Onboarding Resources for You

Driving and parking in the Boston/Cambridge area is notoriously difficult.

That's exactly why the network of alternative transportation systems serving this area is so robust. If you rely on public transportation and the many commuting innovations offered by the websites below, you’ll find you can get where you need to go efficiently and cost effectively without owning a car at all. If you do drive, don't worry! These sites also provide information on traffic and parking and getting to, from, and around campus.

Campus Tour for MIT Employees: The MIT campus isn't very big, but it's dense, complicated, and always changing. If you’re new to the Institute's 168-acre Cambridge facilities, or if you’ve been here a while (maybe working remotely) and just want to learn more about the Institute, sign up for this one-hour tour.

Campus Map: Find what you’re looking for by building number or name. Locate streets and landmarks ... even places to eat.

Parking & Transportation: Visiting this site will make it clear why MIT has earned a place on the “Best Workplaces for Commuters” list. Here you’ll discover information about MBTA passes, shuttles, commuter groups and vanpools, parking lots and passes, bicycling tips—even details on car-sharing services.

MIT Mobile App: Get essential MIT information and services anytime, anywhere on your mobile device. Find people, places, events, course news, shuttle schedules, and more. 

Saferide: Free to all members of the community, MIT's late-night shuttle service provides a secure means of transport within and around campus. Visit the Saferide site to download a copy of the shuttle schedule.

Discounts & perks: As a member of the MIT community, you are eligible for discounts on MBTA passes, event tickets, eyeglasses, home and auto insurance, and much more. 

Crime can present a risk in a large, open, dynamic environment that attracts thousands of visitors daily. But MIT has a strong sense of community, and that neighborliness, combined with awareness, discourages potential crimes.

Safety best practices

• Lock your door when your office is unattended—property theft is the most common crime on campus.
• Report suspicious activity to the MIT Police—dial 100 from any MIT phone.
• Note the blue emergency lights around campus. They indicate telephones with a direct line to the MIT Police.
• Take the free shuttle after dark. Saferide travels across campus and around town.
• Register your laptop with the MIT Police.

Safety resources

MIT Alert: MIT Alert is the Institute’s emergency notification program, designed to provide you with essential information via phone, email, or text message in case of an emergency that affects the campus. (Weather-related closings are issued via the MIT Snowline, below.)

MIT Health: MIT Health is open to the MIT community for urgent care 24/7. Not sure if you should come in? Call 617.253.1311 to consult with a clinician. Or dial 100 if you need an ambulance on the Cambridge campus—3333 for an ambulance at Lincoln Lab.

MIT Police: MIT's highly skilled police officers respond to most emergency calls within a few minutes. They are experienced at triage—bringing in all necessary services during an emergency as necessary.

MIT Snowline: Weather-related closings or changes in hours (delayed opening or early closing) are announced on the MIT home page and on the MIT Snowline 617.253.SNOW or 617.253.7669. Closings due to weather may also be announced on WBZ and Channel 7.

Saferide: Free to all members of the MIT community, MIT’s safety shuttle service provides a secure means of late-night travel within and around the MIT campus. Visit the Saferide site to download a copy of the shuttle schedule.

Institute Discrimination and Harassment Response Office (IDHR):  A central resource for the entire MIT community for concerns related to discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and bias. 

Environment, Health & Safety: EHS works with the MIT community to maintain a safe, healthy, and environmentally sustainable place to learn, work, live, and play. Please refer to the EHS Training page to determine if EHS safety training is required for work in your area.

The Institute strives to create an environment in which differences in race, gender, ethnicity, age, physical abilities, religion, and sexual orientation are respected and embraced. Faculty and administrators have dedicated themselves to fostering a culture that promotes appreciation and fairness, as well as respect for diverse ideas and points of view.

Institute Community & Equity Office (ICEO): MIT's diversity and inclusion resource.

Institute Discrimination and Harassment Response Office (IDHR): A central resource for the entire MIT community for concerns related to discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and bias.

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): ERGs are employee-led groups formed around common interests, issues and/or a common bond or background. ICEO and Human Resources offer occasional Welcome Wagon info sessions to help you learn more about ERGs and meet the people who help them thrive.

Informed and inspired individuals make for a richer community.

That's why MIT offers such an extensive array of programs dedicated to personal and professional enrichment. Whether you'd like to learn a new computer program or enhance your leadership skills, there are a multitude of options to develop an overall strategy for growth and learning.

Learning and Development: Resources related to professional growth, career planning and talent management, learning opportunities, and networking within the MIT community.

MIT offers an extensive support system to help you achieve goals and conquer challenges, both personal and professional.

Community Wellness at MIT Health: Free or low-cost programs, classes, and workshops dedicated to individual and group health and wellbeing. Center staff will even create custom workshops for your office, lab, or department.

MIT MyLife Services: MyLife Services provides MIT faculty, staff, postdocs – and families – 24/7 access to a network of experts who are available to help with life concerns.

MIT Center for WorkLife and WellBeing: This nationally acclaimed center provides all members of the MIT community with advice, referrals, and resources on parenting, child care, schools, balancing work and personal life, and job flexibility.

Fitness Challenge: getfit@mit: With the goal of building a healthy community, MIT offers its own 12-week “get fit” team-oriented challenge. Participants are encouraged to exercise regularly and can work toward prizes awarded for increasing fitness goals and overall participation.

MIT Department of Athletics, Physical Education & Recreation: Participate in exercise classes, team sports, and other fitness opportunities.

New employees are encouraged to review this overview of MIT's employment policies.

MIT has two policy manuals:

• MIT's Policies and Procedures. P&P, as it is sometimes called, applies to faculty and all staff. (Some polices in P&P apply even more broadly to the entire MIT community, including, for example, students and affiliates).
• MIT’s Employment Policy Manual. This manual applies to non-academic staff only -- administrative, support, sponsored research (SRS), and service staff. Note that service staff at MIT are unionized, and if there is any discrepancy between the collective bargaining agreement and MIT’s general policies, the labor agreement will govern.

For questions on interpretation of human resources policies and practices at MIT, the Human Resources Officer for your department is a resource for you.

If you are a manager, you have a responsibility for becoming familiar with MIT policies and procedures and for being consistent in how you administer policies. We recommend in particular that you review MIT’s policy on Responsibility of Supervisors, as well as get an overview of the two policy manuals plus any policies specific to your department.

ABCs: Bewildered by the barrage of abbreviations, lingo, and jargon you hear on campus? Learn your MIT ABCs with this online Acronym Guide that includes hundreds of handy translations.

MIT Holidays: See the official list of recognized Institute holidays and the dates on which they are observed.

MIT Organization Chart: See MIT's governance structure and find out who's who in senior leadership at MIT.