Graduate Housing License Agreement Updates
July 20, 2020
Dear Graduate Student,
The team at Housing & Residential Services (HRS) are looking forward to having you as an on-campus resident during the 2020-2021 academic year. We’re writing to share information regarding important changes to your license agreement due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are asking all students to re-sign their 2020-2021 housing license agreements by 9:00 am on Monday, July 27 (please see information below).
We Will Remain Flexible to Meet Your Housing Needs
Please take a moment to review all of the information in this email carefully. We understand that housing for Fall 2020 is on the minds of many students across the Institute, and HRS is here to support you. We will continue to remain as flexible as possible to accommodate changes to your housing plans. Please see information below about our adjusted cancellation policy and please don’t hesitate to reach out to the HRS team with any questions.
Why are these changes being made?
In an effort to protect the health and safety of the MIT residential community, as well as to ensure compliance with updated housing policies, the 2020-2021 license agreements have been updated to reflect COVID-19 graduate housing policies and community expectations, some of which are currently under final review and will be announced prior to the re-signing deadline.
HRS continues to rely on guidance from MIT Medical, MIT Emergency Management and other campus partners when developing residential policies. These policies, in addition to a de-densified approach to housing, increased residential cleanings, and other measures, are the most immediate, practical means for reducing the risk of community spread of COVID-19. We are counting on all residents to help protect their neighbors’ health and wellbeing by adhering to the updated housing policies, and to help prevent a surge of the virus that could have significant implications for the surrounding community.
How do I accept these changes to my license agreement?
We are asking ALL graduate students with a 2020-2021 housing assignment to review and re-sign their housing license agreements which are currently available within the MyHousing portal. Students are required to re-sign their license agreement by 9:00 am on Monday, July 27, 2020.
What if I Don’t Re-Sign My Housing License Agreement by July 27?
All 2020-2021 housing license agreements that are not re-signed by July 27 will be cancelled. Students who are currently living on campus that do not re-sign their 2020-2021 license agreement by July 27 will be required to move out of MIT graduate housing by August 31, 2020.
Cancelling Your Housing Assignment
Prior to August 14, you may cancel your 2020-2021 housing assignment without penalty with 10 days' advance notice. If you are seeking to cancel your assignment after August 14, HRS requires 30 days’ advance notice prior to your scheduled move-in day. Residents cannot defer their license agreement to a future semester, however, they will be eligible to participate in future allocation and waiting list processes, which occur every semester.
HRS will remain as flexible as possible to accommodate graduate students’ housing needs. If circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic alter students’ plans or prevent students from returning to campus through no fault of their own (i.e. travel or visa restrictions), HRS will work with students on a case-by-case basis and will waive any cancellation fees associated with their 2020-2021 on-campus housing license agreements. We will continue to work with the International Students Office to support international students’ housing needs.
Fall 2020 Housing Updates
HRS recently launched a Fall 2020 graduate housing dashboard where regular housing updates will be shared with the graduate student community. You may visit the webpage by clicking here.
Additional Questions
If you have any additional questions regarding 2020-2021 on-campus graduate housing, please contact the team at HRS via email at gradhousingfall2020@mit.edu or by phone at (617) 253-5148.
Sincerely,
MIT Housing & Residential Services