Plenty of learning takes place outside the classroom, library, or lab. Who you live with, where you live, and how you live with others matters. In class you will learn how to solve some differential equations or write some code. Outside of class you will learn how to live with others. You will learn how to trust people, how to negotiate, how to tolerate and accept people for who they are. Along the way you will make some lifelong friends.

MIT could do a much better job of recognizing and embracing the learning that happens while living.

On the academic side, junior professors are evaluated and rewarded solely on their ability to do good research and get published. An assistant professor could be the most motivational instructor on the planet but none of that matters, if they can't get published then they'll be out looking for a job at an institution that values them more. If MIT really wants to change the educational experience, then change the reward and evaluation system for the faculty. Faculty should get points for engaging with students in meaningful ways. Tenure decisions should incorporate this.

Fewer Rules, More Thinking. I think MIT has too many rules, policies and procedures, perhaps driven by an overly litigious environment and a desire to retain power and control. But that doesn't mean that you have to go along with it. My daughter went to a high school where there was only one rule, "No roller skating in the halls." By which they meant, be considerate of others, think about your actions and how they affect others. I'm not saying that MIT shouldn't have any rules, but it is not necessary to make a rule for every imaginable situation. Instead the rules should expect and treat our students like thinking beings.

There have been some improvements. For example, the recent change to the Institute Alcohol Transport policy is a step in the right direction. http://studentlife.mit.edu/cdsa/practice-seeking-help This moved the Institute from a policing and punishment policy to one of support and safety.