usually a misdemeanorIf all we were talking about was just getting onto their network, then I'd agree. Just walking into a store where I'm not allowed should be a misdemeanor. Charges could increase, possibly to the felony level, depending on what I do after I'm in the store.
If MIT were tracking down someone who kept on using the network to send out shitloads of spam, and that person kept on bypassing all of MIT's countermeasures, and that person dropped a physical box into a wiring closet at MIT, no one would be confused about this.
in my world view
I disagree with your world view, but for now we can leave it at us disagreeing.