MIT, Please Kiss Colbert Good-Bye

I am, as I've mentioned before, an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the university in Cambridge, MA known for science and engineering, economics and other topics.  Lots of Nobel Prizes have been won by its graduates and those working there.  It's a good school, even though they lowered their standards to admit me and hand me a degree.

Like any university, it has an association of its alumni, which promotes the school, raises money, coordinates its alumni clubs worldwide and provides services to the graduates of the school.  The MIT version is called the MIT Alumni Association, or MITAA, and is a well-organized entity headquartered up in Cambridge.  They do great work.

So it has come to pass that the current CEO of the MITAA is stepping down after several years of distinguished service.  Bless her for her efforts, and now there is a vacancy.

It is a somewhat rare talent and background to run a major university's alumni program, so MITAA has engaged a search firm, Aspen Leadership Group, to advertise the position.  And so it came to pass that this morning, I received an email sent to fellow alumni from MITAA itself, thanking the outgoing CEO and noting the opening.

In the content of the email was a link to the advertised position description (prospectus) done by the search firm.  And there was an interesting paragraph in that prospectus, wherein it was selling MIT as a place to work and an outstanding institution.  I quote:

"... MIT has an action-oriented culture of intense curiosity and creativity that leads to a diversity of accomplishments that some find surprising. While MIT is known for engineering and science and the 87 Nobel prizes won by faculty and alums, its social science programs were ranked number 1 worldwide. Its contributions to the arts and humanities were recognized by entities as varied as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Colbert Report, and the Pulitzer Prize. MIT is third in the number of Academic All American athletes, behind only the Universities of Nebraska and Notre Dame, and its teams are routinely ranked nationally in Division III."

While I am proud of my university and its diverse courses of study, the academic achievements of its athletes and the 87 Nobel Prizes, I was a bit taken aback by the reference to the entities honoring the Institute for contribution to the arts and humanities.

I was not aware that the "Colbert Report", a comedy show, had become a quotable, referenced source for honoring excellence in the arts.  I also took note of the fact that Stephen Colbert, its host, had made an intolerably vulgar reference to President Trump on his nationally televised TV show this past week.  He then proceeded to stand by it, and apparently still is on the air, FCC be darned.

But I put two and two together and it came up "5."  So I wrote the following letter to the MITAA search committee email address.  I hoped that I would hear back, although I wasn't holding my breath.
_______________________________________________

Dear Sirs,

I received this morning the email noting the search for a new CEO for the Alumni Association. 

I can smile and say that at my age, although I have served MITAA for over 40 years as secretary of the Class of 1973, the position was not of specific interest to me. That said, I did look at the Aspen write-up about the duties and, particularly, the description of the Institute and awards that MIT had received, specifically for its "contributions to the arts and humanities."  Therein it cited recognition from the Colbert Report as something, presumably, to be proud of.

I was a bit taken aback.  Given the crude, contemptible and deplorably vulgar references made this past week by Mr. Colbert about the President of the United States, I would share that, at least outside Cambridge, Massachusetts, a recognition by Stephen Colbert is a stain on the good name of the Institute from which I graduated, and whose class I represent.

I implore you to remove that specific citation promptly from the Aspen search prospectus, and consider a prompt return of any physical manifestation of any such award whence it came.  If our Institute needs to quote Stephen Colbert to show our bona fides in the arts and humanities, it is not worth citing our accomplishments in that area.  I will be happy to draft the letter to Mr. Colbert, myself, that can be attached to its return.  I'm told I can write a little.

Respectfully,
Robert M. O. Sutton, Sr.
Secretary, M.I.T. Class of 1973
bsutton@alum.mit.edu
www.UberThoughtsUSA.com
________________________________________________

So I was only partially surprised when, in fact, I did hear back from one of the leaders of the MITAA to respond:

"I apologize if the reference offended you.  The prospectus was written well before the events of last week.

The reference was not to an endorsement by Mr. Colbert but rather to an episode of his prior program where author Richard Hersh, a former college President and current senior advisor to the Education Studies Program at Yale, identified MIT as an example of an institution where the humanities are taught well.  This episode received a fair amount of exposure in the MIT community, and nationwide in publications like the New York Times, because MIT Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill created a video that was a humorous response to a comment by Mr. Colbert’s character.

The intended point was that MIT has surprising strengths that are sometimes acknowledged in surprising places, and not that MIT was endorsed in any way by Mr. Colbert.  Again, I apologize if this reference offended you."
I replied and pointed out that whether or not it offended me wasn't relevant; it was whether MITAA was going to remove it, since the rest of the paragraph in the prospectus made the point quite well.  And I suppose it will all end there, inasmuch as they either will or will not remove the reference and it's probably too much effort to do so -- particularly if their view is that it offended me.

I suppose that, given the not-very-earth-shaking importance of the whole situation, I can sit back and say that I took a positive step in letting an organization know that others with actual, differing views are watching them.  And I'll pour my coffee and go on with my life.

But if you agree with me, well, it is MITAASearchCommittee@mit.edu.

Copyright 2017 by Robert Sutton
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