Riley said they believe the door to the room where the attack occurred was unlocked.

"I'm really concerned about people not adhering to the two-lock policy," Riley said. "We can't overstate the need for security. We've said it before, we said it during the Yard burglar case."

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 expressed similar concerns, saying that while he supports the idea of installing self-locking doors on all dorm room, student opposition has stalled the idea.

"If the locks really improve safety, I don't mind that students find them inconvenient, but if students dislike them so much that we wind up in a perpetual battle over maintenance issues, and safety isn't improved anyway because students disable the locks, then I am not sure they are worth it," he wrote in an e-mail message.

Massachusetts law provides that reports of rape and sexual assault are not public documents. If police find a suspect in the case, they will discuss with the victim whether she would be willing to press charges.

Riley said since the attack occurred in a darkened room, police were without much information.

"We don't have a lot to go on," he said. "Most of the information with the exception of the identifiable details of her name and dorm have been released."

Anyone with information regarding the attack is asked to contact HUPD's criminal investigations unit at (617) 495-1796.