Building Respectful Relationships with Our Alumni Community

Updated in 2026

Introduction

The MIT Media Lab values its relationships with alumni and recognizes their important role in supporting our community. We are committed to maintaining a welcoming environment for alumni engagement while ensuring the safety, respect, and wellbeing of all community members—current students, staff, faculty, and alumni. This commitment is reflected in the MIT Values Statement, MIT's Policy on Relations and Responsibilities within the MIT Community and MAS Alumni Mentorship Program.  

Expectations for Alumni Engagement*

Alumni are expected to:

• Adhere to the MIT Media Lab Statement of Community Expectations (see below) and Communication Standards to ensure respect toward all members in the community. 
  • Avoid demeaning, discriminatory, harassing, or hateful behavior, language, and imagery.
  • Do not send direct messages to individuals who have explicitly asked you not to. If a current student, staff, or faculty member has indicated they do not wish to receive communications from you, please respect that boundary. In this same regard, if someone signals not wanting to communicate through non-verbal cues like not responding to repeated outreach, respect that signal immediately by ceasing direct communication and not pursuing further interaction. If you believe you have a legitimate need to contact someone who has asked not to be contacted, please contact mas@media.mit.edu.
  • Limit unsolicited communications to reasonable, purposeful contact (not daily or excessive outreach).
  • Refrain from excessive solicitation, self-promotion, or promotion of projects that are not directly related to current Media Lab/MAS students, faculty, and staff.
  • Maintain professional, respectful language in all communications.
• Recognize that the primary purpose of the Lab is education and research for current students and staff. 

• Support the Lab's mission without imposing your own agenda or interests on current community members. 
• Keep in mind that members of our community may have unique engagement styles or preferences for engagement, and that questions/feedback regarding your personal engagement style are not meant to serve as personal criticism. 
• Be mindful of power dynamics that may emerge between current students and alumni.
• Note that alumni remain subject to all MIT or MAS policies and statements of expectation for responsible and respectful conduct when participating in MAS or Media Lab events. 

In the event of a violation of the aforementioned Alumni Engagement Guidelines, the MIT Media Lab may:

• Restrict the alumnus's access to Lab facilities and events
• Refer the matter to appropriate MIT offices
• Pursue formal disciplinary action through the MIT Alumni Association or other Institute channels

If concerns persist or the situation involves severe misconduct, the matter may be referred to the MIT Alumni Association Standards Committee. 

CHARGE OF THE MIT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STANDARDS COMMITTEE  

The Standards Committee is charged with reviewing and providing recommendations on all reported complaints that involve alumni, donors and/or volunteers that are alleged to have violated MIT's Policy on Relations and Responsibilities within the MIT Community, Alumni Volunteer Expectations, or any other applicable MIT policy. Committee members will make a collective decision and offer action(s) if determined that the alum was in violation of MIT Policies.    

The goal of the committee is to resolve conflict and concerns primarily through restorative processes, recognizing that our MIT alumni and volunteers play a critical role in fostering the culture of our community.   

NOTE: Complaints of abusive or unprofessional behavior by an active Media Lab community member (e.g., faculty, staff, student) toward a volunteer, alumni, and/or donor must be reported in through MIT’s existing reporting channels via Human Resources (HR), the Institute Discrimination and Harassment Response office (IDHR), or the Committee on Discipline (COD).   

Confidentiality & Non-Retaliation

• All complaints will be handled confidentially to the greatest extent possible, although it may be necessary to share the information with other Institute offices, such as IDHR, HR, or the COD
• Retaliation against anyone who raises concerns in good faith is prohibited by MIT policy

These Guidelines are intended to align with MIT's Policy on Relations and Responsibilities within the MIT Community (9.0), MIT's Policy on Harassment (9.5), MIT's Values Statement, and the MIT Alumni Association Standards Committee Charter. In the event there is inconsistency between these Guidelines and those other sources, the other sources govern.

* Alumni engagement is defined as: interactions between MAS alumni and current MAS students, faculty, and staff during Media Lab or MAS events, both on campus and off, as well as communications that are facilitated through MAS or Media Lab pathways, including but not limited to interaction such as research collaborations, invited lectures, events or conference travel that is funded by MAS faculty, or external events current community members are invited to via Media Lab Slack channels.