Mather Unit Suggests Off-Campus Cutback

A subcommittee studying the impact of Mather House on the College has suggested cutting down off-campus living and deconverting crowded suites in the present Houses as possible ways to fill the tenth House.

The subcommittee -- headed by Richard T. Gill '48, Master of Leverett--presented its preliminary findings in a progress report to the full Committee on Houses Wednesday. It will issue its final report next month.

Gill said in an interview yesterday that his group is also considering a fee increase for off-campus students who presently use House facilities such as libraries and the services of tutors, but do not pay for them. The increase would reduce the incentive to move off. "The way it stands now," he said, "resident students are paying a tax to subsidize nonresident students."

Like Radcliffe

This suggestion is similar to a policy recently recommended by President Mary I. Bunting to help solve Radcliffe's housing problem.

Gill also said that to continue to allow large numbers of juniors and seniors to live off-campus after Mather is built, the College will have to change its present off-campus policy.

The reason for this, he explained, is that under normal conditions only students with "special cases" (married students, commuters, musicians needing unlimited practice time) are allowed to live off-campus.

Off-Campus

In recent years, however, overcrowding in the Houses has allowed other upper classmen to leave. At the beginning of this year, 214 students without "special cases," were off-campus. Between 60 and 70 of them are juniors.

When Mather is built overcrowding will end, and Harvard might have to go back to its "special cases" policy, Gill said.

Wait For Poll

The subcommittee will not make its final recommendations before considering the results of a poll of off-campus and Claverly students on reasons and attitudes relating to offcampus living. The poll is sponsored by the Harvard Policy Committee and the Harvard Undergraduate Council.

Other members of the Gill subcommittee are: Charles W. Dunn, Master of Quincy; Zeph Stewart, Master of Lowell; Arthur D. Trottenberg '48, assistant dean of the Faculty for Resources and Planing; and F. Skiddy von Stade Jr. '38, dean of freshmen.