ASA Releases Results From Space Processes; 39 Clubs Will Lose Out
The Association of Student Activities released preliminary decisions in student group space allocations last night. The process, which happens every two years, determines which student groups retain office space and which lose it, as well as which groups get storage space for equipment and supplies.
The ASA is a 10-member board elected by representatives of all student groups. The ASA is chaired by Rachel E. Meyer ’10, who has supervised this year’s allocation process.
Groups with existing space
Of the 81 groups with existing space, 46 will retain their existing space (Category X), though their roommates might change. 26 of the 81 will “possibly move or otherwise change space” (Category Y), and 9 groups “may lose space.”
Curiously, 39 groups that currently have space allocated failed to apply to retain their space, a surprisingly high number, Meyer said. Approximately 7 of those 39 are defunct or presumed-to-be-defunct. Some major groups that failed to apply include the Musical Theatre Guild and WMBR Radio.
Rebecca A. Nicodemus G from WMBR said that WMBR had undergone management changes recently, and the failure to apply was “surely a mistake.” WMBR will be submitting an appeal.
Rebecca M. Bianco ’12, MTG’s President, said that MTG’s board had recently transitioned, and believed it “possible” that “the application for ASA office space somehow got overlooked.”
Groups will have just under one week to submit appeals to the ASA. Those appeals are due at noon on Thursday, December 10.
Groups requesting space
Groups who do not have space but requested space were divided into two categories, those requesting office space and those requesting locker space. Within those categories, groups are prioritized as A, B, or C, with all A groups gaining space before any B group, and all B groups gaining space before any C group.
For office space, there are 3 A priority, 8 B priority, and 13 C priority.
For locker space, there are 18 A priority, 7 B priority, and 9 C priority.
Space discussion
Meyer emphasized that the difficulty this year, as always, is in allocating the finite amount of space available to student groups at MIT. There are always more groups who want space, but the amount of space stays about the same.
Meyer said that some small spaces in Walker Memorial that were previously used by the Campus Activities Complex may become available. “It’s small but it counts for something!” she said.
Meyer also hopes that space in N52 being vacated by the Visual Arts Program as they move to the Media Lab Extension might be available to student groups.
On the other hand, there has been no formal discussion of N52 with the Committee for Review of Space Planning (CRSP, pronounced “crisp”), nor with the space administrators in the Provost’s Office, Meyer said, “yet.”