Class Activities
Build Involvement, Strengthen Bonds
Each MIT class has a distinctive character—and it is reflected in the activities the class conducts. Regardless of their flavor, class activities keep classmates connected to the MIT experience by:
- Enhancing interaction—social, intellectual, and professional—among the graduates themselves
- Strengthening graduates' ties to MIT and its mission of academic excellence
- Encouraging alumni and alumnae to provide financial support
Here are some suggestions to increase cohesion among your classmates.
Attend reunions
Reunions are the primary activity for MIT classes. Traditionally, class reunions take place every five years during graduation week, usually one of the first weekends in June. A reunion reacquaints classmates with one another and renews their connection to MIT. Reunion is a fun and relaxing experience which, for many classes, includes an invigorating dose of intellectual content—just to remind members that being at MIT is "like drinking from a fire hose."
A complete Reunion Planning Toolkit is available to help plan your class reunion.
Organize mini-reunions
Destination reunions and the Pi Reunion have also successfully kept classmates engaged with each other between. These are planned and run almost exclusively by class volunteers; the Association only assists with mailings, directories, and contract negotiation. Destination reunions - reunions between quinquennial reunions at MIT that take place away from campus - have been going on a very long time. Here are some recent examples:
- The Class of 2006 arranged a successful weekend in Chicago in 2009, with a small block of hotel rooms, tickets to the theatre and a baseball game, etc.
- In 2007, the Class of 1959 held a 48.5th reunion in Bangkok, Thailand, hosted by classmates who live there.
- Also in 2007, the Class of 1950 held a mini-reunion in Annapolis, Maryland, which was such a success that the Class of 1946 copied it in every detail in 2008.
The Pi Reunion, held 3.14 years after graduation, has been held fairly regularly since the mid-1990s. Previous destinations have been Florida beach locations and Las Vegas, Nevada. Again, it's important to emphasize that the class volunteers handle the "heavy lifting" for these events, but the Association can assist with mailings and contract negotiation.
Establish class projects
Many classes have established a class project that reflects their interests and character—including 18 professorships, 67 scholarships, and 34 other projects including UROPs and student life funds. Over $50 million in class-sponsored funds are now committed to the enrichment of student life and learning, providing opportunities for current and future generations of MIT undergraduates. During reunions many classes arrange to meet faculty or students who benefit directly from their class projects.
