Dudley Discusses New Role

Dudley House functions must be maintained or taken over by others if the house's role for undergraduates is phased out, students at a meeting with Dudley House Master Paul D. Hanson said yesterday.

The hour-long meeting, which was open to all Dudley undergraduates but attended by only four, was called by Hanson to discuss plans to have transfer students and those living off-campus affiliate with one of the 12 residential houses. Under the current system, most of these students are automatically assigned to Dudley House.

Hanson said the purpose of the meeting was to gauge student opinions on his proposed changes before a meeting with the Committee on House Life, which will vote on the proposed changes.

Under Hanson's plan, off-campus undergraduates will have the option to either affiliate with a house or deal with a special office. This new office would be significantly smaller than the present Dudley House office and would have fewer resources for students, Hanson said.

Students attending the meeting voiced concern that the proposed changes would have a negative impact on the number and quality of tutoring, advising and advocacy services.

"The University's paramount responsibility is to provide equal academic resources to all students, regardless of circumstances," said Ray DeGraw '92.

Most of the students did not object to a change in the location of their advisors as long as they were readily at their disposal. Gordon Faith '92 referred to a sort of "dual citizenship" where students would go to other houses for academic advising.

But Hanson proposed that someone be assigned to provide referrals for off-campus and transfer students.

"We need someone with clout to get things done for undergraduates," said Faith.

Both the students and Hanson suggested Assistant Dean John R. Marquand as the person to direct students to appropriate advisors. Hanson said that, under the plan, he and his wife, Cynthia, would leave Dudley House. The house would then deal primarily with graduate students, he said.

However, students housed off-campus complained that the closing of Dudley House to undergraduates would deprive them of a social gathering place and what one student called "a home base" on campus.

Hanson stated that, if the proposal were implemented, transfer students would join a "transfer-blind" spring housing lottery and be housed together in groups.

Faith suggested more drastic steps to encourage better student integration, "If I had my druthers, I would like to see the house system destroyed and replaced by dorms connected by a student center."