The MIT Corporation Visiting Committees

As a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate and three-sport college athlete, Jessamy Tang remains involved with her alma mater’s athletic department. She currently sits on the MIT Corporation Visiting Committee to the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation. Visiting committees are a vital part MIT’s legacy, having been established in 1875 as advisory bodies to the administration and Corporation. In addition to the athletics program, the committees provide counsel to departments such as Economics, Social Sciences, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. They also assist the Libraries, the offices of the Dean for Undergraduate Education and the Dean for Student Life, and the Sloan School of Management. The 31 total visiting committees represent the leading such system among major U.S. research institutions.

In serving on an MIT visiting committee, Jessamy Tang joins the ranks of over 400 professionals who serve in a wide variety of academic, scientific, entrepreneurial, and engineering positions. Each committee generally consists of 17 members, of whom 5 are corporation members. The remaining 12 members are evenly split between President-nominated members and Association of Alumni and Alumnae of MIT nominees. Jessamy Tang is 1 of 19 total members, including the Chair, in the MIT Corporation Visiting Committee to the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation.

The written and oral recommendations and ongoing assessments of committees have direct impact, as they are conveyed to department heads, all levels of faculty, and senior administration. Outside evaluations of issues facing each department allows MIT to maintain a freshness and vitality within its institutional planning process that would not otherwise be possible. It also helps maintains a strong connection between past students and present faculty and administration. Many Committee members additionally volunteer their time in meeting with department members, guest lecturing, and providing other services at MIT. Jessamy Tang is no exception: in addition to her role on the visiting committee, she has served twice as a panelist at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.