In 1999, the Council created a Quality of Life task Force and launched an initiative to gain a fuller understanding of MIT employees' ability to integrate work and personal life. In October 2001, in collaboration with WFD Inc., major surveys were conducted of faculty and staff on quality-of-life issues. In December 2002, reports summarizing the findings of each survey were released.
Following up on the Council's recommendations in its two reports, a Staff Quality of Life Committee and a Faculty Quality of Life Committee were created in 2003 to study further certain topics and issue additional recommendations.