Both letters seem fine to me. Two minor suggestions:
1. List committee member's EMail addresses in paren's after their names;
2. May want to insert near the end a couple of "mind expanding sentences,"
such as , "The committee is prepared to examine how these new and emerging
technologies may allow us to provide new modes of education. Examples may
include new teaching paradigms, electronic cross registration between and among
universities, and various forms of distance learning. Your comments in these
nontraditional areas are also welcome."
_______________________________________________________________________________
To: evat@mit.edu
Cc: cmvest@mit.edu
From: penfield@mtl.mit.edu on Thu, Oct 20, 1994 5:22 PM
Subject: Comments please
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Date: Thu, 20 Oct 1994 16:04:23 -0400
From: Paul Penfield <penfield@mtl.mit.edu>
X-Organization: MIT Microsystems Technology Laboratories
Reply-To: penfield@mtl.mit.edu
Message-Id: <9410202004.AA06128@mtl.mit.edu>
To: evat@mit.edu
Subject: Comments please
Cc: cmvest@mit.edu
Here is a draft of the letter I would like to send to MIT
department heads and lab directors. Please give me your
comments. Thanks. ..../Paul
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Paul Penfield, Jr., Head
Room 38-401
(617) 253-4601
Fax: (617) 258-7354
penfield @ mit.edu
Memorandum
October 20, 1994, 3:41 PM
From: Paul Penfield, Jr.
To: MIT Faculty Council
(Department Heads, Lab and Center Directors, Central Administration)
Subject: New Ad hoc Committee
As many of you know, on September 19 EECS held an off-campus retreat to
discuss use of new technologies for delivery of education. The emphasis was
on hypertext, CD-ROMs, hypermedia, and the World-Wide Web. This
meeting was organized by Prof. Richard C. Larson of this department. People
>from several parts of MIT were present.
One outcome of that retreat is that the topic has caught the attention of the
central administration at MIT. An ad hoc committee has been formed, at the
request of the President, by Dean Joel Moses, to recommend courses of action
for MIT. I have been asked to chair this committee. There are eight other
members: Hal Abelson, EECS; Peter Donaldson, Literature; Greg Jackson,
Information Systems; Bob Jaffe, Physics (and Chair of the Faculty); Chris
Kemerer, Sloan School; Dick Larson, EECS; Bill Mitchell, Dean of
Architecture and Planning; and Tony Patera, Mechanical Engineering.
This committee has chosen to call itself the committee on Education Via
Advanced Technologies, or EVAT.
I know many of you or your faculty have an interest in these kinds of
technologies. They seem to be well suited for some aspects of teaching, and
poorly suited for others. The committee will try to understand these issues
and recommend a responsible course of action for MIT to follow. We hope to
report and disband by the end of the semester.
We would be grateful if you would pass along a copy of this letter to any in
your department or unit who might have an interest. We would welcome
ideas from and discussions with any faculty members, especially those who
are using any of these technologies in teaching today, or have plans or
hopes to do so.
Copies: EVAT committee
C. M. Vest
M. S. Wrighton