Co-ed Rooms Must Comply With Rules

Residents of two Adams House co-ed rooming groups must bring their housing arrangements into conformity with College rules or split into single-sex groups at the end of the semester, their senior tutor told them at a meeting yesterday.

Adams House Senior Tutor Michael J. Prokopow yesterday met with the two rooming groups, Adams A-27 and A-37, and informed the occupants of the decision, according to one of the residents, who wished to remain anonymous.

The eight students involved entered into last year's housing lottery as two gender-separate units, but soon rearranged the rooms into co-ed suites.

Mike C. Sonnenschein '94 said the senior tutor at the time, Rebecca Spang, told them to enter the lottery as single-sex groups and then rearrange themselves "surreptitiously."

Co-ed rooming groups have long existed in Adams House and currently exist in other houses, including Mather, Quincy and Currier.

Prokopow, who started as Adams senior tutor in September, said he has not decided whether to continue to allow co-ed rooming arrangements in Adams House.

"It's an unresolved situation, and I'm not talking to anybody until it's resolved," he said.

But Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said that the house master, not the senior tutor, has authority over housing decisions.

"Housing issues are the prerogative of the master," Jewett said.

Prokopow would not say whether he spoke to Adams House Master Robert J. Kiely about the issue before calling yesterday's meeting. He said a series of conversations with unspecified parties about "a number of factors, none of which were problems," led to his investigation of the rooming groups.

Prokopow said he believes University policy forbids the Adams co-ed rooming groups.

"The [student] handbook makes clear that co-ed housing can exist only where certain conditions have been met," Prokopow said.

The students said they were told by Prokopow at yesterday's meeting that their rooming arrangements must be approved by the House Master to staytogether. The students would not comment further.

Kiely was not available for comment yesterday.

He reportedly met with some of the studentsafter they met with Prokopow, however.

A source familiar with the situation said afterthe meetings that students would try either to addbedroom door locks or, for room A-27, open a firedoor so that the suite would have access to twobathrooms.

According to the Handbook for Students,Harvard permits co-ed rooming groups only when"the configuration of space ensures a degree ofprivacy," and then only at the discretion of themaster. Suites which have met these guidelines todate have had single bedrooms with separate doorlocks or more than one bathroom.

The occupants of the suites in question arewilling to pay for locks for the bedrooms if houseofficials allow it, according to one resident whowished to remain anonymous.

An official at the Adams House superintendent'soffice said rooms may be re-keyed. "I would assumeif someone had a problem with a lock, it wouldn'tbe difficult to have it changed," he said.

Prokopow, who wouldn't comment on this option,said that to his knowledge, "In Adams House thereare no co-ed situations that have the approval ofthe University administration."

But Colleen M. Ryan '94-'95 said houseofficials have sanctioned her co-ed suite, AdamsC-47.

"I'm not sure about the master, but the housingtutor approves because we have two bathrooms,"Ryan said. "I assume they know about us because wesigned up as one group together."

Jewett said if University guidelines arefollowed, co-ed rooming can be successful.

"There were circumstances where it could besuccessful," Jewett said. "I feel confident inleaving it with the discretion of the masters.

Kiely was not available for comment yesterday.

He reportedly met with some of the studentsafter they met with Prokopow, however.

A source familiar with the situation said afterthe meetings that students would try either to addbedroom door locks or, for room A-27, open a firedoor so that the suite would have access to twobathrooms.

According to the Handbook for Students,Harvard permits co-ed rooming groups only when"the configuration of space ensures a degree ofprivacy," and then only at the discretion of themaster. Suites which have met these guidelines todate have had single bedrooms with separate doorlocks or more than one bathroom.

The occupants of the suites in question arewilling to pay for locks for the bedrooms if houseofficials allow it, according to one resident whowished to remain anonymous.

An official at the Adams House superintendent'soffice said rooms may be re-keyed. "I would assumeif someone had a problem with a lock, it wouldn'tbe difficult to have it changed," he said.

Prokopow, who wouldn't comment on this option,said that to his knowledge, "In Adams House thereare no co-ed situations that have the approval ofthe University administration."

But Colleen M. Ryan '94-'95 said houseofficials have sanctioned her co-ed suite, AdamsC-47.

"I'm not sure about the master, but the housingtutor approves because we have two bathrooms,"Ryan said. "I assume they know about us because wesigned up as one group together."

Jewett said if University guidelines arefollowed, co-ed rooming can be successful.

"There were circumstances where it could besuccessful," Jewett said. "I feel confident inleaving it with the discretion of the masters.