Housing and Residential Services announces roof access restrictions for Random, Simmons
Despite emails proclaiming the change, HRS has held off restrictions following a torrent of student disapproval
Boheng Cao–The Tech
This article contains mentions of suicide and self-harm.
On March 14, Libby and Michael Hsu, Heads of House at Random Hall, emailed residents of the dorm informing them of policy changes enacted by Housing and Residential Services (HRS). HRS intended to restrict entrance to Random’s roof deck between midnight and 6 a.m. by installing tap scanners over spring break.
The email, along with an HRS statement obtained by The Tech, revealed that in June 2024, an assessment examined “tragic incidents involving roofs at MIT” and found “inconsistencies in access controls.” The assessment, along with “feedback from internal stakeholders,” had not been disclosed to students or the Heads of House until this year.
The announcement from the Heads of House also noted that MIT has been collaborating with the Jed Foundation and has committed to minimize “opportunities for suicide.” Founded to promote emotional health among adolescents, the Jed Foundation’s Jed Campus program provides “guidance” and “technical assistance” for campus administrators, and recently released new campus guidelines. In their conversations with HRS and Student Mental Health & Counseling, the Heads of House learned that they could not “change the current decision and timeline,” although HRS was reportedly receptive to feedback for future changes.
The Heads of Houses noted that events could still be scheduled on the roof deck during restricted hours and access could be granted, although they had not decided on a system to do so.
Less than three weeks later, on April 1, an email was sent to all residents of Simmons Hall, informing them that “card readers will be installed on the doors leading to the rooftop terrace” in order to “improve security infrastructure.” The two Simmons terraces are located on the seventh and eighth floors and are only accessible through adjacent towers. The message warned residents that loud construction noise was to occur from April 2 to 4 during the installation. Unlike Random Hall, no immediate access changes were to occur, with “future adjustments” informed by “further consultation with house leadership.”
HRS also noted that rooftop door repairs, signage updates, and tap scanner installations were underway for “restricted roofs” to discourage “unauthorized access.” It is unclear whether these roofs also include those of non-dormitory buildings across MIT’s main campus.
HRS’s decision to restrict roof access was controversial among both Random and Simmons residents. A few defended HRS’s steps toward upholding safety, but many criticized the decision for limiting student movement and autonomy. “On both the Simmons and Random roof decks, my friends and I in Spinning Arts would spin glow props, since there's no other large open space within a 10-minute walk where we can swing a rope dart,” Anika Huang ’26 said. “I have seen people hang out, do homework, belt songs from Hamilton, cry, and look at the stars up there.”
Even though no access changes for Simmons’s terrace have been announced as of the time of publication, some students saw the tap scanner installation as a first step toward an eventual nighttime curfew. Ian Frankel ’28, a Simmons Hall resident, said that they went to roof spaces after midnight to “decompress” and “relax after a long and late night of stressful studying.” Frankel added, “It is quite frustrating that they are taking a step that will hurt the mental health of many students, in the name of safety.”
Other students shared the concern that closing off roof spaces would remove outdoor spaces and possibly exacerbate the very risk of suicide that the restrictions were intended to address. Sovannjet Lim ’27, a Random Hall resident, said that the roof deck was a space for catharsis and a breath of fresh air: “I was in the kitchen at 2 a.m. and the lack of going outside the past two days and the kitchen lights were really getting to me, so I went to the roof deck. I looked at the stars and contemplated space and also cried a bit, and then returned, and it helped a lot.”
According to Eugenie Cha ’28 and Jackson Hamilton ’28, co-presidents of Simmons Hall, many residents believe that MIT should “focus more on addressing the root cause of the student safety concerns” and “improv[e] how they support student mental health” rather than focusing on the more overt symptoms of the mental health crisis.
Huang also critiqued the administration for overlooking student needs: “The fact that MIT is still choosing to impose this policy that is actively damaging to the daily life of the majority of students goes to show that admin doesn't actually care about our mental health.” She believes the restrictions primarily serve to deflect legal liability, rather than to ensure student safety.
The Heads of House for Random Hall noted that the dorm would be especially vulnerable to these changes, since its roof deck is its only outdoor space. Random Hall residents have often expressed safety concerns about venturing outside onto Massachusetts Ave. or the neighboring Sunoco gas station at night, the only alternative outside spaces during roof closures.
During a DormCon meeting on April 3, Ella Sheffield ‘27, co-president of Random Hall, reported that she had received feedback on the roof changes from “about half the dorm,” of which “every single one” said that “it would negatively impact their life.” She mentioned, however, that she had been in contact with HRS to negotiate, and that HRS had already promised to not install cameras on the roof deck.
Simmons co-presidents reported that HRS “might be willing to be flexible on hours” for roof restrictions, but it is unlikely that closures would start after 1 a.m. They mentioned the idea of a “buddy system,” in which the terraces would remain open but require card taps from two different people past midnight. The proposal, however, only attracted backlash among students who preferred to enjoy the cold air and Boston skyline without waking up their friends.
DormCon representatives also raised the possibility that McCormick Hall would close its penthouse and balcony to students after renovations. The renovation, originally scheduled for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year, was postponed to the summer of 2026. Speculation also abounded about roof restrictions for Baker House and the graduate dorms.
Despite the original spring break timeline for tap scanner installation, the restrictions for Random have yet to be implemented, nor have tap scanners been installed on Simmons terraces. The Tech could not ascertain to what extent this resulted from student feedback.