Welcome to Burton Conner

Welcome to
Burton Conner

Repair Requests

Repair Requests

Have a non-urgent maintenance request?  We're here to help.  Please visit the Atlas website to submit a request and we'll get right on it!    

Food Resources

Food Resources

MIT wants to ensure that no student is struggling with food security, and we have established several resources that can help you easily access food.

Ask a Question

Ask a Question

You’ve got housing questions, and we’ve got answers! Please don’t hesitate to connect with a member of our team.

 

Burton Conner Resident Guide

Welcome


Greetings!

Welcome to Burton Conner (BC)!  We hope you enjoy your time living within one of MIT’s most beloved residence halls.  This Resident Guide is intended as a quick reference to help share community resources and reminders.  

We hope that you will find this information helpful.  If you have any questions, please connect with your House Operations Manager or another member of your house team.  Our staff are also available to assist through a variety of channels including email and phone, as well as in-person and virtual office hours.

Sincerely,

Housing & Residential Services 

 

House Operations Manager                                       

Seamus Flaherty (He/Him/His)
Email: seamusf@mit.edu
Tel. (617) 715-5758

Seamus Flaherty is the House Operations Manager for Burton-Conner House.  Seamus manages the cleaning staff and coordinates the maintenance of the building, oversees the front desk operations, and assists with community concerns, especially those related to the operation of the building. 


Heads of House & Associate Heads of House

Janelle Knox-Hayes (She/Her/Hers) & Jarrod Hayes (He/Him/His), Heads of House
Emails: jankh@mit.edu, jnhayes@mit.edu 

Meg (She/Her/Hers) & Troy (He/Him/His) French, Associate Heads of House 
Emails, frenchm@mit.edu, frencht@mit.edu 

Houses are led by live-in faculty who offer academic and personal support to residents and help build community in the residence halls. Janelle and Jarrod, the Heads of House, and Meg and Troy, the Associate Heads of House for Burton Conner, collaborate with the House Operations Manager, the Area Director, the Graduate Resident Advisors, and the student Exec Board to support and advocate for the Burton Conner community. 


Area Director

Jacob Oppenheimer (He/Him/His), Assistant Director of Residential Life, Random Hall Area Director & Interim Burton Conner Area Director
Email: j_opp@mit.edu 

The Area Director is a full-time professional staff member who is the student-outreach and support expert. Jacob assists residents with the transition to college and general navigation through MIT and works closely with the house team on community building efforts.


Graduate Resident Advisors

The Graduate Resident Advisors (GRAs) are mentors and educators who encourage student well being on each of the floors and coordinate with the Heads of House to support and enhance the residential living and learning environment. GRAs works to foster a supportive, safe, and positive living environment built upon shared community standards and mutual respect. 

C2 Anisha Gade (She/Her/Hers)
Email: anigade@mit.edu

C3 Sami Yamanidouzisorkhabi (He/Him/His) & Mollie Suprenant (She/Her/Hers)
Email: syamani@mit.edu

C4 Zoe de Beurs (She/Her/Hers)
Email: zdebeurs@mit.edu

C5 Drew Weninger (He/Him/His)
Email: drewski@mit.edu

B1 Paolo Adajar (He/Him/His)
Email: padajar@mit.edu

B2 Chris Womack (He/Him/His)
Email: cwomack@mit.edu

B3 Aaron Makikalli (He/Him/His)
Email: amakikal@mit.edu 

B4 Katie Aney (She/Her/hers) & Mason Bultje (He/Him/His)
Email: kaney@mit.edu

B5 Omri (He/Him/His) & Galya (She/Her/Hers) Doron 
Email: omrid@mit.edu


House Government  

Email: bc-exec@mit.edu 

The House Government is composed of student residents and exists to represent the needs of residents, and to preserve and develop dormitory culture.  The House Government also works to create a welcoming community for all BC community members through programming and other building-wide activities. Visit the BC-managed website for more information, https://burton-conner.mit.edu

Emergency Phone Numbers

Residents with medical and/or police emergencies should contact Campus Police at x100 from an MIT phone or (617) 253-1212 from a cell phone or other outside line.  If you dial 9-1-1 while on campus from an outside phone, the call will be redirected to MIT Police causing a small delay. 

If the emergency is off campus, dial 9-1-1.


Fire Safety

Burton Conner is equipped with a fire alarm system that will alert the building of a fire or other emergency.  When the fire alarm signal sounds, please exit using the closest stairwell as quickly as possible.  Do not use the elevator.   

Exits are shown on the diagram posted on the back of each suite door and residents should follow the posted evacuation route.

All residents must evacuate when the building fire alarm sounds.  Residents that remain in the building after activation of their floor signal are subject to penalty in accordance with the evacuation policy (see Fire & Safety policy).  

Residents must also not hang anything from sprinkler heads or pipes, or cover smoke detectors, fire alarms, or other life safety equipment.  These devices must remain accessible and in working order at all times. 

Please remember that hallways and stairwells must always remain clear. 


Prohibited Items

Among other items that present a risk of fire, please don’t forget that the following items are prohibited within the residence hall:

  • hot plates and all cooking devices (limited use permitted in kitchen areas only)
  • candles or incense
  • open heating elements
  • halogen lamps
     

A Community Partnership 

Our priority is to keep residents safe, and we also seek to be a community resource.  Residents are critical partners in helping to ensure the safety and security of the community. 

Please do not share your MIT ID or room key with others, do not prop doors or allow tailgaters to enter the building.


MIT Mobile ID

While you should always carry your physical MIT ID card with you while on campus, students are also encouraged to download the MIT Atlas mobile application on their smartphone device (Apple / Android).  Once downloaded, you’ll have access to your MIT Mobile ID for additional convenience when accessing campus buildings.  


Front Desk & Security Services
 

  • Student Front Desk Attendants
     
    • Available 8:00 am to 12:00 am at front desk
    • Assist with mail/package delivery 
       
  • Allied Universal Security Staff 
     
    • Available 7:30 am to 12:00 am at security desk
    • Monitor traffic in/out of building
    • Provide emergency/lockout/check-in/out assistance
       
  • Nightwatch ​

    • Available 12:00 am and 8:00 am (perform rounds - including within suites - at least twice each evening, typically between 12:00 to 1:00 am, and 4:00 to 5:00 am)
    • Provide emergency/lockout/check-in/out assistance
    • Resource for residents

 

Additional Safety Reminders

  • Do NOT install screws, pins, nails, or hangers, do damage to ceilings or walls, or otherwise disturb any building materials, as it is possible that the materials may contain asbestos.
     
    • If there is damage to building materials, such as damage to walls or ceilings:
  1. DO NOT try to clean the material up or further disturb the area.
  2. Promptly report damage to the House Operations Manager or dial (617) 253-1500 to speak with “Unit 12” House Operations.
  3. If you come into contact with a damaged wall, carefully remove and bag affected clothing.  DO NOT place items in washing machines.  Consult with MIT Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) on next steps.
     
  • ONLY use easily-removable mounting strips or putty when hanging items on the wall. These will be made available within the residence hall.  Please check with your House Operations Manager. 
     
  • For fire safety reasons, campus residents cannot cover more than 40x40 inches of room walls or more than 1/3 of doors with decorations. Ceilings cannot be decorated.
     
  • Promptly report damage to building materials, such as damage to walls or ceilings, to the House Operations Manager or dial (617) 253-1500 to speak with “Unit 12” House Operations.
     
  • Please visit the MIT Environment, Healthy & Safety (EHS) website to learn about Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) and MIT’s approach to ACM management. 

     

Guests

  • All guests must check-in before going to the resident host’s room.  
     
  • All non-MIT affiliated guests must check-in at the security desk with a valid government-issued ID and provide their name. 
     
  • All guests who are not on the resident guest list must be escorted by the resident host when entering/exiting the building. 
     
  • Residents may not have overnight guests for more than three nights in a seven-day period. 

Lockouts

Residents locked out of their room can request lockout assistance from the security staff stationed at the front desk of the residence between 7:30 am and 12:00 am (Midnight).  After-hours and on weekends, please contact the HRS Evening Operations (known as “Unit-12”) at (617) 253-1500 or dial x3-1500 from any MIT phone.


Housekeeping

Housekeeping staff perform daily inspections of shared bathrooms, which are typically cleaned twice per week.  Trash is removed from common areas on a daily basis.



Laundry

Similar to other residence hall reopenings, laundry services within Burton Conner will be temporarily free of charge for all residents at the beginning of the fall semester.  

Once the Institute’s laundry partner, Washlava, activates the laundry technology within the building, the cost of laundry will be $1.25 per load, per machine.  Residents will receive notice via email two weeks in advance of the laundry system activation. 

Once activated, the Washlava app (available for iOS and Android) allows you to reserve machines and then pay for and monitor laundry cycles.  If you are unfamiliar with the Washlava system, please visit their website to learn more. The Washlava system accepts payment via credit/debit cards or TechCASH.  Questions regarding the laundry system may be emailed to support@washlava.com.  Any mechanical or device issues should be reported directly to your House Operations Manager.


iTouch devices are available for residents who do not use a smartphone. You can visit the front desk to learn more about borrowing one of these devices while doing laundry, if needed.


Trash

There is a room on each floor of the building which contains garbage receptacles (on each floor near where the buildings Burton and Conner connect). Residents should place trash in plastic bags and leave the bags in the barrels provided.  Housekeeping staff will assist with removing trash within the common areas only. 

Recycling

Recycling bins are also located in the trash rooms. MIT has streamlined recycling which means all recyclable materials can be placed in the same container/bag.  There is no need to separate paper, plastic, glass, etc.

Climate Controls  

Each student room contains a thermostat to enable residents to better regulate temperatures within individual bedrooms during the heating season (typically October through April).  Students are allowed to bring their own Air Conditioning (AC) units, however, only portable AC units are permitted (no window units).  Please ensure that the portable unit includes an internal water reservoir rather than a hose type.  Please coordinate with the House Operations Manager if assistance is needed with installation. 

Standard Mail

  • Every resident has a separate locked mailbox, which is located near the main entrance by the front desk. Please ensure all of your mail and packages are properly addressed:

    [Your Full Name]
    Burton Conner House, Building W51
    410 Memorial Drive, Room [Insert Room Number]
    Cambridge, MA 02139

Residents who move out or plan to be away for a significant period (i.e. summer break) must leave a forwarding address at the residence hall front desk.

 

Packages

  • Packages delivered by mail carriers (i.e. USPS, UPS, FedEx) are kept behind the front desk in the lobby of the residence.  Please visit the front desk attendant and provide your name and MIT ID to retrieve your package.  Residents will receive an email from front desk staff once a package has been received for a resident.



Network Connection

  • MIT has a ubiquitous wireless network installation maintained by MIT Information Systems & Technology (IS&T). Information regarding MIT Networks and policies can be found on the IS&T website. The IS&T Service Desk can be contacted by email at servicedesk@mit.edu or via telephone at (617) 253-1101.



Cable TV

Students residing on campus may use the Xfinity On Campus Service to access content provided by Comcast. This service, accessible through computers, laptops, and tablets, has been available to residents via MITnet.

Residents who have a Roku streaming media player now also have the option of watching Xfinity on Campus content directly on their television sets by downloading Xfinity Stream, a free channel app for Roku devices.

For more information on using a Roku device to watch Xfinity on Campus content on MITnet, see the following articles in the Knowledge Base:

For general information about the app and compatible Roku devices, see Comcast's Xfinity Stream Beta App on Roku FAQ.

If you have questions about the XFINITY on Campus service, please send an email to the IS&T Service Desk at servicedesk@mit.edu or call (617) 253-1101. You can also send a request online.

 

Standard Maintenance Requests

All non-urgent maintenance requests may be reported online through the Atlas website, atlas.mit.edu.  Residents should report any service delays or concerns to the House Operations Manager.  


Urgent or After-Hour Maintenance Requests  

Residents who encounter an urgent maintenance request may contact HRS Operations (“Unit-12”) at (617) 253-1500 or 3-1500 from any MIT phone. On evenings, weekends, and holidays, residents may also contact Unit-12 via phone.


Furniture

Please note that Institute-provided furniture must remain within your suite/bedroom.  While you are welcome to add additional furniture to your living space, please do not remove any of the provided furniture.  For additional information, review the Institute’s Housing Policy regarding furniture. 

Storage

While in-house storage is no longer available within the newly-renovated Burton Conner, it’s now more convenient than ever to utilize private storage and shipping services, including those recommended by DormCon.  MIT’s preferred storage vendor, Piece by Piece Movers, also offers full-service services at special rates, including door-to-door pickup and delivery services to students’ current and future room assignments.  

Pets

Residents are permitted to keep fish in tanks no larger than 20 gallons.  Other pets, including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians are not permitted within Burton Conner. Residents who require an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) or Service Animal must first obtain approval from the Student Disability and Access Services Office to keep an animal on campus.


Smoking

Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the building. Smoking is also not allowed within 25 feet of the building as smoke is channeled indoors through the ventilation system. Violators may be subject to disciplinary action, including loss of on-campus housing.


Hanging Items in Your Living Area

Residents may hang pictures and posters within their rooms and suites using only easily-removable mounting strips or putty when hanging items on the wall. These will be made available within the residence hall.  Please check with your House Operations Manager. 

Do NOT install screws, pins, nails, or hangers or do damage to ceilings or walls.

For fire safety reasons, please remember campus residents cannot cover more than 40x40 inches of room walls or more than 1/3 of doors with decorations. Ceilings cannot be decorated.


Food Resources

There are several supermarkets near the MIT campus, as well as additional food resources available on the DoingWell website. In nearby Central Square the The Daily Table offers low-cost groceries and MIT also operates shuttles to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods stores. Check out the MIT Food Map for more local grocers and restaurants near campus.

Information about enrolling in an optional meal plan is available on the MIT Dining website.  


Bicycles

A bicycle storage area is available to Burton Conner residents underneath the Porter Room, accessible near the main entrance.  Please note MIT is not responsible for loss of/damage to bicycles stored within bicycle storage areas.  Residents are encouraged to secure their bicycle, register the bicycle with MIT Police, and to obtain personal property insurance for their items. 

 

 

View PDF Version

View Corridor Artwork Allowance

BURTON-CONNER ARTWORK PROTOCOLS


 

Overview:

While the renewed Burton-Conner House is not a ‘mural building’ as designated and governed by the campus mural policy (Section I, Background), the following protocol supports the creation of student artwork in the building. Principles regarding student artwork were established by the Undergraduate Housing Working Group in 2018-2019. They are articulated below and guide this protocol.

Summary of Art-Making Discussion:

  • Students value self expression, and art-making in residence halls helps build community and gives the dorms a sense of home.

  • Painting in designated communal spaces is one way to sustain student art-making traditions. 

  • Art making costs must be effectively managed to avoid a higher financial burden on students.

  • Stretched canvas, fire-proof wall board, and other media enables art-making that can evolve with current and future residents’ creative expression

Principles:

  • Creative expression is an important facet of campus life at MIT.

  • Students’ need for creative expression should be balanced with MIT’s needs to manage expenses in all campus buildings to provide a high quality education at the most affordable cost.

  • Designating mural spaces should be a community effort and involve HRS, the house team, and student leaders.

  • To help balance creative expression and managing costs, a portion of a house’s community space (e.g. external to private rooms or suites) can be designated as art-making space and dedicated to creative expression on stretched canvas, fire-proof mediums, or blackboards fixed, but not permanently attached, to the community space.

  • Project proposals should be reviewed per the updated MIT mural policy, and approved proposals and associated maintenance costs will be funded through the individual house’s budget.

  • Maintenance costs associated with unapproved art will be charged to individuals, groups, or the residence hall depending on the specific circumstances of the situation.

Protocols:

  • Murals (defined as artwork created on a panel or another surface that is temporarily mounted in the residence) in shared space in any MIT residence must not contain material that has the intent or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual or group's educational or work performance at MIT or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational, work, or living environment.

  • Unacceptable material includes images or language that is derogatory on the basis of race, color, sex, orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.

  • Murals must comply with individual living group policies, MIT Policies and Procedures, the MIT Mind and Hand Book, and the law.

    • Some relevant parameters to consider in evaluating the appropriateness of a mural include context of the mural, and whether it is in shared or more private space.

  • Burton Conner’s procedures for vetting and maintaining murals consists of:

    • A resident with a proposal for a mural in their house shall formally introduce the proposal and identify themselves in writing to other residents of the floor community, and notify the House Operations Manager (HOM), Area Director (RLAD), and Head of House(HH). Floor executive must come to a consensus on the acceptability of a mural and should go to JudComm if they are unable to do so

      • Content of Proposal: The proposal for a mural must include the mural’s location (which may be the location of a current mural in the case of a replacement), size, and some form of visual description. Acceptable descriptions include an informal sketch or picture collage – for largely textual or calligraphic murals and poems, the text itself suffices. A proposal may also contain potential creators and a non-binding timeline. If the proposer wishes to purchase any special supplies with house funds, they should mention this in the proposal. If the proposer wishes to modify any of these parameters after the initial notification, they must again inform the rest of the house in writing. Proposal must adhere to guidelines noted at: http://studentlife.mit.edu/housing/housing-policies/murals

      • Images that directly conflict with floor culture and community may be removed or altered at the discretion of the floor by majority vote. A majority requires a quorum of 33% of house residents and over 50% of voters in favor of keeping the original mural, unless that particular house has dictated alternative guidelines regarding the preservation of original murals.

    • Approved Locations: Burton Conner has designated locations for artwork within each of the community clusters in the building. These locations are noted in the attached floorplans and will serve as the locations for mural panels. Expansion beyond these locations will require further consultation with Housing & Residential Services.

    • Having JudComm survey and verify that existing murals meet community standards every three years

    • Allowing residents to confidentially report concerns about murals to the floor’s GRA

      • All murals that have been reported will be reviewed by JudComm and if unable to be resolved, JudComm will contact the Heads of House

    • If a mural is to be placed in a communal area such as the stairwells, entrance, or Porter Room bridge connector, the artist shall inform all floors, the House Operations Manager, and Area Director via a designated mailing list for this purpose.

    • Replacing Murals: A mural may be replaced whenever a proposal at a location with an existing mural is made. Floor residents must approve that replacement through the normal method of objection and modification. The proposal for replacement must include a picture of the current mural. If the majority of residents object to replacing a mural, the original mural must remain. A majority requires a quorum of 25% of house residents and over 50% of voters in favor of keeping the original mural, unless that particular house has dictated alternative guidelines regarding the preservation of original murals. It may also be approved to remove and preserve the original mural panels and replace them with new panels for the new mural, but this still must be approved as if the original mural is being repainted.

    • Unfinished Replacements: If the original mural is unfinished and the original proposer still lives within the house or may reasonably return to the house, then the original proposer must be contacted, who may then give consent to reusing the supplies for the new proposal. If the original proposer is unknown, or no longer a member of the house, then the house should be asked in writing if someone recognizes the original mural and if the supplies may be repurposed. If no one recognizes the original mural or wants to work on it, the supplies are automatically repurposed, pending the approval of the new mural. If more than a semester has passed without work on the unfinished mural or all of the original proposers graduate before completing the mural, a new proposal must be submitted to continue working on the mural or preserve it. Else, the mural panels will be removed.

    • All murals will be documented via an internal spreadsheet, and murals will be posted to the BC website (bc.mit.edu) with the consent of their creator.

  • Summer Exceptions

    • Summer Storage: According to MIT Mural policy, “in the case of summer visiting students, murals that may be objectionable could be covered or removed.” The RLAD in conjunction with the House Operations Manager, will determine which murals are “objectionable.” Murals may also be covered or removed for the summer at the discretion of House & Residential Services Guest and Conference Housing Staff. These murals will be removed at the beginning of each summer term and replaced at the start of the subsequent fall term.

    • Should these decisions be made after the end of the term, an email should be sent out to the proper floor stating which mural was moved and where it is being stored. It must be reinstalled to its original place before students return to campus.

  • Residents may not:

    • Alter or add to any part of the building structure or mechanical and electrical systems

    • ​Place, affix, hang, or extend any materials on any exterior surface of an MIT residence, including rooftops.

      • any materials not hung with the pre-installed hardware must be done by professional staff with the oversight of the House Operations Manager.

    • Exception: During undergraduate orientation (the period between August 15 and undergraduate registration day), communities are permitted to safely affix banners to their residence hall with the approval and assistance of the Area Director. All banners must be safely removed on or before undergraduate registration day.

  • Materials and Protection

    • Murals may only be painted on any kind of lightweight, impermeable material which can be temporarily applied to the wall. Non oil-based paint, mixed media, or other artistic medium may be used. Paint or other materials may not be applied directly to the wall.

    • Use of aerosols is permitted only outdoors

    • Whenever possible, the creation of the mural should take place in the makerspace and not in the halls. If the mural must be painted on the hall, drop cloths must be used for large murals in order to protect the walls and floor. Newspaper can be used for smaller projects. Before painting begins, residents must ensure that there is enough tape to cover all wall edges surrounding the mural. It is the creators job to clear hallways after working on the mural and protect the floor during the work process. Materials cannot be left in the hallways overnight.

  • Attachment to Walls: Murals will be attached to a wall using the pre-installed system designed as part of the Burton Conner renovation project. HRS will provide documentation as attachments to this proposal that specify the locations where panels may be hung. The locations will align with the design intent of the design team from the Burton Conner renovation project. The documentation will also include exact specifications for hardware and installation processes. Any changes to the number or location of designated artwork must be made in consultation with HRS, Environmental Health & Safety and the House Operations Manager.

  • It is preferred that the setting of any mounting materials in the artwork itself is done in coordination with one of the creators of the mural, or a proxy, present. Organizing these meetings may be done in conjunction with the Facilities Chair and House Operation Manager. Any modifications to the hardware affixed to the building must be performed by professional staff in coordination with the House Operations Manager and Environmental Health and Safety. To specify a location and position within the approved area, tape and notes may be attached to the walls in the case where no meeting with the HOM is organized.

Budget for Costs of Materials

  • Funds for Burton Conner murals from the Burton Conner budget are to be used for the approved materials and other assorted supplies necessary for create of murals. Paints and other supplies necessary for the creation of the mural itself will be the responsibility of the individual floor. For any potential funds coming from outside of Burton Conner, the budget will need approval from the RLAD and House Operations Manager. Any funds from Burton Conner itself will need to receive approval from the Treasurer and Facilities Chair.

  • Pending a successful pilot, a scheme for continued funding of this program will be designed by interested parties, the Heads of House, RLAD, House Operation Manager, and relevant members of Dorm Exec including potentially Treasurer, Facilities Chair, and Makerspace Chair with approval from Housing& Residential Services on behalf of the Division of Student Life.

Disposal of unused/expired art material

  • Canvas and wood materials can be disposed in dumpsters. If you need assistance please contact your House Operations Manager.

  • For disposal of paint and other material please contact DSL EHS Program Manager at aursella@mit.edu