Housing
WHOI Housing Policy
WHOI housing is available for Joint Program students whose research or other academic activity requires that they stay overnight near the WHOI campus. This policy defines the circumstances under which this housing will be provided free of charge. If a request for housing is outside of these circumstances, there will be a nominal and nonrefundable cost to the student for this housing.
MIT Housing - Sidney Pacific Apartment
The Joint Program has the use of a 2-bedroom, 4-bed unit at Sidney Pacific (SidPac) Graduate Community, (503 B/C), MIT.
In an effort to protect the health and safety of the MIT community and to prevent the spread and reduce the potential risk of exposure to COVID-19, you will have to comply with MIT’s access and testing protocols and policies, as may change during the license term (Please see: https://now.mit.edu/ and https://now.mit.edu/policies/).
Please fill out the Notification Form for each visit, using your MIT ID number (no substitutes). You must allow 48 hours before your intended stay. First time users must also read through and sign a license agreement.
You should carefully and completely read the License Agreement before your first stay, and revisit as needed. A helpful overview has been put together here:
See General Guidelines for JP Student Use Here.
Note: these are highlights of the license agreement and is not comprehensive. The License Agreement on the MIT Housing website you complete is the official binding form.
Students signing out the apartment will be assigned by the staff at SidPac to one of the 2 bedrooms and be given a key at check-in. The key must be returned upon departure.
Our unit is: 503 B/C. The bedrooms are: 503B, 503C.
Here is a map showing the location of SidPac.
SidPac is a short walk from the route of the MIT Tech Shuttle, which services Kendall Square. The nearest stops are Simmons Hall or Vassar/Mass Ave.
Please enter SidPac through the main door, which is the only door with a vestibule. While the door to the lobby will always be locked, you should be able to enter the vestibule to be out of inclement weather in the event the front desk is not staffed when you arrive. If the front desk is not staffed when you arrive, you can call 617-253-1500 and indicate a “Lockout in Unit 12” and someone will come let you in. You will need your MIT ID and confirmation email to be let in.
The apartment can be reserved by any currently registered MIT-WHOI Joint Program student. No guests are allowed (this is a Joint Program specific policy). Students have access to all of the facilities at SidPac, and are entitled to the same rights and privileges as are the full-time residents of the building. The apartment can be used for short stays of 1-3 nights only. If the apartment is needed for longer stays, the student must contact the student reps at jp-student-reps@mit.edu.
It is strongly suggested to bring your own sheets and towels; items should not be left behind at the end of your stay and are students’ responsibility per the license agreement.
Students must apply at least 2 business days in advance and include a check-in time.
This is to allow MIT Housing to make SidPac aware of the reservation/alert the front desk staff to an arrival, and check that the student is a member of the JP.
The desk is staffed from 7:30 AM to 11:30 PM. Please arrive within these hours to check in and pick up your key and access card. After-hour check-in is discouraged.
After 11:30 PM, the SidPac front desk will not be staffed. Please use the white phone opposite the front desk. Call 617-253-1500 and talk to the house manager on duty, indicating a “Unit 12 lockout at SidPac”. They should be able to let you in and give you the key.
We expect that users will make every effort to keep the apartment clean. That includes emptying the trash, putting away any personal items and leaving the apartment in a presentable state for the next user.
To use the apartment, students must first complete a license agreement (one time only) in which the responsibilities of the user(s) and the rules of the building are defined. Please read this document carefully. The user must agree to these responsibilities and rules.
Please fill out the Notification Form for each visit, using your MIT ID number (no substitutes). You must allow 48 hours before your intended stay.
The online reservation is then sent to the JP apartment reps and the Manager at SidPac, of your stay. Unless there is an issue with your reservation (apartment is oversubscribed for the time period you’re requesting, for example) you will not receive a follow-up note beyond the automatic confirmation/receipt of reservation.
The student then goes to the front desk at SidPac and must present his or her MIT ID card to get the key. No one in the JP is allowed hold onto or distribute keys to this apartment. Keys can only be secured from the staff at SidPac with proper notice. The person who submits the notification form is the only person who can pick up the key.
All keys must be returned to the front desk at SidPac when you leave.
Please see the SidPac Hall website for information about the building and its facilities.
The House Manager is Doug Gray, dfgray@mit.edu. If you are having a problem once you arrive, please contact him.
The lots closest to Sid-Pac that we can issue a parking pass for are 139 Mass. Ave. or Kresge. From locations on Mass. Ave., you can take the MIT NW Shuttle to Sid-Pac.
There is no mechanism to reserve an overnight pass for guests through MIT’s Parking Office. For overnight or extended parking, you must have an active parking account: https://web.mit.edu/facilities/transportation/parking/faq/all_faq.html#e5. Set up your account here: https://web.mit.edu/facilities/transportation/parking/student/index.html. Evenings Monday - Friday and weekends are no additional cost to daytime charges.