This might be a significant change to MIT culture. One of the things on which MIT prides/d itself was an open campus.

For example, the story goes, at 3am, some students in the Infinite Corridor could be discussing something interesting, and just walk into a classroom, to use the desks and chalkboard.

For another example, MIT (like other universities) makes many talks open to anyone interested, including the local community.

I've always marveled at how well MIT open campus has seemed to work, despite being in a urban area, and it's something I found very appealing and civilized -- like part of MIT's version of a university extending some of academia's noble ideals, outwards.

Given some other cultural changes to MIT in recent years, it'll be interesting to see how MIT thinking about open campus changes.