the directions of interest for the OGE.
In addition, the Fellows have the opportunity to interact intimately with administrators, advocate for student interests, and gain valuable leadership experience.
— former Fellow
Graduate Community Fellows are a cadre of graduate students who work on projects and assignments that enhance graduate community in unique ways. Each Fellow reports to a staff member in the OGE or in a partner organization, and focuses on a specific project. Current open positions are listed in the section below; details about all current positions are found on the “Current Fellow positions” page.
As a cadre, Fellows meet regularly to coordinate efforts, and to pool their observations and reflections. They have the opportunity to advise the OGE about the needs of the graduate student community, and serve as an important conduit for informing the OGE about the graduate student experience.
To serve as a Graduate Community Fellow, a graduate student must meet minimal eligibility requirements and agree to the terms of appointment (below). Appointment periods for Fellow positions vary.
Open Positions:
Starting Summer 2024 (now)
Celebrating Graduate Students: Writing
This Fellow works closely with, and reports to, the OVC Communications Officer. The goal of this position is to make the diversity of MIT’s graduate students more visible, and to provide a window into the graduate experience for prospective graduate students. You will be asked to provide a writing sample when applying for the position.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
Create pieces for MIT Campus News on graduate students
- Interview graduate students about their work, involvements, and/or background.
- Organize a photo shoot with a professional photographer.
- Write pieces for MIT Campus News which may take the form of a medium-length story piece, a photo montage, or a question-and-answer piece.
Skills and Qualifications:
Strong writing and interpersonal skills; ability to meet deadlines; interest in photography or graphics; enjoys working on a team. Please note that applicants will be required to submit a writing sample with their applications.
Starting Fall 2024 (Aug 15)
Career Advising and Professional Development
The Graduate Professional Development Fellows collaborate on professional development programs and initiatives within Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD) by working closely with, and reporting to, the Assistant Director and Associate Director of Professional Development. The goal of this position is to aid in the creation and delivery of new professional development opportunities for Master’s and PhD students while exploring issues and best practices in graduate professional development. The Fellows will contribute to an array of programming seeking to catalyze growth within seven competencies: career advancement, communication, interpersonal skills, leadership and mentoring, personal development, social responsibility, and teaching, each of which are essential in order to rise in both academic careers and careers beyond academia. The Fellows will also serve as a vital point of connection to the MIT graduate student body.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
- Create and promote professional development programs and activities in collaboration with the CAPD Grad PD team, taking the lead on one event or workshop per semester.
- Create and develop graduate student programming during the Independent Activities Period (IAP).
- Contribute to the Grad PD’s social media, website presence, and visibility on campus.
- Contribute to identification of the professional development needs of graduate students
- Assist with special projects to celebrate graduate students and their professional development accomplishments.
Skills and Qualifications:
Strong organizational, presentation, writing, and interpersonal skills; experience or interest in managing or contributing to a social media presence; ability to meet deadlines; interest in professional development and exploration, passion for building community and helping fellow MIT PhD student colleagues to grow and thrive. This is a flexible position with both virtual and in office work required.
ORSEL Radius Program: Ethical decision-making
This Fellow supports the Radius program by working alongside and meeting weekly with the Director of the program.
At Radius, our mission is to challenge uncritical narratives of progress and to provide space for ethical reflection on how our important work in science and technology might better contribute to the common good. We have three primary means of doing so:
- Public programming on ethical issues in our professional fields and at MIT itself;
- Individual student mentoring and the creation of communities of reflection and moral support;
- The Leitch Ethics Seminars, curricular opportunities for MIT students to consider ethics in their daily lives.
Radius is an affiliated program in MIT’s Office of Religious, Spiritual and Ethical Life (ORSEL) and was formerly known as The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
- Meet weekly with Director for purposes of coordination and supervision (10%)
- Manage and facilitate Slack account and social media presence for the maintenance of virtual community and discussion (15%)
- Assist with program design and development (25%)
- Take charge of advertising for monthly public programming, including liaising with ORSEL administrative assistant to develop and distribute publicity materials to graduate student groups and communities, with a mind to increasing graduate student participation.
- Assist with outreach to facilities, vendors, speakers, and other student organizers, with a special mind to recruiting and coaching graduate student facilitators for public events.
- In the Fall, take the lead on one program focused on graduate student life and/or professional reflection.
- In the Spring, attend and assist with dinner preparations and discussion involved in weekly seminar on “Ethics in Your Life”
- Extend the conversation to the broader graduate community as an ambassador of Radius and ethical reflection (35%)
- Advertise and attend monthly Radius-sponsored dinners for ethical reflection among graduate students on particular ethical issues.
- Seek partnerships with other student groups and with graduate student residential life to build conversations about ethics at MIT.
- Attend other organizations’ events as an ambassador of Radius.
- Deepen and sustain the program (15%)
- Work with Director to create plan for evaluating Radius’s impact on the graduate student community.
- Work with Director to determine other projects to enhance overall programming.
- Attend biannual meetings with donors and with the Steering Committee.
Skills and Qualifications:
Strong organizational and writing skills; ability to work independently; comfort interacting with others in group settings; strong interest in ethics and social justice; some familiarity with graduate student community across disciplines; comfort with program’s affiliation with the Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life (ORSEL).
Office of Sustainability Graduate Engagement
The Graduate Community Fellow in the Office of Sustainability actively engages the graduate student community in campus sustainability and climate action initiatives. Collaborating with the Office of Sustainability team, the Fellow develops and implements projects, workshops, and events tailored to graduate students’ interests. Acting as a liaison to GSC-Sustain, they foster connections within graduate student groups on sustainability matters and promote campus climate action programs. Additionally, the Fellow plays a key role in driving innovative sustainability projects involving graduate students in research, contributing to MIT’s Campus as a Test Bed program. This role offers a unique opportunity for immersion in institutional sustainability practices and contributes significantly to inspiring and empowering other graduate students to become catalysts for sustainability on campus and beyond.
Tasks and responsibilities:
- Project development and programming: Collaborate with the Office of Sustainability team to develop and implement projects that promote sustainability awareness and inspire campus climate action among graduate students. This may include organizing a workshop, seminar, competition, and other events focused on sustainability-related topics during key periods, such as IAP and Earth Month.
- Communication and Outreach:
- Promote campus sustainability programs in the graduate student community
- Develop sustainability training materials for graduate student orientations
- Act as a liaison to GSC-Sustain to foster connection, support graduate student sustainability initiatives, and increase coordination on campus climate action.
- Campus as a Test Bed program:
- Research campus living laboratory efforts at peer institutions
- Enhance and sustain the Campus as a Test Bed program
- Weekly check-in meeting with supervisor and other team members
Skills and Qualifications:
- Strong interest in sustainability issues as they relate to urban and/or campus sustainability as well as a desire to impact the future of MIT and sustainability in higher education and beyond
- Support for MIT’s commitment to the values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within the climate and sustainability field
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively, as part of a small team.
- Ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures/backgrounds and serve the needs of diverse populations
- Self-motivation and an eagerness to learn
- Demonstrated coursework in energy, materials, land, water, food systems, and/or building-related topics within the Departments of Architecture, Urban Studies and Planning, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or similar
MindHandHeart: Values Programming
In 2022, MindHandHeart was tasked with stewardship of the MIT Values Statement. We are searching for a Graduate Fellow to assist with the planning, design, and execution of MIT values programming. Under the supervision of MHH staff, they GCF will be a key member of a production team that reaches across silos to educate students, staff, and faculty about the values. GCF will also collaborate closely with MHH staff in planning the annual MHH design schedule and creating public-facing assets in support of the values and MHH programming.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
- Event Support (50%)
- Plan, organize, and facilitate values events and/or programs
- Inform and influence values strategy by soliciting and providing feedback from the point of view of an MIT graduate student via focus groups, surveys, and/or other methods of communication
- Serve as a welcoming presence for attendees by addressing concerns and troubleshooting issues during events
- Assist MHH staff in organizing and facilitating in-person and digital community building events and training programs
- Graphic Design (50%): Writing and Social Media
- Collaborate with MHH staff to manage the design calendar for the academic year
- Under the direction of MHH staff, design suitable assets for a wide range of events and programs in a manner consistent with MIT brand guidelines
- Manage the deployment of print and digital assets to a wide variety of sources
Skills and Qualifications:
A background in event planning/execution and design; attention to detail; strong knowledge of the MIT community; strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills; ability to meet deadlines and work in a collaborative environment. Experience with graphic design tools (Canva, Photoshop, GIMP, etc.) required,, experience with project management platforms desired but not required.
Applications
Applications for open positions should be submitted through this link. They will be reviewed as they are submitted; positions will be filled ASAP but some may not begin until the beginning of the next semester. Please contact gcf-admin@mit.edu with any questions.
Eligibility
- All graduate students who are registered and in good standing in a full time degree program at MIT for the current academic year are eligible to apply. (An international student who has full support in the form of an RA or TA is not eligible during regular academic terms – see Graduate Policies and Procedures for more information.)
- Fellows must be in the Boston/Cambridge area for the term of their position. A student in nonresident doctoral thesis research status, or thesis-in-absentia status, is not eligible to apply.
- Applicants should have been enrolled at MIT for at least one regular semester (fall / spring).
- Renewal of a position is not automatic. Current or previous GCFs who wish to be renewed should speak with their supervisor.
Terms of position
- The typical Graduate Community Fellow position runs September 1 through May 31; however, other term lengths are possible depending upon the nature of the position. See position descriptions for position-specific information.
- Graduate Community Fellows will receive $850 per month for for 10 hours a week working on GCF tasks. Duties are outlined in each position’s description.
- A Fellow can be dismissed prior to agreed upon timeline for conduct considered detrimental to the Office of Graduate Education, or for failure to accomplish to their responsibilities as a Graduate Community Fellow. Should one be dismissed, the payments will cease. If the OGE and GCF’s supervisor determine that the person accepted GCF payments during a time period in which the position responsibilities were not met, the OGE may pursue reimbursement of the payments from the Fellow.
Request a new position
MIT Offices interested in establishing a new graduate community fellow position should first reach out to gcf-admin@mit.edu for instructions on how to develop a proposal. All proposals must include a position description detailing the role, responsibilities, and a list of specific, concrete tasks. Supervisors must regularly meet with their fellow for mentoring and advising as well as report annually on progress. Supervisors may also anticipate some meetings with the program administrator and other supervisors throughout the year.
