Since February, five dedicated working groups have been crafting the vision for MIT's innovative Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing. Among these, the Working Group on Faculty Appointments plays a crucial role in shaping the college's foundation. Co-chaired by Eran Ben-Joseph, head of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and William Freeman, the Thomas and Gerd Perkins Professor of Electrical Engineering, this team is reimagining how faculty structure will support the future of AI education.
Q: What key challenges is your working group addressing?
Freeman: The establishment of this computing college represents an extraordinary opportunity for interdisciplinary AI education. We're tackling fundamental questions about how the electrical engineering and computer science department (EECS) will connect with the new college, and more broadly, how the entire university will integrate with this initiative. Our working group has identified a strong desire across campus for inclusion—no one wants to be left behind. The process of making faculty appointments becomes critical to ensure both current and future faculty members feel valued and properly integrated into this new structure.
Ben-Joseph: With the college's horizontal structure spanning across MIT, we're focused on strengthening computational sciences and AI education while maintaining MIT's existing excellence. We're creating a framework that engages everyone interested in computation while preserving the strength of computer science within the institute. Balancing our current capabilities with our aspirations for the future—while meaningfully including both existing and new faculty—has been our central discussion topic. Our committee itself demonstrated how this balance can be achieved: we brought diverse perspectives to the table while maintaining mutual respect for different positions.
Q: What specific approaches are you considering for hiring and retaining faculty with interdisciplinary interests in AI and computing?
Ben-Joseph: We began by examining the relationship between EECS faculty and other departments. For instance, should all computer science and EECS faculty automatically become college members, even if their departments don't physically move into the college?
We devoted considerable time to developing the concept of 'multicommunity faculty'—our preferred term for what has traditionally been called 'bridge faculty.' This approach creates an inclusive community while recognizing that for some faculty, this represents their professional core. We've carefully considered how faculty from other departments will associate with the college, particularly junior faculty conducting innovative research across disciplinary boundaries. We need clear pathways for their mentorship, professional development, and tenure processes.
Regarding hiring, one model we've explored involves departments initiating hiring recommendations, with the department serving as the home base. However, the college would maintain input in the process, creating a shared responsibility for the faculty member's academic success. Another option involves splitting faculty positions between departments and the college, ensuring both entities have a stake in the faculty member's success.
Freeman: We've identified a tension between achieving critical mass in specific areas and maintaining academic diversity across multiple departments. Our proposed solution involves creating intellectual clusters within the college—groups that span different departments but develop critical mass even in interdisciplinary fields.
Eran Ben-Joseph: These clusters could organize around themes like climate science and action, bringing together researchers in computational ecology, risk assessment, climate modeling, and AI applications. The common thread connecting these diverse areas would be their focus on computation and artificial intelligence.
Q: How will you incorporate community feedback moving forward?
Freeman: We plan to present our findings to the community and actively seek their input. The response will be carefully considered before final decisions are made. As someone from computer science, I've observed tremendous engagement because the new college directly affects people's professional lives. Beyond computer science, interest is equally high since computing now permeates every field, and the college offers opportunities to enhance both research and teaching across disciplines. Everyone wants to participate in this transformative initiative.
Ben-Joseph: We want to emphasize that our proposals represent starting points and frameworks that will evolve over time. No one expects hiring 50 faculty members overnight—this will be a multi-year journey. Some ideas will prove successful while others may need adjustment, and we're committed to continuous improvement. We must also recognize the contributions of MIT's teaching faculty, lecturers, technical instructors, and staff members who are essential to our community. While our working group had limited capacity to address their specific needs, we believe they must be included in these important conversations about the college's future.
