SHPC Report: Goals

The goals we see as primary are as follows. They are the goals of this Committee and do not necessarily reflect the goals students would articulate or at least we do not assume that our goals are broadly held. We believe them to be wise and helpful in charting our course.

  1. Eliminate crowding: We wish to see undergraduate crowding a thing of the past. Too often we go into the academic year stepping into a roller coaster wondering if we will ever level out. The new working group has stabilized our thinking about enrollment, but crowding below 135 has become so common that it is almost accepted as the status quo. We think it time that crowding be eliminated.
  2. Restore System Flexibility: We think it important that the undergraduate housing stock give us some flexibility in order to allow the Institute to deal with renovations system wide, e.g., Baker needs work, Burton-Connor is not far behind. Within a short time Random Hall will be taken off line and unless the money for new construction makes a quick appearance, we will have a housing imbalance for the foreseeable future.
  3. Enhance Quality of Life: We think quality of life issues for both undergraduates and graduates are worthy of attention. Renovations and new graduate housing will allow for students to give us clear pictures of their interests/needs/desires; we then have to make hard decisions about what we are going to do. It should be remembered that the construction of Edgerton Hall involved serious student advice and the current voices being raised beg us not to build another Edgerton or Tang; student input and informed administrative decision making strikes the needed balance.
  4. Avoid Disruption: Disruption of student life affecting the academic year is to be avoided. We are particularly concerned about plans that presume the ability to complete complex projects by August 15, but it is also true that changes that affect graduate housing may well impact their research and class efforts. Where possible disruption should be minimized.
  5. Positive Cost-Benefit, short-term and long-term: Decisions need to take into account that short-term expenses may be unnecessary if we have a clear outline of the big picture. We think here of the recent renovations to Senior House; these cost us financially and in terms of student good will; an inclusive plan for renovations would have avoided both the public relations pitfall and the financial expenditures which are now rendered unnecessary.
  6. Maintain Stable Tuition Revenue: We intend to maintain a stable tuition revenue profile.
  7. Increase Revenue Opportunities: By renovating/building with an eye toward flexibility, we increase potential house revenue for program support, e.g., rebuilding Senior House in such a way that accommodating summer conferences will give an income stream that could be used to support programs in the house during the academic year.
  8. Incorporate Student Involvement: The process that unfolds from this point on should maximize student involvement; initiatives like the Baker dining program should be encouraged and supported. Student participation in client teams for both renovations and new construction is assumed.
The Archive Team (archive@the-tech.mit.edu)