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EDUCATION
In what could be a policy bellwether for other research universities, an MIT faculty committee has stated that retaining an open research environment with free flow of research results and information is the best way for the university to fulfill its public service responsibility. The committee's review covers both federally funded classified research and industry-sponsored research. "We recommend that no classified research be carried out on campus; that no student, graduate or undergraduate, should be required to have a security clearance to perform thesis research; and that no thesis research should be carried out in areas requiring access to classified materials," the committee stated in its report. In presenting its review, the MIT committee acknowledged the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as an impetus for its review. Among other observations, it noted "a growing pressure to treat research results as sensitive." The committee concluded that because there is no consistent understanding or definition of what would constitute "sensitive" information, MIT should continue its policy of not agreeing to any sponsor's contractual request that research results be reviewed for the inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information. What's more, the committee stated that "MIT should not accept or hold any documents on its campus that are designated 'sensitive' or 'no foreign nationals,' or restrict any student from access to any course, on-campus seminar, or other similar forum." |
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