SHPC Report: Risk Factors

The decision making process must take into account the following dangers. There may well be others.

  1. There are extreme financial risks associated with taking a dormitory off line. The need for new undergraduate housing on the west side of campus is obvious in our long range plans (assuming that within a reasonable time Random and Bexley are unavailable), but recent experience with new undergraduate housing tells us that donors of housing units are few and far between else we would not have New House and Next House ( 500 Memorial Drive) and would have Smith Hall and Jones Quad. (Students have offered that Next House is so named for the Next Corporation. We smile and go on with our work wishing it were so.)
  2. Issues of schedule/timing: well laid plans that result in housing not available in time for the fall term of any year will cause major disruptions both financially and academically. Any decision to do major renovations over the summer poses serious problems with regard to Senior House; renovations during the academic year allow for a more reasoned progression, but the loss of revenue is substantial.
  3. There is substantial political risk no matter what course of action is taken or not taken and no one should minimize the implications. The political concerns cut several ways, however. Well done housing gives an advantage in the competition for students courted by others who offer sun and sand. At the same time we have a need to establish a presence on the land we have there for housing.
  4. The current conversation offers the opportunity to build consensus. Agreement may be hard to achieve, but given a problem the MIT community tends to work out reasonable solutions. With some time and attention the current situation offers the chance for making some real housing gains that benefit the entire community.

    Among our opportunities there are also the benefits of current momentum. We will lose opportunities if this plan goes dead in the water while a new Dean is hyena caught :and reengineering options are being considered.

    Other options that we may encourage include attention to new dining programs, academic presence in the residences, the additional faculty presence in Edgerton giving a broader academic presence in the northwest area, and hopefully tying that community in a creative fashion with a new development at Sidney and Pacific.

  5. There is an educational risk inherent in housing changes. Our decision can have an affect on the educational climate in the community. Displaced graduate students will be operating under additional stress; we can expect faculty concern about the implications for graduate students and questions about the climate for graduate education. Should we begin renovations but not be able to complete what we begin on schedule, it will have a ripple effect though the community and that will affect the learning environment.
  6. Risk in not acting: we have the opportunity now to put in place additional income streams that could benefit the whole housing system. Designing for multiple use not only raises the option of letting Senior House serve as a convention center during the summer, but planning new graduate housing near University Park allows us to give attention to multi-use housing that might contribute to increased community by inducing junior faculty into closer proximity to the campus.
  7. The unexpected: there is the risk that Senior House will turn out to be a more major effort than currently thought, e.g., expenses may run higher than expected, structurally problems with the building may become apparent, asbestos may be a greater than expected difficulty.
    The Archive Team (archive@the-tech.mit.edu)