Deans to Allow More Men to Live Off Campus to Ease Overcrowding

A sizable increase in the number of students returning early from leaves of absence is playing havoc with already overcrowded rooming arrangements this fall.

Several Houses (notably Quincy and Leverett) have set up temporary barracks in some of their suites in order to take care of the overflow. The Administration, however, is not planning to force the Masters to convert any more rooms. This pressure should soon be alleviated by an increase in the number of students allowed to take private rooms outside the college Dean Watson declared yesterday.

He attributed the unusually large number of returnees to the current increase in draft calls. Many students who were on leaves have come back to school supposedly to protect their draft-exempt status, he said.

In addition to an increase of 25-30 returnees about 20 advanced placement of students who did not indicate last spring that they intended to come back for a fourth year of study have returned this fall. Another 10-15 men who were unsure of their plans last spring have also returned.

Although part of this increase had been foreseen, Watson stated that he had about 20 more students on his hands than expected. In order to prevent further conversion of rooms, Watson figured that 25-30 students would be allowed to "live rent" this fall.

Some of this number will be filled by seniors who petition the Administrative Board for permission to live off-campus. But a few of the returning students will have to be told that there is no rooming space for them, Watson said.

The situation, although "not desperate," is worse than it has been for at least three years, Watson noted. In the fall of 1958, 50 seniors were given permission to live out because of overcrowding.

By last year, there was again "plenty of room," comparatively at least. Watson expects that, as before, the present overcrowding will disappear by next year.

Watson stated that even with this unusual increase, the Administration is not going to force the Masters to take more students than the quota assigned to them last spring. Each Master may decide whether he wishes to take additional students or ask his returnees to take rooms outside the College.

So far, although some Masters have agreed to take three or four extra men, none of the Houses is planning to absorb a large part of the overflow.

John J. Conway, Master of Leverett House, said that he would soon be able to liquidate his "barracks" as students are allowed to take rooms off-campus. He plans no further conversion of rooms, although he now has "about 10 people" over capacity. John M. Bullitt, Master at Quincy, likewise plans to forestall further conversion by encouraging some students to live off-campus.