Ivy Freshmen Recommend Ending Choice of Housing

The Ivy League Freshman Presidents' council recommended Saturday that collage administrators and deans not consider freshmen preferences in making assignments to upperclass residence houses. The Council is "alarmed at the needles time and worry involved in choosing house," according to William G. Sinkford'67, chairman of the Harvard freshmen Council and the Harvard representative to the intercollegiate group. "We suggest that students be allowed to state housing preference if they want, but all maters and deans not be bound to these choices in any way," he said. Freshman are largely ignored both by faculty and student groups considering policy decisions," Sinkford added. "It we can accurately determine opinions through Council discussions and by polling freshmen, we think people might start listening to us."

The Council's housing suggestions and other proposals "pertaining to problems and pressures facing first-year students" will be included in a report to be issued to college officials in June.

In preparation for the report, the Council has drawn up a questionnaire to survey freshman attitudes at the eight Ivy League schools. The questionnaire asks students to "register agreement or disagreement," with statements on student government, activities, courses, advising morals, high school preparation, and academic and social pressures.

Representatives of the Council will distribute the questionnaires to the freshmen on April 24. The Educational Testing Service will compile and evaluate the responses.

The Council was organized last month by the Cornell freshman class president. At previous meetings, the Council decided that grading systems should be revamped to "reduce student tensions." The ideal system would include only three marks; honors, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory. The Council also suggested that programs like Harvard's freshman seminars be expanded to enable "every freshmen to work closely with faculty members in small special-interest groups."

The Council's housing suggestions and other proposals "pertaining to problems and pressures facing first-year students" will be included in a report to be issued to college officials in June.

In preparation for the report, the Council has drawn up a questionnaire to survey freshman attitudes at the eight Ivy League schools. The questionnaire asks students to "register agreement or disagreement," with statements on student government, activities, courses, advising morals, high school preparation, and academic and social pressures.

Representatives of the Council will distribute the questionnaires to the freshmen on April 24. The Educational Testing Service will compile and evaluate the responses.

The Council was organized last month by the Cornell freshman class president. At previous meetings, the Council decided that grading systems should be revamped to "reduce student tensions." The ideal system would include only three marks; honors, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory. The Council also suggested that programs like Harvard's freshman seminars be expanded to enable "every freshmen to work closely with faculty members in small special-interest groups."