Onboarding for Senior Leaders at MIT

Welcome to MIT. 

Rewarding and challenging work lies ahead. MIT is a large and varied mission-driven enterprise, with a unique culture and a richly diverse community. Leading in such an environment requires a keen understanding of the culture, knowledge of MIT’s organization and governance, and strong relationships, both within one’s department and across the Institute.

We encourage you to invest the time now, as you begin your role, in learning about MIT and developing relationships. Doing so will help you get off to a good start and will pay dividends moving forward in your work as an MIT leader.

Please use the following resources, along with your local administrator, to customize your own onboarding plan.

New Employee Resources

All new Institute employees are invited to review an array of information on getting oriented, working remotely, and more. You will find this information helpful both for your own orientation and in understanding the onboarding experiences of new employees in your department.

Onboarding to Your Local Area
  • Your local administrator is a vital resource in your onboarding. Ask to go through the standard new employee orientation for your department and seek their advice on what's important to know and do as you begin your leadership role.
  • Review the organizational chart of your department and develop a plan to meet with colleagues, staff, key stakeholders and constituencies.
  • Learn about your local resources as well as services and resources available from MIT's administrative units.
  • See our sample questions to ask yourself or others to support your acclimation to your role as a leader.

Resources Especially for Senior Leaders

An MIT Touchstone login is required to access the resources below.

MIT's Structure and Governance

Understanding MIT’s organizational structure and system of governance will help you navigate our vast and varied enterprise. See this page to learn about key Institute leaders, view the committees that guide our operation, and get a sense of how different pieces of the organization fit together.

 Structure and Governance

MIT's Culture and Community

Understanding the culture and context of the Institute will help you transition more efficiently into your new role. See more about what makes MIT unique and learn how you can be part of changing MIT for the better.

 Culture and Community

Leadership and Organization Development

MIT Human Resources offers consulting services to help you get off to a great start. Learn about services designed to strengthen your ability to build your team, navigate MIT’s culture, and create a plan that enables you to reach your leadership and organizational goals.

 Leadership and Organization Development

How Are We Doing?

We want to hear from you. As you get acclimated, let us know how well this site is addressing your information needs. Please share your feedback to hrsitefeedback@mit.edu.