Couples for the Cliffe

The process may be viewed with some alarm, but the spirit of the age seems to dictate that Radcliffe gain "equal rights" with Harvard. Merged activities, proposed tutorial changes, women on the CRIMSON Editorial Board, all hint at the new regime, and more should follow. Among the most valuable experiments arising from this trend toward the triumph of the 'Cliffe is the system instituted recently at Comstock Hall. A "graduate school couple" was installed as head residents instead of the venerable "house mother."

In essence, house-mother head residents are fine creatures and provide a possibly desirable matronly solidity to the Radcliffe dorm system. But the gap of at least a generation between "mothers" and students generally inhibits free conversation; and what is even more important, the non-teaching house mother is often barren as a source of academic stimulation. Hence, 'Cliffe dorms miss out on the real advantage of the Harvard Houses, the intellectual tone created by the direct participation of both tutors and masters in the daily life of the students. Recruiting graduate students or young teachers as head residents, and where possible as resident tutors, may prove a partial answer.

Radcliffe may encounter some difficulty in attracting academic talent to these positions. Certainly there is no great prestige attached to being a Radcliffe dorm master or chatelaine. But clearly among the numerous couples in the area some would be acceptable, and of these a few will surely be interested. Young couples might also wish to move in as resident tutors. Radcliffe dorms could benefit from this system as much as Harvard Houses.

A more impressive difficulty to an expansion of the young head resident system lies in the fact that Radcliffe dorms have no facilities to provide attractive living quarters for an expanding family. However, if Radcliffe can contemplate spending enough money to install tutor's offices, they can probably find the wherewithall to improve head-residents' rooms.

Since the system of a house couple as instituted at Comstock has been warmly approved, the new policy should be extended when new positions become open.