Spring 2021 Building Assignments

December 21, 2020

Dear [First Name],

As you start planning your move to campus, there are several important details and reminders that we’d like to share with you.  This is the first of several informational messages you’ll receive leading up to your arrival on campus during move-in weekend (February 13-15).

First, let’s start with what you’ve been waiting for— your Spring 2021 building assignment!  After reviewing your submitted preferences, as well as on-campus housing availability for the spring, we are pleased to inform you that you have been assigned to live in:

[ Residence Hall ]     

In an effort to ensure residents’ health and safety, as well as to help ensure students have as positive a residential experience as possible during this unprecedented time, it may become necessary for Housing & Residential Services (HRS) to reassign building placements in early January to balance the distribution of residents across the houses.  If this is required, we will share this updated information with you.

Please take a moment to carefully review all of the important information in this email. Here is a quick checklist to get you started:   

  1. Sign or cancel your housing license agreement by Monday, January 4 at 12:00 pm ET.
  2. Submit your preferred move-in arrival date and time by Monday, January 4 at 12:00 pm ET.
  3. Complete your non-binding departure plan by Friday, January 15 at 12:00 pm ET.
  4. Review all COVID-19 student policies and community expectations.

As Chancellor Barnhart, Vice Chancellor Waitz and Dean Nelson described in an earlier message, life on campus this spring will be different than usual. Of note:

  • Students will be required to complete testing upon arrival, and then quarantine for a full week. Additional details about these processes will be shared closer to move-in.
  • Students will be required to receive a COVID-19 test twice per week from an MIT Medical testing facility and complete a daily health attestation.
  • On-campus parties and events are prohibited, as is attending off-campus parties or events. Students who do host or attend parties (on or off-campus) will be subject to referral to the Committee on Discipline.
  • Students are required to be on a meal plan, and meals will be served in residences every day, even if you live in a cook-for-yourself community.
  • While students may form pods for social interaction, due to the density of on-campus housing, availability of common space for pods may be limited.
  • Students who do not follow MIT’s COVID-19 policies may face disciplinary action including potential probation, suspension, loss of housing, or loss of campus access.

We’re all in this together and HRS staff are here to help you every step of the way.  Check out the housing dashboard for regular updates, our special holiday office hours, or send us your questions via email at ughousingspring2021@mit.edu.

Sincerely,  

RICH HILTON
Associate Dean and Director for Residential Services and Operations
Housing & Residential Services

  • Spring 2021 Undergraduate Housing License Agreement: We are requiring all students living in on-campus housing during Spring 2021 to sign a housing license agreement by January 4 at 12:00 pm ET which outlines housing policies and community expectations while living on campus.  To review and sign your license agreement, please visit your MyHousing portal.  
  • Canceling Your Housing Assignment: If you would like to cancel your housing assignment (even after signing the license agreement), please complete the cancellation form within the MyHousing portal.  You may cancel your assignment at any time before January 4 at 12:00 pm ET without penalty.  Cancellations after this date will result in a $250 fee.  HRS will remain as flexible as possible with waiving any penalties for international students who must cancel their assignment due to visa/travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.   
  • Student Departure Plan: If circumstances require the emergency closure of MIT’s campus, all of us need to be prepared.  As such, MIT is requiring all undergraduate students living on campus this fall to complete a non-binding departure plan within the MyHousing portal by January 15 at 12:00 pm ET.  Please don’t worry-- you can amend your departure plan information at a later date!
     
  • COVID-19 Student Policies: MIT is committed to helping protect the health and safety of all residents, faculty and staff.  Please familiarize yourself with the COVID-19 student policies.  These policies, in addition to pre-existing housing policies, will govern student life in undergraduate residences during your time on campus.  You will also be required to complete an online training and sign a Student and Resident Campus Agreement prior to arriving on campus (additional information forthcoming) which serves as formal acknowledgement of all policies including required twice-per-week COVID-19 testing, daily health attestations, wearing a face covering and maintaining at least six feet of physical distance from others.  
  • Housing Rates: As described within a recent FAQ published by the Institute, all students in a single accommodation will be charged the 2020-2021 double rate for the building where they live.  Students living in double accommodation will be charged the applicable triple rate.  Please note that upper-level residents assigned to a single apartment in Site 4 will be charged a Tier 1 single rate. 
  • Spring Semester Housing Dates: On-campus undergraduate housing for the Spring 2021 semester begins on your assigned move-in date (February 13, 14 or 15) and runs through Friday, May 28 at 12:00 noon. 
  • Residential Pods & Your Community: Whether you’ve lived on campus before or not, you may have some questions about the ‘new normal’ and life inside your on-campus home next spring.  The live-in Area Director (AD) for your residence hall is happy to help with answering questions about what it’s like to live in the building (or would like to just say hello and to get to know you!).  To contact your AD, please email [insert contact information].  For additional information about the Residential Pod Program, please visit the pod webpage which will be updated regularly. Please note that pod policies may be adjusted depending upon the latest public health guidance and other considerations.
     
  • Retrieving Stored Belongings:  Belongings stored during Spring 2020 may be retrieved according to the process outlined on the HRS website.  For most residents, their belongings will be delivered to their Spring 2021 room assignment in advance of their arrival to campus.
     
  • COVID-19 Vaccine: MIT Medical is working closely with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to determine how and when the majority of the MIT community will receive a COVID-19 vaccine.  Please read a recent message from MIT Medical Director Cecilia Stuopis who will continue to provide updates as they become available.  
     
  • Moving to Campus: Move-in will occur during Presidents’ Day weekend, including first-year students arriving on February 13, and returning students arriving February 14–15. Similar to the Fall 2020 move-in, students will preference arrival windows to avoid crowding.  Returning students will not be permitted to bring guests into the residence halls during move-in. First-year students will be permitted to bring up to two guests with them for move-in, and guests may stay in the residence halls for a maximum of two hours.  

    Please take a moment to submit your preferred move-in date and time while signing your Housing License Agreement (last section of the agreement) in MyHousing by January 4 at 12:00 pm ET.  You will receive a confirmation email in early January 2021 with additional details about the move and your assigned move-in times.  All students are expected to arrive during their assigned arrival period unless alternate arrangements with HRS have already been made, or if there are circumstances beyond the student's control (i.e. travel delays).  If you need to adjust your confirmed arrival time, please email travelchange@mit.edu with your requested new time.