Article I: Purpose

The purpose of the Random Hall Bylaws is to provide the members of Random Hall, as defined in Article III of the Random Hall Constitution, with a means of instituting policies and procedures, creating and defining the role of committees, and putting into writing any and all substantive and permanent decisions made by the House Meeting or ExecComm not specifically mentioned in the Random Hall Constitution.

Article II: House Policies

Section 1: General

The Policies contained in this Article of the Bylaws shall be those decisions made by Random Hall that are binding upon all members of Random Hall, in accordance with Article V, Section 1 of the Random Hall Constitution.

Section 2: Shafting

No shafting shall be allowed in the Random Hall shafts.

Section 3: New Wave Music

No loud New Wave music shall be played anywhere in Random Hall.

Section 4: Quiet Hour

The quiet hour shall be between 2 and 3 AM on the day each year when daylight savings time goes into effect.

Section 5: Smoking and Fire

As per MIT policy, smoking in Random and on Random's roofdeck is banned.

Fires are likewise banned on the roofdeck. Signs shall be placed on the stairs to the roofdeck informing people of these rules.

Section 6: Mailing Lists

Random Hall shall have eight floor-specific email lists, one for each floor of Random Hall, and four class specific email lists, one for freshmen, one for sophomores, one for juniors, and one for seniors and superseniors. No member of Random Hall may add themself to any floor- or class-specific email list of which they are not supposed to be a member nor remove themself from any floor- or class-specific email list of which they are supposed to be a member. The President, the Secretary, and the Room Assignment Chair shall have the sole authority to alter the membership of these lists.

Section 7: The House Tax

The Random Hall House Tax shall be set at $85 per resident of Random Hall per term. This figure does not include any tax levied by the Dormitory Council ($10).

Section 8: Murals

Random Hall shall allow the painting of murals, provided that they follow the following rules. Before a mural is painted, a proposal must be circulated sufficiently in advance to those residents who use the proposed location of the mural, and receive approval. Removing a mural shall require the same approval.

If a problem arises with an existing mural that cannot be resolved by the above process, the concerns should be forwarded to those residents who use the space where the mural is. If it cannot be resolved, it shall be forwarded to the Random Hall Judicial Committee for arbitration.

Article III: ExecComm Policies

Section 1: General

The Policies contained in this Article of the Bylaws shall be those decisions made by the Executive Committee of Random Hall that directly relate to the functioning of the Executive Committee, in accordance with Article VI, Section 2 of the Random Hall Constitution. The approval of ExecComm is defined as a two-thirds majority of voting members present at an ExecComm meeting.

Section 2: The Budget

Subsection A: General

The Random Hall Budget shall be established by Random Hall on a term-by-term basis as described in Article V, Section 8 of the Random Hall Constitution. The Budget shall serve as a guide for the Vice President in disbursement of funds and the Committee Chairmen in spending of funds. No individual or group may be reimbursed for the purchase of an item unless it has been included in the Random Hall Budget or approved for reimbursement through a discretionary fund.

The Vice President shall be responsible for collecting and compiling the information needed to create the Budget, including but not limited to budget requests made by Committee Chairman, budget requests made by members of Random Hall for the purchase of capital Items, the amount of money in Random Hall's savings accounts, and the amount of income to be received by Random Hall through the House Tax.

An ExecComm budget meeting shall be called within a week before the House Budget Meeting. All members of ExecComm shall attend this meeting. The purpose of this meeting shall be to discuss the budget compiled by the Vice President. Each person who requested money shall explain the purpose of the request, either verbally or by submitting a written explanation to the Vice President in advance of the meeting. The budget compiled by the Vice President may include a budget deficit at the discretion of the Vice President, as long as the total budget does not exceed the balance of the Random Hall main account. If the budget compiled by the Vice President exceeds the balance of the Random Hall main account, changes in the amount of money allocated for various purposes shall be made in a way that is agreeable to all interested parties to eliminate the deficit. ExecComm shall then vote on whether to accept the proposed budget as it stands.

Less than 24 hours after the end of the ExecComm budget meeting, the proposed budget shall be distributed to all voting members of Random Hall. At the House Budget Meeting, the Vice President shall briefly go over all of the items in the budget and shall ask for any discussion of or changes to those items before the House votes on whether to approve the budget.

Every Random Hall Budget shall include line items for an ExecComm discretionary fund, a President's discretionary fund, and a discretionary fund for each floor.

ExecComm may spend the ExecComm discretionary fund at its discretion. Individuals or groups may also request ExecComm discretionary funds for expenses not otherwise included in the budget. Any individual or group requesting ExecComm discretionary funds must make the request of any member of ExecComm. That ExecComm member must inform the other members of ExecComm of the request at any time before the subsequent ExecComm meeting. The request must state both the reason for the request and the amount of money requested. The money shall be allocated from the ExecComm discresionary fund under the following conditions: at a regularly scheduled ExecComm meeting, with a simple majority of ExecComm; at an extraordinary meeting, only if four of the seven voting members of ExecComm vote to approve the allocation.

The President's discretionary fund shall serve a purpose similar to the ExecComm discretionary fund. The President may spend the President’s discretionary fund at their discretion, and any person or group may request President’s discretionary funds by making a request of the President. The request must state both the reason for the request and the amount of money requested. The President shall decide whether to allocate the funds within 48 hours of the request. Upon deciding to allocate President's discretionary funds, the President must inform the other members of ExecComm of their decision within 24 hours.

Floor discretionary funds are a source of funding for specific types of purchases for a floor. Each floor's discretionary funds may be spent on either capital items or on community consumable items for the use of that floor. Capital items are items that are intended to last for a relatively long time, such as pots and pans, TVs, sound systems, etc. Community consumable items are items that will be used up, which the floor prefers to purchase in large quantities, and which will be available for the use of the floor. This includes baking supplies, spices, aluminum foil, etc.

Floors may petition for the ability to spend their floor budget outside of these guidelines. A request should be submitted to the Vice President in advance of the ExecComm budget meeting, and should include the proposed purchase and the amount proposed to be spent. ExecComm shall decide whether or not to approve the petition by majority vote. ExecComm should decide whether to approve the request based on whether the request will benefit the floor. A floor may not petition to extend their floor budget if their budget was extended the previous term.

Each floor will decide its method for allocating floor funds (voting, discussion, etc.) at the beginning of each fall semester, and can change the method at any point.

Subsection C: The Alumni Fund

The Random Hall Alumni Fund shall be established through the MIT Alumni Association as a way for Alumni and Friends of Random Hall to donate financially to Random Hall.

Any money received by Random Hall through the Alumni Fund shall be placed into an interest-bearing account under the supervision of the VP. This money shall not be budgeted or spent by Random Hall for any purpose. However, any interest accrued from this money may be budgeted for spending by Random Hall as it would any other regular source of income.

Subsection D: Random Hall Publications

The Vice President shall be responsible for managing all of Random Hall's subscriptions to publications.

Section 3: General Election Procedure

Unless otherwise indicated in the Random Hall Constitution, the following election method will apply to all Random Hall elections.

Nominations for a position shall be open from the time of the announcement of the election for that position until the start of the election. After closing the nominations, the nominees shall be given the opportunity to introduce themselves, to describe the reasons why they wish to run for said position, and to say anything else they wish about themselves on their own behalf. These statements shall be followed by a question-and-answer period during which any member of Random Hall may ask any relevant question, subject to the approval of the chairman of the election meeting, of any or all of the nominees. The question-and-answer period may include a closed-room portion, during which all nominees other than the one currently answering questions shall leave the meeting room and no notes shall be recorded. Only voting members of Random Hall may be present in the meeting room during the closed-room period. Upon completion of the question-and-answer period, all nominees and non-voting members shall leave the meeting room, and those remaining shall discuss the nominees in terms of their suitability for the position being elected. Following this discussion, a vote shall be held by show of hands, by paper ballot, or by white ballot to determine which nominee(s) shall be elected. Everything that transpires while any nominee is absent, including both discussion and the vote tallies, shall be confidential.

Section 4: ExecComm Meeting Agendas

Agendas for all ordinary ExecComm meetings shall be compiled by the President and distributed by the Secretary to the members of Random Hall (through the mailing list random-hall@mit.edu) at least 24 hours prior to the ExecComm meeting. Any changes to the agenda that occur after it is initially distributed shall be distributed as soon as the changes are made.

No substantive decision requiring a vote may be made at an ExecComm meeting on an issue not listed on the agenda for that meeting, unless said issue is of sufficient urgency in the opinion of the President that the decision cannot wait to be made until the subsequent ExecComm meeting. In the event that an issue is brought up at an ExecComm meeting that was not listed on the agenda for that meeting, that issue may be discussed, but no votes may be taken on that issue until the subsequent ExecComm meeting.

Section 5: GRA Selection

Candidates for a vacant GRA position shall be ranked by a method chosen by the Heads of House.

Ballots shall be distributed by the Heads of House at the House Meeting during which the candidates are to be ranked. Each ballot shall list the names of the candidates in the order in which they were interviewed. Any continuing resident of Random Hall may cast a ballot, and absentee ballots cast in advance of the meeting shall be accepted at the discretion of the Heads of House.

The Heads of House shall have veto power over any candidate they deem unsuitable for the GRA position. The continuing residents of the floor on which a GRA candidate might live also have veto power over any candidate by a majority of said residents voting in favor of vetoing the candidate.

Article IV: Committees and Other Positions

Section 1: Power and Authority

The Committees and Appointed positions named and described in this Article derive their power from Article VI, Section 6 of the Random Hall Constitution. They shall be responsible for carrying out all of the duties specified in that Article of the Random Hall Constitution as well as the specific duties mentioned in this Article of the Bylaws. As representatives of ExecComm, they shall have jurisdiction over the facilities of Random Hall as indicated in this Article, in accordance with Article VI, Section 2 of the Random Hall Constitution.

Section 2: Committee Elections and Appointments

The committees described in Section 3 of this Article of the Bylaws shall be elected positions in accordance with Article VI, section 6 of the Random Hall Constitution. The elections for these positions shall take place each spring during the spring election House Meeting described in Article VIII, Section 4 of the Random Hall Constitution.

At any point, the president may nominate a voting member of Random Hall to a committee if either: the committee currently has no voting members of Random Hall on it, or if all voting members of Random Hall on the committee approve of the nominee. The nomination is subject to approval of ExecComm at an ExecComm meeting. These nominations must be announced to Random Hall at least 72 hours before approval, and during that time, any voting member may object to any nomination for any reason either verbally or in writing to any member of ExecComm, thereby invalidating the nomination. Any nomination invalidated in that manner may then be filled in the manner of the elected Committees at the spring election House Meeting.

Section 3: Elected Committees

Subsection A: Laundry Committee

The Laundry Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the Random Hall laundry machines and laundry room. The Laundry Committee shall ensure that the laundry machines remain in good repair and shall investigate all complaints from any member of Random Hall about the laundry machines. The Laundry Committee shall keep the laundry room clean and free from piles of abandoned laundry.

The Laundry Committee chairs shall be paid for their duties. Each chair shall be paid a semesterly salary, to be determined by ExecComm during the ExecComm budget meeting and approved along with the rest of the budget. In cases where a member of ExecComm is a chair of the Laundry Committee, they must abstain from the vote.

During the summer, if the Laundry Committee chairs will not be present, they must appoint an acting chair. The acting chair(s) will be paid a maximum of $100 for the summer. The exact amount shall be determined at the first ExecComm meeting of the following fall term and must be approved by a majority vote of at least three members of ExecComm. In cases where the acting chair is a member of ExecComm, they must abstain from the vote.

Subsection B: Social Committee

The Social Committee shall be responsible for the planning, publicity, and execution of all Random Hall social events. The Social Committee shall submit a detailed financial report after every Random Hall social event to the VP. The Social Committee Chairman shall be the representative to the Dormitory Council as regards the social activities of Random Hall.

Subsection C: Soda Committee

The Soda Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Random Hall soda fridge, ensuring that the soda fridge remain stocked at all times based on the requests of any member of Random Hall and its judgment. The Soda Committee shall regularly enforce the collection of all tab money and shall have the option to set and enforce an upper limit on the amount of tab money any one member of Random Hall may have at any given time. The Soda Committee shall keep and maintain detailed records of the cash flow of soda fridge.

Subsection D: Athletic Committee

The Athletic Committee shall plan, publicize, and execute all Random Hall athletic events. The Athletic Committee Chairman shall enter teams in all intramural sports in which sufficient interest is present among the members of Random Hall. They shall have the responsibility for and jurisdiction over all athletic equipment of Random Hall. The Athletic Committee Chairman shall be the representative to the Intramural Council for Random Hall.

Subsection E: Blood Committee

The Blood Committee shall be responsible for stocking the bathrooms of Random Hall with menstrual products, including pads, tampons, and other products at their discretion. The Blood Committee may pursue other initiatives to support the menstrual health of Random Hall residents.

Subsection F: Computer Committee

The Computer Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the computer facilities of Random Hall not under the jurisdiction of MIT Information Services and Technology (IS&T), including but not limited to any non-IS&T printers, the copy machine, the bathroom server, the laundry server, and public computers and workstations.

Subsection G: Earth, Wind, and Fire Committee

The Earth, Wind, and Fire Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of the Random Hall vacuum cleaners and for purchasing supplies for the vacuums such as filters and bags. Additionally, the Earth, Wind, and Fire Committee shall be responsible for the purchase of dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and sponges for each floor. The Earth, Wind, and Fire Committee shall turn off the water to the roofdeck garden hose in the fall and turn it back on in the spring.

Subsection H: Electrical Engineering Lab Committee

The Electrical Engineering Lab Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the Random Hall electrical engineering (EE) lab. The EE Lab Committee shall ensure that the equipment in the EE lab is useful and functional and shall arrange for the procurement of any items it deems appropriate for the EE lab. The EE Lab Committee shall provide assistance and training in the use of the EE lab to any member of Random Hall and shall ensure that the EE lab provides a favorable working environment for any member of Random Hall to work on electronic projects. The EE Lab Committee shall ensure that the cruft database reflects the contents of the EE lab as accurately as it deems necessary.

Subsection I: Games Committee

The Games Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance of the board games, card games, and other games of similar type owned by Random Hall, including the replacement of any game pieces that might be missing from any game. The Games Committee shall arrange for the procurement of new games as requested by any member of Random Hall, subject to the Committee's own judgment.

Subsection J: Hair Dye Committee

The Hair Dye Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the Random Hall hair dyeing supplies collection. The Hair Dye Committee shall arrange for the procurement of new hair dye based on requests made by members of Random Hall and the Committee's judgement.

Subsection K: History Committee

The History Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and collection of Random Hall historical records and artifacts. The History Committee shall ensure that the records remain accessible to all members of Random Hall and shall ensure that all information remains current and updated.

Subsection L: Pet Committee

The Pet Committee shall be responsible for the supervision of all officially approved cats in Random Hall, as described by the Pet Chair Responsibilities issued by the Dormitory Council. The Pet Committee shall inform all approved cat owners of their responsibilities as described in the Cat Policy issued by the Dormitory Council and/or the MIT Housing Office. The Pet Committee shall keep all records with regard to the official cats residing in Random Hall. The Pet Chairman shall represent Random Hall to the Dormitory Council and the Housing Office on matters pertaining to the official cats residing in Random Hall. There are two cat-friendly floors: Loop and Black Hole. In order for a floor to become cat friendly, the floor residents should reference the pet policy issued by the Dormitory Council. Each cat-friendly floor shall have a maximum of three cats, unrestricted to floor sides.

Subsection M: Piano/Music Room Committee

The Piano Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance of the Random Hall pianos and the music room. The Piano Committee shall ensure that the pianos get professionally tuned as often as they deem necessary. The Piano Committee shall maintain the music room, keep the piano sheet music organized, and arrange for the procurement of new sheet music and other piano- and music-related items based on any requests made by any member of Random Hall, subject to the Committee's own judgment.

Subsection N: Projector Committee

The Projector Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the Alice in Wonderland Theater (AiW) and all Random Hall audio-video (A/V) equipment, including but not limited to the projector and screen, the electronics held in the projector rack, the AiW speaker system, the VCR and DVD player at Desk, and the MythTV. The Projector Committee shall instruct any member of Random Hall in the use of the A/V equipment upon request.

Subsection O: Quiche Cabal Committee

The Quiche Cabal Committee shall be responsible for organizing Quiche Cabals on a semesterly basis. Each semester the Quiche Cabal Committee shall invite an MIT faculty, staff, administration, or community member to have dinner at Random at a mutually convenient time with interested residents. The Quiche Cabal Committee shall solicit volunteers to cook and shall ensure that a sufficient amount and variety of food will be available.

Subsection P: Sewing Committee

The Sewing Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the Random Hall sewing machines. The Sewing Committee shall keep the contents of the sewing kit organized and shall keep it supplied with basic sewing supplies, including needles, black and white thread, and bobbins. The Sewing Committee shall keep the sewing machines check-out list at Desk updated and shall ensure that members of Random Hall on said list have been trained in the use of the sewing machines.

Subsection Q: Shop Committee

The Shop Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the Random Hall shop, including all equipment contained therein, and shall keep the shop supplied with the hardware necessary for any small wood project. The Shop Committee shall train all users of the shop in the correct and safe operation of all of the equipment in the shop and shall be available to answer any questions any member of Random Hall may have about the use of said equipment. The Shop Committee shall keep the shop key check-out list at Desk updated and shall ensure that all keys to the shop are accounted for at all times.

Subsection R: Sustainability Committee

The Sustainability Committee shall be responsible for all sustainability initiatives within Random Hall, such as the operation of bulk bins in the basement and collection of soft plastics. The Sustainability Committee will also make decisions regarding the use of any funds granted to Random Hall for sustainability initiatives, such as through the UA Sustainability Fund.

Subsection S: Trunk Room Committee

The Trunk Room Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the Random Hall Trunk room, including furnishing and organizing the Trunk room. The Trunk Room Committee shall also supervise the bicycle room. Each resident of Random Hall shall be allowed to store one bicycle in the bicycle room, and nonresidents shall not be allowed to store bikes there.

Subsection T: Video Committee

The Video Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the Random Hall movie collection. The Video Committee shall arrange for the procurement of new movies based on requests made by members of Random Hall and the Committee's judgment. The Video Committee shall update and maintain both the paper and online versions of the Random Hall movie collection database.

Subsection U: Website Committee

The Website Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Random Hall website. The Website Committee shall ensure that the website remains accessible to all members of Random Hall and shall ensure that all information on the website remains current and updated. The Website Committee shall implement any major changes to the website the Committee feels would make the website more functional or informative, subject to the approval of ExecComm.

Subsection V: Weight Room Committee

The Weight Room Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the Random Hall weight room. The Weight Room Committee shall keep the members of Random Hall informed of any procedures essential to the correct and safe use of the weight room equipment. The Weight Room Committee shall arrange for the purchase of additional weight room equipment based on any requests made by any member of Random Hall, subject to the Committee's judgment.

Subsection W: Starving Artist

The Starving Artist shall be responsible for the maintenance, upkeep and restocking of the Random Hall crafts closet, located in the lounge-side closet on BMF, hereafter called “The Tardis”. The Starving Artist shall arrange the purchase of any art and/or crafts supplies for The Tardis as they deem appropriate, or based on any requests made by any member of Random Hall.

Subsection X: Roofdeck Committee

The Roofdeck Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance, supervision, and improvement of the Random Hall roofdeck. This includes ensuring that residents properly take care of the hammocks, maintaining the string lights, and hosting events as they see fit.

Section 5: Other Positions

Subsection A: Room Assignment Chair

The Room Assignment Chairs (RACs) shall be responsible for assigning housing in Random Hall in accordance with the Room Assignment Guidelines described in Article V of the Random Hall Bylaws. This position derives its power from Article VI, Section 2 of the Random Hall Constitution.

The RAC shall also be responsible for assisting the Secretary in updating official dorm mailing lists at the beginning of each term. They shall serve as the representatives of Random Hall to the Dormitory Council on matters of room assignment. They shall represent Random Hall to the Housing Office on matters pertaining to room assignments in Random Hall.

The RACs shall be an appointed position in accordance with Article VI, section 6 of the Random Hall Constitution. The President, based on the recommendation of the outgoing RACs, shall appoint a voting member of Random Hall to be an RAC, subject to the approval of ExecComm at the ExecComm meeting following the appointment. All voting members of Random Hall will then have one week to object to the nomination to any member of ExecComm. If no one objects, the new RAC will take office one week after ExecComm approves the nomination. If anyone objects, the new RAC will be elected at a House Meeting called within fourteen days. RACs may not simultaneously hold the position of President, VP, Secretary, or JudComm Chairman. The duration of this position shall be indefinite, until the RAC chooses to resign or is removed by a majority vote of ExecComm. Candidates for the RAC position should expect to remain residents of Random Hall for the next two years.

Subsection B: Rush Committee

The Rush Committee shall be responsible for running a comprehensive program acquainting freshmen with Random Hall during both Campus Preview Weekend (CPW) and Residence Exploration (REX). The Rush Committee, along with the President, shall be responsible for the article about Random Hall in the Guide to First Year Residences. The Rush Committee shall be the Random Hall representative to the Dormitory Council regarding Random Hall Rush activities.

The Rush Committee shall be an elected position in accordance with Article VI, section 6 of the Random Hall Constitution.

The Rush Committee shall be subdivided into senior chairpersons (with whom the bulk of the responsibility lies) and junior chairpersons (who shall aid the senior chairpersons in executing their programs, but are not required or expected to assist in planning them).

The junior chairpersons shall be elected each November at a House Meeting. The Committee chairpersons elected at this meeting shall be responsible for aiding the senior chairpersons in the execution of CPW, but will not be responsible for planning the programming ahead of time. The senior chairpersons shall be responsible for mentoring the junior chairpersons to prepare them for their future responsibilities. After the conclusion of CPW, the senior chairpersons’ terms shall expire, and the junior chairpersons will then take their places as the new senior chairpersons. These chairpersons will then be fully responsible for planning and executing REX, and then for planning and executing the program for the next CPW, in which they will be aided by newly-elected junior chairpersons.

The holders of this position may be removed in the matter of the Committee chairpersons, as described in Article IX, Section 3 of the Random Hall Constitution.

Subsection C: i3 Pointman

The i3 Pointman shall be responsible for all aspects of the production of the Random Hall Interactive Introduction to the Institute (i3) video, including filming and editing, and all associated i3 materials, including the Random Hall Rush website. They shall serve as the representative of Random Hall on the i3 Committee of the Dormitory Council on matters pertaining to i3.

The i3 Pointman shall be an elected position in accordance with Article VI, section 6 of the Random Hall Constitution. The position shall be appointed each September at the fall elections House Meeting. The holder of this position may be removed in the manner of the Committee Chairmen, as described in Article IX, Section 3 of the Random Hall Constitution.

Article V: Room Assignment Guidelines

Section 1: Definitions

In this article,

• The term "RACs" means current Room Assignment Chairs as defined in Article IV, §5(A) of the Random Hall Bylaws.
• The term "gender" means a resident's self-identified gender.
• The floors of Random Hall are defined as follows:
  • Destiny, first floor of the 282 side;
  • Loop, second floor of the 282 side;
  • Clam, third floor of the 282 side;
  • Bonfire, fourth floor of the 282 side;
  • Foo, first floor of the 290 side;
  • Black Hole, second floor of the 290 side;
  • BMF, third floor of the 290 side;
  • Pecker, fourth floor of the 290 side.
• Floor designations in Random Hall are defined as follows:
  • The term "coed" refers to a floor where residents of any gender may live.
  • The term "non-coed" refers to a floor where only residents of specified genders may live.
  • The term "cat floor" refers to a floor where residents may keep cats (that are not approved support animals).
  • The term "top-optional" refers to a floor where top-optionality is in effect in accordance with the Random Hall Top-Optionality Protocol.
• The room types in Random Hall are defined as follows:
  • The term "single" means a room with a room number ending in 1 ("1-rooms"), 3 ("3-rooms"), or 4 ("4-rooms").
  • The term "double" means a room with a room number ending in 2 ("2-rooms"), except for room 112.
  • The term "divided double" means a room with a room number ending in 5a ("large half") or 5 ("small half"), as well as rooms 112 and 112a.
• Class years are defined as follows:
  • The terms "freshman" and "freshmen" mean one or all first-year undergraduate residents, respectively.
  • The terms "upperclassman" and "upperclassmen" mean one or all undergraduate residents that are not first-years, respectively.
• Room assignment terminology:
  • The term "period of room switching" means any contiguous period of time during which residents may submit preferences to move into one or many vacant or imminently vacant rooms.
  • The term "priority list" means the list of all Random Hall residents in order of priority maintained by the RACs, visible to all Random Hall residents.

Section 2: Floor Designations

Coed and Non-Coed Floors

A floor that wishes to change their designation as coed or non-coed should contact the RACs and request an anonymous vote at any time at least one year since the floor’s last change in designation. A vote of strictly greater than 2/3 of all current undergraduate floor residents will change the floor's designation. A floor may not change to a designation that is not satisfied by at least 2/3 of its current undergraduate population. After a floor changes its designation, the change takes effect the next time a resident moves onto that floor. The floor’s new designation will apply only to residents moving onto the floor subsequent to the change in designation. Current residents of a floor may continue to live in their current rooms or move to different rooms on the same floor even if they do not satisfy the floor’s new designation, so long as they have not moved to a different floor in Random Hall in the meantime.

The RACs will ensure that the gender constraints of all non-coed floors are maintained, subject to the rules of the MIT Housing Office.

Cat Floors

A floor that wishes to become a cat floor or cease being a cat floor should contact the RACs and ExecComm, who should determine the applicable MIT policies regarding cats and act in accordance with them.

Top-optional Floors

A floor that wishes to be top-optional should contact the Random Hall Area Director and Heads of House (radhoh@mit.edu) at the beginning of a semester and request an anonymous vote. A unanimous vote in favor of being top-optional will give the floor this designation until the end of the term in which the vote was held.

Current Designations

The current designations of each floor are:

• Destiny: coed;
• Loop: non-coed (female and non-binary), cat floor;
• Clam: coed, top-optional (FA25);
• Bonfire: coed;
• Foo: coed;
• Black Hole: coed, cat floor, top-optional (FA25);
• BMF: coed;
• Pecker: coed, top-optional (FA25).

Section 3: Room Assignments

The RACs are in charge of room assignments for all undergraduate residents of Random Hall. The RACs will maintain a list of current room assignments accessible to all Random Hall residents. Room assignments must be approved by the MIT Housing Office and the MIT Housing Office has the right to change room assignments at its discretion.

At the end of the Fall and Spring terms, the RACs will initiate a period of room switching during which room assignments will be adjusted according to the procedures set forth in §§4-6. At the beginning of each Fall semester, room assignments for freshmen only will be made according to the procedures set forth in §7. Room assignments may also change at other times under certain circumstances, as described in §8.

The RACs have final authority in making any and all decisions with regards to room assignments in Random Hall. Any decision made by the RACs may be appealed to the Random Hall Judicial Committee for arbitration.

Section 4: Priority

Priority List

The RACs will maintain a list of all Random Hall residents in order of priority (hereafter referred to as the "priority list"), accessible to all Random Hall residents. Any moves between rooms in Random Hall will be resolved in order of decreasing priority (i.e. if more than one resident wishes to move into a vacant or imminently vacant room, the resident with the highest priority gets it), except in the case of pull-ins (c.f. §4.5) or moving from one half of a divided double to the other (c.f. §4.6).

The priority list is divided into contiguous sublists according to class year. Older classes have higher priority than younger classes. Class year for these purposes is determined by the year in which a resident first enrolled in MIT as an undergraduate, subject to RACs discretion in cases where the resident is visiting or transferring from another institution, or is returning to MIT from a leave of absence.

Using priority

A resident will "use priority" whenever they move into a new room, except in the following cases: the move is part of a room swap, or the move is part of an emergency move in accordance with §8.

At the end of each period of room switching, the RACs will adjust the priority list by removing all residents who have used their priority during that period of room switching and re-adding them to the end of their respective class year sublists in reverse order of their original priority.

A resident who is displaced from their current room assignment may have their priority adjusted at the RACs discretion.

Priority for newly-assigned residents

When a new resident is assigned to Random Hall, any currently active period of room switching (including priority adjustments as per §4.2) will first be resolved for current residents. Afterwards, any newly assigned residents in need of a room assignment will be added to the end of their class year’s priority list (in random order within each class year). There will then be a separate period of room switching during which the new residents will choose their rooms. Once the new residents have chosen rooms, their priorities will be adjusted as per §4.2.

Squatting

Any resident of Random who has moved into their assigned room has the right to "squat", i.e. keep their current room assignment during any period of room switching.

Under certain emergency circumstances and as required by the MIT Housing Office, a resident may be required to change rooms despite their right to squat.

Pull-ins to doubles and divided doubles

A resident who is assigned to a double or divided double following a period of room switching may "pull in" another resident as their roommate whenever the other spot in that room is available. The resident being pulled in must agree to be pulled in. A resident who is pulled into a room will get the spot regardless of priority. A resident who moves due to a pull-in still uses priority unless the move satisfies one of the exceptions listed in §4.2. On a non-coed floor, only residents that satisfy the floor's gender constraint may be pulled into rooms on that floor.

Moving between halves of a divided double

Whenever one half of a divided double becomes available, the resident of the other half has the right to move to the vacated half before it is made available to other residents (even those with higher priority). A resident who moves from one half of a divided double to the other in this way uses priority.

Section 5: Room Reassignments Between Semesters

End of Fall term

There will be a period of room switching near the end of each Fall semester. The RACs will email all current residents with the list of rooms expected to be vacated at the end of the Fall term and a deadline by which to indicate interest in any of the available rooms. After the initial round of room reassignments is resolved, the list of newly vacated rooms will be emailed out and subject to the same procedure. This will continue iteratively until no more current residents express interest in moving into the available rooms. Any pull-ins will be resolved as they arise. The priority list will be readjusted as per §4.2 at the end of this period of room switching. Afterwards, newly assigned residents (if any) will choose from among the available rooms in a second period of room switching.

The residents who will be moving as a result of the room switches will move during IAP, as directed by the MIT Housing Office. The MIT Housing Office may require residents who are moving out of Random Hall at the end of IAP to move to a temporary room during IAP.

End of Spring term

There will be a period of room switching near the end of each Spring semester. The RACs will email out a list of residents expected to return to Random Hall for the next school year. Using an online or paper form, each returning resident will indicate whether they wish to squat in their current room assignment or whether they wish to move to a different room for the next school year. A resident wishing to move to a different room will list the rooms they would like to move to, in order of preference, ending with their current room. For each double or divided double that a resident expresses a preference for (or is squatting in), the resident may also provide a list of other residents they would like to pull in (in order of preference) should they be placed in that room. Residents may also express other preferences that may or may not be honored by the RACs.

Conditional requests of the following forms will be honored whenever possible: "This room is my n-th preference only if I can pull in person A (or person B, or person C, etc.) as my roommate. If not, then this room is my m-th preference." "This room is my n-th preference only if I can be pulled in by person A (or person B, or person C, etc.). If not, then this room is my m-th preference." "This room is my n-th preference only if my roommate is person A (or person B, or person C, etc.). If not, then this room is my m-th preference." "I do not want to live in the same room as person A."

Requests of the following form will be honored whenever possible if the Random Hall Judicial Committee deems it necessary due to a dispute between the residents involved: "I do not want to live on the same floor as person A."

Any other requests conditional on any other resident’s housing preferences will be ignored.

The RACs will ensure that all returning residents (including those who wish to squat) submit a completed preference form by the specified deadline.

Residents who have applied for 9th or 10th term housing for the following Fall semester will also complete a preference form. The RACs will resolve the preferences of such residents as if they were returning to Random Hall in the Fall. (However, as required by the MIT Housing Office, they will not officially be given room assignments for the Fall semester.) If the residents are subsequently denied 9th or 10th term housing, adjustments to the other residents’ room assignments will be made during the summer when this becomes apparent.

The RACs will first assign all residents who choose to squat to their current rooms. If any residents have listed the rooms being squatted in among their preferences, those preferences will be removed from consideration. If any residents have only their current room remaining as a valid choice, they will be placed in that room and the room will be removed from everyone else's preference lists. This will be repeated until no residents can be assigned in this manner. In order of highest to lowest priority, each remaining resident will be tentatively assigned to their highest-ranked room that has not yet been assigned. Each room that is tentatively assigned will be tentatively removed from everyone else's preference lists. If the tentatively assigned room ends up not being vacated by its current resident, then the tentative assignment will be reversed and that room will be removed from consideration for the resident who was tentatively assigned to it. This process will be repeated until there is a stable assignment of all residents to rooms. Any pull-in requests will be resolved as they arise.

No resident will be assigned to a room they prefer less than their current room. No resident of a divided double whose roommate moves out of that room will be assigned to a room they prefer less than their preferred half of their current divided double. No resident will be pulled into a room they prefer less than any room they would otherwise have gotten.

The priority list will be readjusted as per §4.2 at the end of this period of room switching. Afterwards, newly assigned residents (if any) will choose from among the available rooms in a second period of room switching.

Section 6: Room Reassignments at Other Times

Vacancies during the summer

If any vacancies arise due to one or many residents switching to a different dorm or canceling their housing during the summer, the RACs will retroactively adjust the results of the previous period of room switching using the preferences collected at the end of the last Spring term.

9th or 10th term seniors denied housing

During the summer, if it becomes clear that residents who have applied for 9th or 10th term housing will not be granted housing (e.g. if new residents are assigned to Random such that there are not enough spots left for the prospective 9th or 10th term residents), the RACs will retroactively adjust the results of the previous period of room switching using the preferences collected at the end of the last Spring term.

New residents assigned after freshman temporary assignments have been made

As required by the MIT Housing Office, freshmen’s temporary room assignments cannot be changed after they are made. If there are new residents assigned to Random Hall after freshman temporary assignments have been made, these new residents will be given temporary rooms (which they can squat in if they so desire) to stay in until the freshman room selection process, described in §7. If they so desire, these new residents can choose new rooms (in order of priority) from among the vacant rooms and rooms temporarily occupied by freshmen or new residents in a special period of room switching preceding the freshman room selection process. Any pull-ins will be resolved as they arise. The priority list will be readjusted as per §4.2 at the end of this period of room switching.

Section 7: Freshman Room Assignments

Temporary Freshman Room Assignments

Before each Fall term, the freshmen assigned to Random Hall in the Freshman Summer Housing Lottery will be assigned temporary rooms at the discretion of the RACs, based on their responses to the MIT Housing questionnaire and a separate questionnaire administered by the RACs over the summer. Two freshmen of different gender may be assigned to the same temporary room (i.e. a co-ed double) so long as their preferences for roommate gender match.

Communication

A variety of information will be made available to freshmen both over the summer and when they arrive in Random. An email during the summer (sent to all freshmen currently assigned to Random) will fully explain the rooming process, emphasize that the summer room assignments are temporary ones, and provide contact information for the relevant people (RACs, President, Heads of House, and Area Director). Flyers containing similar information, as well as important dates and an invitation to speak with someone (RACs, President, Heads of House, or Area Director) if there is a problem, will be given to all freshmen when they check in. These flyers will also be available at desk for any potential FYREs or parents who are looking for information. Any potential FYRE should be directed to contact the RACs so they can be added to a mailing list that will receive relevant emails about upcoming events or opportunities to ask questions about the rooming process.

Freshman Room Selection Process and Floor Exploration

On the evening designated by MIT Housing, following the announcement of First Year Residence Exchange (FYRE) results, the freshmen assigned to Random Hall will assemble and the RACs will hold a brief informational meeting to explain the room assignment procedures and the rooms available to the freshmen. Following this meeting, the freshmen will be taken on a tour of the dorm to see all of the floors and to see the available types of rooms. There will be a period of at least 60 minutes during which freshmen may visit floors at will ("floor exploration"). During floor exploration, the RACs will be available to meet privately with freshmen who may have special circumstances. Freshmen will then meet back in Foo to fill out the Rooming Preferences Form, on which they will give numerical rankings to rooms. The form will be due no less than one hour after distribution by the RACs and the end of floor exploration. After the forms have all been submitted, the RACs will use an algorithm to place freshmen based on their preferences, optimizing for the greatest number of freshmen in their top choice rooms. Some impersonal changes (fixing errors in the algorithm output, correcting for special circumstances, preserving gender balance, adjusting for cat allergies, etc.) may need to be made by hand by the RACs, but these changes and their justification will be available to the Area Director. Final room assignments will be emailed to freshmen as soon as they are available, 7 a.m. the following day at the latest.

Freshman Priorities

After final assignments have been determined, the RACs will create the freshman priority list, to be used for any moves students make throughout their time in Random. Those who received their lowest choice rooms will have higher priority and those who received their highest choice rooms will have lower priority. Within a group of freshmen who got their same choice room (ex. if 5 freshmen got their second choice room), those freshmen will be placed on the priority list in a randomized order. For purposes of priority, freshmen who get pulled in to a small half or double, or who are placed in a room outside of the typical rooming process, will be considered to have received "better" than their first choice room (as they received the added benefit of having a guaranteed room assignment), and will be ranked lowest in priority.

Pull-ins of freshmen by upperclassmen

Upperclassmen who wish to pull in a freshman must contact (in-person or by email) the RACs with the name of the freshman they wish to pull-in before the time at which the ranking form must be submitted. The freshman being pulled in must agree to be pulled in and must also contact the RACs.

Freshmen with special circumstances

Students who may have a problem with this process for any reason (including but not limited to health concerns, cat allergies, religious reasons, mental health concerns, undue stress, or problems with another student) should contact the room assignment chairs (RACs), who, together with the student, will figure out the best solution. If the student would feel more comfortable talking to the President, Area Director, or Heads of House instead, they can do so, though the RACs will need to be informed if any accommodations are to be made. The solution may be as simple as a conversation to resolve any confusion, or may involve making special considerations during the room assignment process, or, in certain cases, allowing the first-year to bypass the process entirely and remain in their temporary room.

The above paragraph will be included in the information given to the students both over the summer and when they arrive, along with contact information for the RACs, President, Area Director, and Heads of House.

Move Day and Floor Welcoming

Prior to floor exploration, the President will call for upperclassmen volunteers to help freshmen move their belongings from their temporary room to their fall assignment. Moving will happen the morning after room assignments are sent out. Floors will be responsible for welcoming new residents and are highly encouraged to hold floor meetings at the beginning of the semester.

Section 8: Special Circumstances and Emergency Moves

In the case that a resident assigned to Random Hall has special circumstances (including but not limited to medical, religious, or personal circumstances) limiting the rooms in which that resident can live, or in the case that a current resident encounters a special circumstance which makes them temporarily or permanently unable to live in their current room assignment, the RACs will facilitate an emergency move. The resident will contact the RACs (either directly or through the MIT Housing Office, Head of House, AD, a GRA, or a member of the Judicial Committee) to explain their special circumstance and the RACs will make every effort to ensure that a suitable room can be made available to the resident. If no suitable room is currently available, the RACs will contact the current occupants of any rooms suitable for the resident with a special circumstance and ask for volunteers to swap rooms with the resident. If there are no volunteers, the resident of such a suitable room with the lowest priority will be asked to swap rooms with the resident with a special circumstance. No resident may be involuntarily displaced from their room more than once during their tenure at Random Hall. In either case, the displaced resident will be compensated with an increase in priority for the duration of the swap, subject to the discretion of the RACs, and will be guaranteed to be able to return to the room from which they were displaced (if they so desire) when it next becomes available again.

Article VI: Changes to Bylaws

Changes, additions, or deletions to Article III or Article IV, Sections 1 and 2 of the Random Hall Bylaws shall be made by four of the seven voting members of ExecComm voting in favor of the change at an ExecComm meeting.

Changes, additions, or deletions to any Subsection of Sections 3 or 4 of Article IV of the Random Hall Bylaws shall be made by the holder of the chairmanship or appointments described by that Subsection of the Bylaws, subject to the approval of ExecComm. ExecComm may propose changes to any of these Subsections to the appropriate chairman or appointee, who then may approve or reject these changes.

Changes, additions, or deletions to Article V of the Random Hall Bylaws shall be made by an RAC, subject to the approval of ExecComm.

Changes, additions, or deletions to Articles I, II, IV Section 5, or VI of the Random Hall Bylaws shall be made by a majority vote at a House Meeting.

Article VII: Ratification

These bylaws shall be adopted by a majority vote of ExecComm. This document shall supersede all previous versions of the Random Hall Bylaws.