*1913 |
Construction
of new Cambridge campus commences.
MIT Corporation Executive Committee, 10 March 1913, receives
letter from the Alumni Association Committee on Student Housing
with suggestions about dormitories planned for the new campus. |
*1915 |
MIT
Executive Committee of the Corporation accepts final plan for
student dormitory (E2, E3 - now Senior House), 22 November 1915. |
*1916 |
President
Maclaurin offers space in two units of the dormitory under construction
(E2, E3) to fraternities, January 1916. |
*1916 |
MIT
moves from Boston to the new Cambridge campus, June 1916. |
*1916 |
Building
E2, E3 initially occupied, July 1916. |
*1923 |
Report
of the Joint Dormitory Board, March 1923. President Samuel
Stratton had appointed the Board, composed of students, alumni,
administrators, and faculty and asked them to review the experiences
of the past five years and make recommendations about future
plans. The Board recommended that space no longer be given to
fraternities and graduate students, and that the dormitories
house a mix of undergraduates from each class. |
*1923 |
9
June 1923, Class of 1893 pledges $100,000 toward the building
of an additional student dormitory (Building 64) with construction
to commence in September. |
*1924 |
East
Campus Class of 1893 dormitory (Building 64) occupied, April
1924 |
*1931 |
East
Campus dormitory (Building 62) occupied, fall 1931. |
*1933 |
Buildings
E2, E3 become the "Graduate House" with Professor Ashdown as
the Housemaster. |
*1937 |
Institute
purchases Riverbank Court Hotel (W1), on the corner of Massachusetts
Avenue and Memorial Drive, for use as a graduate house (later
called Ashdown House). Intended to alleviate the need to use
E2, E3 for graduate housing. |
*1939 |
Ashdown
House (W1) initially occupied. |
*1939 |
Bexley
Hall (W13) purchased and then first occupied in September 1939. |
*1945 |
Institute
purchases 120 Bay State Road, in Boston, for use as a dormitory
for women, summer 1945; occupied 5 November 1945 for the opening
of the fall semester. |
*1945 |
Decision
to provide veterans housing for postwar student boom. Housing
Bureau opened to help students find housing and 100 units of
temporary housing for veterans and their families (Westgate)
were planned. |
*1946 |
First
Westgate units occupied in spring; naval huts were brought from
Rhode Island, rebuilt, and occupied as Westgate West. |
*1946 |
During
the academic year 1946-1947, the Institute converted The Barracks
(Building 22 - a temporary war research laboratory) into housing
for 600 students. |
*1946 |
Executive
Committee of the Corporation decides to build a new dormitory,
to be designed by Alvar Aalto (Baker House). |
*1948 |
100
Memorial Drive land leased to NE Mutual Life for 60 years to
build apartments to encourage MIT faculty and staff to live
near the campus. |
*1949 |
Report of the Committee on Educational
Survey, "Lewis Committee Report."
Reference: T171.M42k.C72 1949 Archives Reference
and Barker Library
Major
outcome: Addressed issues such as the role of faculty
in non-curricular matters. Within their educational objectives,
the Lewis Committee called for the provision of housing on
or near campus for students, staff and faculty, and proposed
the development of a physical plan which would consolidate
residential life on the West Campus and academic and administrative
activities on the East Campus. Housing was perceived as a
way to support and encourage the values and goals of MIT's
new residential academic community such as student individuality,
diversity, and personal growth.
|
*1949 |
Baker
House (W7) first occupied. |
*1950 |
Riverside
Apartment Hotel (420 Memorial Drive) purchased by MIT on 8 March
1950. Would become Burton-Connor (W51). |
*1951 |
Rules
and Regulations of the Faculty, September 1951. Contains
first mention of the Committee on Student Environment.
The Committee "shall consist of the Dean of Students as Chairman,
the Dean of Freshman, six elected members, and a non-voting
member appointed annually by and from the Committee on Undergraduate
Policy. It shall be concerned with student life, especially
with non-academic features that have a direct bearing on the
education of the student as a citizen and a member of the Institute
community. At its discretion, the Committee may invite the participation
of representatives of the student body." |
*1951 |
Report
of the Corporation Ad Hoc Committee on Fraternity Housing,
"Carpenter Committee," spring 1951, (reproduced in Ryer Report)
Conclusions:
Institute land should be made available to fraternities. MIT
should provide no financial assistance. Supervision by the
Institute should be limited to financial and architectural
supervision, and actions which may be required to prevent
the impairment of the good name and reputation of MIT.
|
*1953 |
Report
of the Student Environment Committee to the Committee on Undergraduate
Policy, July 1953. "As its first task, the Committee on
Student Environment has attempted to formulate a brief statement
of the objectives of education, mainly outside of the area covered
by the curriculum, for its guidance in weighing proposals affecting
student environment. These objectives [are] described as physical,
intellectual, emotional, spiritual, social, and civic." |
*1954 |
The
Scope of Activities of the Committee on Student Environment,
December 1954. From CSE to CUP. Statements in this document
are reaffirmed in Memorandum, March 1955.
Charge:
Studied questions of the relative responsibilities and authority
of faculty, administration and student body in environmental
matters and the role of the Committee on Student Environment.
Recommendations:
Reaffirmed the responsibility of the Faculty to participate
in shaping policy on environmental programs, and the particular
obligations of the Committee on Student Environment in these
matters. The Committee concluded that their proper role included:
A continual review of the established environmental programs
from the point of view of their effectiveness in relation
to broad educational objectives.
Running discussions, including speculation and theorizing,
and looking towards recommendations for innovations.
Acting as a board with which the Dean (as well as students,
staff and others) might raise questions for discussion.
Performing these functions, the Committee would act as inspector,
critic, sounding board and counsel, and would make recommendations
and hoist danger signals, as they appear necessary.
|
*1955 |
Committee
on Student Environment - Statement on the education considerations
relative to student housing, June 1955.
|
|
*1955 |
Committee
on Student Environment, November 29, 1955: "The Faculty has
a stake in all decisions which affect [extra-class student life]....There
is a widespread desire within the Faculty to participate directly
in extra-class activities and to develop a more intimate rapport
with the student body." Quoted in Ryer report, p. 22 |
*1956 |
Report
of the Faculty Committee on Student Housing to the President,
the Executive Committee of the Corporation and the Corporation,
"Ryer Report." Page 16-18 of the report is a history
of residential housing at MIT. Also includes a bibliography
of previous reports, memos and speeches used by the Committee.
Includes "Statement by the Faculty Committee on Student Environment,"
as App. I, 87-93.
Reference:
T171.M4233.S78 1956 Archives Reference, Rotch Library and
Library Storage Annex.
Charge:
Committee charged by President Killian to make recommendations
about how to, "develop a residential system which has as its
primary function the furtherance of the education of our students."
Recommendations:
Develop a graduate center east of the main educational buildings.
(Utilize and add to existing East Campus housing.)
Initiate a major program to improve the West Campus houses.
(Convert existing graduate to undergraduate housing; construct
new dorm for 400 students as well as a student center.)
Continue the practice of having living groups legislate and
administer their own rules.
Continue to study the question of adequate housing and facilities
for women students.
Consolidate campus residential life on West campus, and academic
activities on East campus.
Quotes:
Responsibility of the Institute - The best performance today
of the purposes for which the Institute was chartered by the
Commonwealth in 1861 is facilitated by the provision of residence
on campus for as many students as possible. The potentialities
which such residence affords for mental stimulation, social
development, and maturing responsibility among student, for
closer relationship between students and Faculty, and for
general participation in a widening range of intellectual,
aesthetic, and recreational community affairs are increasingly
being realized. Full achievement of all of them is a prime
goal of the whole endeavor. This is the basic philosophical
reason for a residential system.
Responsibility of the Faculty - As the residential system
of the Institute is expanded and becomes further stabilized
and consolidates as part of the non-curricular educational
program, consideration should be given to increasing the number
of Faculty Residents sufficiently to reduce the number of
students per Resident.
|
*1957 |
Demolition
of Westgate and Westgate West begins in the fall of 1957 and
was completed in 1959. |
*1958 |
Report
of the Committee on the Future of the Graduate School,
"Morse Committee." February 1958
Reference:
T171.M42h.R46 1958 Archives Reference
Charge:
In November 1956 Chancellor Stratton asked an ad hoc committee
chaired by Professor Philip Morse to study the future of the
Graduate School. Although recommendations on certain specific
topics related to housing were desired, it was agreed that
these could be provided only in the context of a wider inquiry
of graduate education.
Conclusions
and recommendations relevant to housing: Establish
a graduate center that will promote a sense of community among
graduate students and scholars by providing residences for
unmarried students, dining facilities, seminar and recreational
facilities.
Major
outcome: This report resulted in the establishment
of the Bush-Brown Committee (1960) which made recommendations
for a Graduate Student Center with a residential capacity
of 600 students.
|
1959 |
Myrle,
Dennis H. The Scholastic Problem in MIT Fraternities.
S.B. thesis, School of Industrial Management, June 1959. |
*1960 |
Annual
Report of the President (pages 33- 35) included the following
quote by Dr. Julius A. Stratton about the residential system:
"Undergraduate residence, to do its full share in education
of students, must be planned, implemented, and operated in such
fashion as to ensure its being both constructive and creative.
If constructive, it assures the student of a comfortable establishment
in which to live, where conditions are fit for the hard work
of study, where time-consuming domestic chores are at a minimum,
where, in short, his energies are set as free as possible for
the work of education which brought him to the Institute. If
creative, undergraduate residence gives the student an environment
and associations which will evoke greater effort and better
thinking on his part. It provides him with stimulating new ideas
and points of view, it calls on him to accept responsibility
for his and others' conduct and it sustains him with a sense
of continuity and stability." |
*1960 |
Burton
Hall (W51) dining room added. |
1960 |
A
Graduate Center for MIT, 1960. "Bush- Brown Committee on
Graduate Center". Proposed the construction of a graduate center
and housing for 50% of graduate and married students. The Graduate
Center was not constructed because of strains on the Institute's
resources. |
1960 |
Planning
for MIT, 1960. Prepared by the MIT Planning Office for
The Planning Committee. "The Long-Range Plan."
Background
and recommendations: This report addresses facility
and housing needs in anticipation of a steady population growth
reaching nearly 16,000 students, faculty and staff by 1975.
One of the recommendations for managing future growth and
guiding development in this plan is for MIT to "develop a
complete community on its campus to include academic, research,
and residential and recreational areas." The housing component
of this plan advocates making housing, "a vital part of an
education at the Institute..." The authors of this plan addressed
complex housing issues such as accommodating a growing number
of married graduate students and providing a meaningful residential
program where undergraduate and graduate students could benefit
from a more comprehensive educational experience.
|
*1960 |
Sussmann,
Leila. The Class of 1961: Freshman Morale at MIT. Cambridge:
MIT Press, 1960.
Reference:
T171.M424.S964 Archives Reference
|
*1961 |
MIT
Planning Office.A Graduate College for MIT. 1961.
Reference:
T171.M4234 1961 Rotch Library
|
*1961 |
Senior
House (E2) renovated. |
*1961 |
Units
in Burton House (W51 - 410 Memorial Drive) renovated. |
*1962 |
Stratton,
Julius A.The Institute and Its Fraternities, a Progress
Report. Reproduced in the 1963 Committee on Student Environment
Interim Housing Report, App. A. |
*1962 |
Report
by Dean Fassett at the 19 December 1962 meeting of the Faculty
on the developing residence system. "Dean Fassett spoke of improvements
in physical facilities in many of the dormitories, and the growth
of the system of Masters and Tutors in residence. There was
still a need for more facilities for graduate as well as undergraduate
students." |
*1963 |
McCormick
Hall (W4) west wing completed. Women undergraduate (and graduate
students initially). |
*1963 |
Committee
on Student Environment Report. (Versions appear both
as) Committee on Student Environment Interim Housing
Report (and) An Interim Report on
Housing for Undergraduate Men at MIT, November
1963. Robert Hansen and Samuel Mason, Chairmen. Also referred
to as the "1965 Planning Office Report." Report was discussed
at 19 February 1964 Faculty meeting.
Reference:
T171.M424.K56 1963 Archives Reference.
Charge:
As part of a major reexamination of undergraduate education
initiated by the Committee on Education Policy during 1961-62,
the Committee on Student Environment was asked to study the
undergraduate residence system. The Committee limited itself
to the examination of undergraduate housing for single men
at MIT. (The academic study that paralleled this work was
the Committee on Curriculum Content Planning chaired by Professor
Jerrold Zacharias.)
Recommendations:
The study reconfirmed that MIT's "undergraduate residential
system is a strong instrument with which we may pursue important
educational goals," and supported the present flexibility
provided to students through the Institute-owned, fraternity,
and independent living groups. The study also reconfirmed
the Institute's policy of requiring all single male freshman
to live in an Institute- owned house, a recognized fraternity
house, or at home.
The study articulated the following shortcomings and needs:
The quality and character of the residential system are not
consistent with those of the academic programs.
Significant need to accommodate an additional 600 students
and renovate existing dormitory space.
Encourage programs that will involve more faculty members
in the residential system. Expand the Housemaster-Tutor program
and establish non-resident "Faculty Fellows" of each house.
The Housemaster-Tutor program should be funded as an academic
expense--not as part of the students' residential charges.
Each house--new or old--should be developed as a complete
residential unit with common lounges, dining rooms, libraries,
and recreation space.
|
*1963 |
Westgate
(W85) completed and first occupied in August 1963. Replacement
for temporary married student housing. |
1964 |
Graduate
Residence Report, Planning Office. |
*1964 |
Burton
House (W51 - 420 Memorial Drive) renovated. |
*1965 |
MIT
Planning Office. Housing for Undergraduate Men: A Program.
Issued in 1965 and revised in 1969.
Reference:
T171.M4234.H6 1969 Rotch Library
|
*1967 |
Committee
on Student Environment. Update report presented at the 15 February
1967 Faculty meeting. Discussion of their current priorities:
Renovation of Burton and East Campus, and student participation
in decision-making. |
1967 |
Cohen,
Karen. Graduate Student Housing at MIT. Master's thesis,
August 1967. |
1967 |
Taylor,
James W. A Comparison of Academic and Non- academic Variables
in Three MIT Living Groups. Master's thesis, Sloan, February
1967. |
*1967 |
Eastgate
(E55) completed and first occupied in August 1967. Married student
and staff housing. |
1968 |
Outline
of a Program to Meet the Housing Needs of the MIT Community,
1968-1970, Planning Office, "1968 Long Range Plan." (April
1968)
Background
and recommendations: This report was written as the
nucleus of a plan of action to meet MIT's housing needs. It
focuses on recognized groups within the MIT community who
need housing such as undergraduate men and women in Institute
and independent housing, as well as graduate students, married
students, faculty and staff.
|
*1968 |
Update
report on residential program and problems in the area of sexual
behavior, alcohol, narcotics and student activism. 17 January
1968 Faculty Meeting. Dean Wadleigh stated the "conviction that
whatever improvements are made in the curriculum, the full potential
of students cannot be developed until a better environment is
provided for their out of class hours." He depicted off-campus
housing as increasingly unsatisfactory and dormitory housing
as woefully inadequate except in the case of the female students.
The Dean also, "invited faculty participation in handling...the
use of alcohol where it is possible to have a wet campus in
the face of partially prohibitory legislation...." |
*1968 |
McCormick
Hall II - East Wing completed and occupied. Undergraduate and
Graduate housing. |
*1968 |
Random
Hall (NW61) opened. Undergraduate and graduate housing. |
*1969 |
Parietal
rules were abolished by a vote of the Executive Committee of
the Corporation (6 March 1969) upon joint recommendation by
the CSE and the Dean's Office. This step paved the way for developing
co-ed living plans. |
*1969 |
Statement
of Goals and Objectives for MIT Housing. MIT Planning Office.
Excerpts from various Institute reports, December 1969.
Reference:
T171.M4234 1969 Rotch Library
|
*1970 |
MacGregor
House (W61) first occupied in September 1970. Undergraduate
housing. |
1970 |
Cook,
Nathan, et al. Status and Evaluation of the Faculty/Tutorial
Residence Program at MacGregor House. December 1970. |
1970 |
Survey
of faculty, staff and graduate student housing needs. |
1970 |
Dowds,
R. Philip. Relationships between Physical and Social Structure
in Baker House. Term paper for 11.34, Psychology of the
Environment, 18 December 1970. |
1970 |
Lambrinides,
Margaret. The Organizational and Psychological Effects of
Student Housing on Students. Master's thesis, Sloan, June
1970. |
1971 |
MIT
housing program survey: faculty, staff and graduate students,
1971. MIT Planning Office.
Background
and recommendations: This survey identifies and describes
housing needs and markets for faculty, staff and graduate
students in order to better inform the housing planning process.
The results of this work served as the foundation for the
Institute's goal of housing 50% of the graduate student community
in Institute sponsored housing.
|
*1971 |
Sommerkorn,
Ingrid N. Education and Student Residence: MIT's Undergraduate
Residential Program Re-considered. Report for the Committee
on Student Environment. Sommerkorn was a Postdoctoral Fellow
in Sociology, working within the Program for Educational and
Social Psychiatry of the Education Research Center. It is not
clear if this report was requested by or just submitted to the
Committee on Student Environment. However, the 1973 CSE report
reveals that the Committee used Sommerkorn's work.
Reference:
T171.M4234.S6 Archives Reference
|
1971 |
Hemmelstein,
Joel. M. The Effect of Residence on the Socialization of
the MIT Undergraduate. Master's thesis, Sloan, February
1971. |
*1971 |
Burton
House (W51) renovation completed in September 1971. Undergraduate
housing. |
*1973 |
Tang
Hall (W84) first occupied in 1973. Single graduate housing. |
*1973 |
Undergraduate
Housing in the '70's, Committee on Student Environment
second interim report on Undergraduate Housing. March 1963.
Summary circulated for discussion at May 1973 Faculty meeting.
Reference:
T171.M4234 1973 Archives Reference and Rotch Library
Charge:
By the late 1960's the Committee on Student Environment recognized
that the rapid changes in social mores during the 1960's and
"the concurrent changes in the character, interests, and expectations
of the undergraduate body have led to increasing doubts as
to whether the 1963 recommendations are still appropriate,
or are now out of date. Accordingly, in November 1969, the
CSE agreed to begin preparing a new housing report. The Committee
confined itself to a reexamination of the undergraduate house
system.
Recommendations:
The main social goals of a residential system are to give
each student the maximum opportunity to find an individual
life style that is best suited to his/her own temperament,
needs and goals, and to encourage maximum interaction among
diverse students.
The potential of the residential system to play a significant
role in the educational life of MIT undergraduates is hampered
by the character of both the formal and the hidden curriculum,
and such features as the emphasis on competitiveness, grades,
and the accumulation of credits. However, the report encourages
educational activities (seminars, experimental programs, etc.)
within the houses.
Strong support is given to any efforts that would increase
the number and effectiveness of non-resident faculty associates
for the living groups.
A new and more flexible housing policy was recommended that
would encourage the notion that changing from one house to
another with a different physical and social style is perfectly
natural and appropriate.
The belief that it is desirable for freshman and upperclassmen
to live together was reaffirmed. But freshman should no longer
be required to live on campus, but should be strongly encouraged
to do so.
Highest priority must be given to the construction of new
student residences.
While the Institute should try to encourage the mixing of
different races, ethnic groups and life styles, this integration
should not be enforced or required.
Coeducational living should continue to develop, but the community
should address the question of whether the same environmental
features are equally appropriate for male and female students.
Major
outcome: The recommendations made in this report
resulted in the construction of New House in 1975. The aim
was to produce housing units that functioned independently
and within a larger residence.
|
*1976 |
New
West Campus Houses (W78 - 471-476 Memorial Drive) completed
and first occupied in 1976. Undergraduate housing includes Spanish,
Russian, German and French Houses. |
*1976 |
Committee
on Student Environment. Membership of committee and process
altered. Discussed at 19 May 1976 Faculty meeting increasing
student participation to three undergraduate and three graduate
students. |
*1978 |
Graduate
Student Life at MIT 1978: Recommendations for Improvements.
"Dober Report." Ad Hoc Study Committee, 15 October 1978. In
the area of physical space the report called for a graduate
center that would "support graduate student life and foster
contacts." Though the study did not specifically address housing
issues it did include the comment that, "the quality and availability
of housing for graduate students has worsened in recent years
and that this aspect of graduate student life deserves early
attention." |
*1979 |
Report
of the Committee on Campus Dining, October 1979 (John G.
Kassakian, Chairman)
Charge:
In response to frequently voiced dissatisfaction with various
aspects of the meal plans, costs and quality of the food,
Chancellor Paul Gray asked the Committee to assess the current
system, assess university's responsibilities and explore alternatives.
Recommendations:
The report reaffirmed the need to preserve diversity in the
residence/dining options, but acknowledged that not every
House can provide all dining options.
Steps should be taken to improve the flexibility, convenience,
and financial equity of the dining plan offerings.
Students who do their own cooking must reside in Houses with
properly maintained and regularly updated kitchen facilities
(Burton House, New House, Senior House, Bexley Hall, Random
Hall).
Students in Houses associated with dining rooms would be required
to subscribe to one of several contract meal-plans which would
provide about half or more of students' weekly meals, and
the dining room would become an important focal point for
the residential program.
|
*1979 |
Dober
and Associates. Next House: A Report from the MIT Program
Planning Group, 1979.
Reference:
T171.M4234.D6 1979 Archives Reference and Rotch Library
|
*1981 |
Faculty
meeting, 18 March 1981. President Gray announced that MIT will
move to full implementation by 1985 of its housing policy that
calls for guaranteed housing for undergraduates. |
*1981 |
500
Memorial Drive (W71) Next House completed and first occupied
in August 1981. Undergraduate housing. |
*1982 |
Green
Hall (W5) was the MIT Infirmary until February 1982, then renovated
to serve as undergraduate dormitory. |
*1982 |
MIT
Graduate Student Housing: Tenure and Access Policy. Prepared
by the Administrative Housing Group in the Office of the Dean
for Student Affairs. Explores policy options for effective use
of existing graduate housing by controlling length of stay of
residents (tenure) and eligibility of certain categories of
students (access). This report emphasized MIT's "significant
unmet demand for on- campus or close-to-campus housing.
Major
outcome: MIT established a revolving housing fund
to finance future graduate student housing. The revolving
fund was financed through the gradual increase of MIT's rents
to approximately 90% of their market value and the equalization
of these rents across campus housing.
|
*1983 |
Exit
Interview of Graduating Seniors, 1983. Results of interviews
to ascertain aspects of "quality of life issues" including resident
life, student services and race relations. |
*1984 |
The
Quality of Student Life Survey: A Questionnaire to Examine the
Physical and Social Environment at MIT. Prepared by the
Office of the Dean for Student Affairs, 1984.
Reference:
T171.M2424.Q35 1984 Archives Reference
|
*1986 |
Report
to the Faculty on graduate housing issues (Housing subgroup
of FPC). Discussed at 21 May 1986 Faculty meeting. Urged MIT
administration to define long-range plan for graduate housing
that, ideally would provide housing for at least 40-50% of the
graduate students, and be coupled to the expected future size
of graduate enrollments. |
1987 |
Housing
Site Inventory: A Physical Planning Context for the Analysis
of Housing Options, January 1987. David Dixon and Associates,
MIT Planning Office.
Background
and recommendations: This report was prepared in
response to MIT's "clear need for significant expansion of
the supply of new housing available to serve graduate students,
faculty and staff," and details possible housing options to
meet MIT's future housing needs on Institute owned or controlled
property. This report identifies 13 potential sites for new
housing including 11 off-campus and 2 on-campus parcels.
Major
outcome: This report inventoried the developmental
capacity of MIT owned or controlled sites and matched them
with MIT's housing goals. The analysis indicated that the
Institute could meet its housing obligation for students,
faculty and staff specifically to accommodate 50% of the graduate
student body in Institute sponsored housing. Since that time
the zoning has changed, and the developmental capability of
the property has been reduced approximately 50% and further
analysis is required to understand the impact of this rezoning
in MIT's development capability.
|
1987 |
Report
on the 1986 Graduate Student Survey, March 1987. Graduate
Student Council, The Academics Projects and Policies Committee.
The members of the GSC conducted a survey of graduate students
to measure their satisfaction with MIT's academic and social
experience. The report identified key graduate student concerns
including: lack of sufficient on-campus housing; no clear recourse
to express grievances; limited time to spend with advisors;
higher cost of off-campus housing for single graduate students
as compared to on-campus housing. |
*1987 |
Report
of the Housemaster-Tutor Review Committee, Toward a Sense
of Community, 1987. Chaired by Professor Julian
Beinart.
Reference:
T171.M42k.H68 1987 Archives Reference
Charge:
Acknowledging the view that there is little or no sense of
community across the Institute, the Committee was asked to
consider how the residential system, and particularly the
Housemaster - Tutor Program could address these issues.
Recommendations:
A Faculty Fellows Program and a Faculty/Student Pair Program
were proposed as ways to involve more faculty in the residential
system, as well as allocating more space within the dorms
for faculty/student interaction. The report also addressed
the roles and responsibilities of the Housemasters, Associate
Housemasters and Graduate Residents.
|
*1988 |
How
Freshman Experience Residence/Orientation Week at MIT: Results
of Surveys Given at the Beginning and End of R/O Week 1986,
by Robin Wagner and Susan Zarzeczny, September 6, 1988.
Reference:
T171.M424.Z37 1988 Archives Reference
|
1988 |
Report
of the Independent Living Group Review Committee: Toward Residential
Housing of Quality and Choice for All Undergraduates, December
1988 |
*1989 |
Report
of the Freshman Housing Committee, "Potter Committee."
Discussed at the 15 November 1989 Faculty meeting.
Charge:
The Freshman Housing Committee was asked "to study the impact
that R/O has on the quality of life and character of the MIT
community, with special reference to the freshman class."
Recommendations:
For the freshman year, it is recommended that all students
be housed on campus in dormitories.
Freshman would be assigned to dormitories and would be distributed
through the dormitories so that they would live with upper-class
students.
Rush for ILG's would be deferred from R/O period to the spring
term, with students who join ILG's moving into them at the
beginning of their sophomore year.
Freshman who plan to remain on campus for the sophomore year
would rank- order their choices for dormitory space, and a
lottery would resolve competing choices. The system should
be designed to encourage students to change dormitories (allowing
them to move with one or several friends/roommates).
R/O would become Orientation.
Major
outcome: The Committee's recommendations were not
implemented out of concern both for the economic viability
of the ILGs and for the tradition of the students' right to
select his/her housing.
|
*1989 |
Undergraduate
Student Position Sstatement on the MIT Housing System.
The Undergraduate Student Housing Committee (an ad hoc committee
of the Undergraduate Association), March 1989
Reference:
T171.M4234.U53 1989 Archives reference
Charge/rationale:
In response to the Report of the Freshman Housing Committee,
an ad hoc student group was formed, chaired by Stacy A. Segal,
'90, to discuss the goals of the housing systems and propose
some specific, practical and well developed solutions.
Recommendations:
All MIT undergraduates should be guaranteed four years of
housing.
The ability to choose one's living group at the start of freshman
year must be preserved; this includes the option to live in
the ILG System.
To solve the perceived problem of de facto segregation
at MIT, the level of cultural understanding and awareness
will have to increase on campus through educational, co-curricular,
and extra-curricular activities, and special events to broaden
the community.
MIT needs to respond to the increased number of women at MIT
by increasing the number of housing options for women.
The R/O Committee needs to provide more extensive programs
during R/O to increase the educational and social benefits
of choosing a living group.
The method and perception of moving from one living group
to another must be made easier.
Specific programs must be devised so that living groups will
foster the academic and personal success of freshman.
The student Committee believes that the present housing system
has many needs, and a multi-purpose dormitory would satisfy
many of these problems.
|
*1991 |
Starr,
Mimi. Building community: learning from a pilot project
targeting freshman at MIT, 1991.
Reference:
Thesis, Urban Studies, 1991 Archives Reference and Rotch Library
|
1993 |
Capital
Development Program: 1993-2008, March 1993.
This publication is a guide for MIT's anticipated capital needs
and is, "designed to provide information on the purpose, scope,
cost and scheduling of proposed capital projects so that their
current status and their development priority can be determined."
Targets for improvement are the academic plant, housing, and
athletic facilities. |
1994 |
General
Evaluation of Undergraduate Housing and R/O at MIT: Final Report
1993-1994 School Year, October 1994. Undertaken by the
Undergraduate Association Committee (chaired by John Hollywood,
G) this study describes and documents student opinion about
the quality of MIT's undergraduate student housing. The Committee
found that most undergraduates are "quite satisfied with MIT
housing, but that there are problems that need to be remedied." |
*1995 |
Report
of the Strategic Housing Planning Committee. Robert M.
Randolph, Chair. (December 1994) Covering memo from Arthur Smith,
Dean for Undergraduate Education and Student Affairs, 9 January
1995. Memo from Dean Smith to students and administration summarizing
decisions, 2 February 1995. Discussed at Faculty meeting, 15 March 1995.
Charge:
While the charge to the Committee focused specifically on
the question of whether and how to renovate Senior House,
the Committee broadened its scope recognizing that they could
not look at Senior House in isolation.
Recommendations:
Renovate Senior House and maintain as undergraduate dormitory.
Use graduate housing (Ashdown) to respond to temporary undergraduate
overcrowding.
Create additional graduate housing.
|
*1997 |
Senior
House (E2) renovated. |
*1997 |
Discussion
of alcohol-related issues at MIT. As part of this discussion
at the 15
October 1997 Faculty meeting, President Vest said that MIT
would begin a planning process to increase the on-campus housing
capacity for MIT undergraduates. |
*1997 |
Vote
on the "Sense of the Faculty" motion at the 19
November 1997 meeting of the Faculty: MIT should move immediately
to begin a comprehensive, deliberate examination of its residential
system, including the suitability of undergraduate residences
as freshman housing, with the goal of bringing the system into
fuller alignment with MIT's educational mission. |
*1997 |
Summary
of Discussion from the Task Force Junior Faculty Workshop.
Report of the MIT Presidential Task Force of Student Life and
Learning. 21 January 1997. |
*1997 |
Preliminary
Report of the Student Advisory Committee to the Task Force on
Student Life and Learning. 19 May 1997. |
*1997 |
Final
Report of the MIT Advisory Group on Orientation and Residence.
5 December 1997. |
*1997 |
Draft
Report of the Subgroup on Student Life of the Task Force on
Student Life and Learning, May 1997. Pages 9-17 presents
a discussion of the physical infrastructure, including an extensive
discussion of undergraduate and graduate housing issues. |