CLARIFICATION APPENDED

Associate Dean for Residential Life Suzy M. Nelson presented the findings of a report on House Life and future House renovations to the members of the Committee on House Life in a meeting yesterday. The report, which is scheduled to be released to the public early next week, will inaugurate the second phase of the House renewal process—developing a conceptual design for the ideal upperclassman House.

Among the report’s proposals are plans to modernize dining halls—including a suggested extension of dining hall hours—and to transform House Senior Common Rooms, which Nelson said are a lesser-known fixture of undergraduate House life. [SEE CLARIFICATION BELOW]

The report also concludes that there is a need for more campus-wide social spaces such as theatres, grilles, and gyms that would allow students to engage with their peers living in other Houses. This echoes a similar recommendation made in December in a report issued by the University-wide Task Force on the Arts.

The House life report, which was drafted by the House Program Planning Steering Committee, is a synthesis of suggestions from students, faculty, and House staff that have been collected through a number of meetings, focus groups, and a college-wide survey.

A group of architects and consultants will begin the three-year process of incorporating the report’s recommendations into comprehensive blueprints for each of the 12 undergraduate Houses.

This “design and development” phase is the second of three in the House renewal project—a $1 billion undertaking that entails a complete renovation of House interiors while leaving the historical exteriors unchanged.

According to Nelson, the construction phase is slated to begin as early as 2012.

THE PROPOSALS

For students still hungry after dinner closes at 7:15 p.m., the report suggests solutions that include 24-hour dining hall hours and an extended brain break. [SEE CLARIFICATION APPENDED]

“I would be all in favor of it,” said Melissa R. Alpert ’10, adding that the plan could benefit the wallets of hungry students looking to snack during the early hours of the morning.

But the dining hall isn’t all about campus cuisine, the report indicated.

At yesterday’s CHL meeting, a number of student and faculty members noted the unique role of the dining hall as a hub for student life, saying that dining halls provide student organizations with spaces to host dances, dinners, and meetings.

Additionally, the renovation process would likely include small upgrades to dining spaces, including the modernization of central heat and air-conditioning units.

The report also reassesses the role of the Senior Common Room, a semi-exclusive gathering whose membership comprises the House Masters, resident deans, professors, affiliates, and graduate students.

Nelson acknowledged that many students are unfamiliar with the intended purpose of the SCR, and that the report’s recommendations are aimed at increasing the visibility of its members.

To that end, a currently existing residential scholars program will potentially be revamped to include shorter tenures and subsidized residential housing—changes that are intended to encourage greater student interactions with the visiting scholars participating in the program.

—Staff writer Bita M. Assad can be reached at bassad@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Ahmed N. Mabruk can be reached at amabruk@fas.harvard.edu.

CLARIFICATION

The Mar. 13 news article "Committee Debuts House Life Report" may have incorrectly attributed suggestions for a possible change in Dining Hall hours to the report on House Life and future House renovations. In fact, the suggestion for 24 hour dining hall seating access was discussed by Associate Dean for Residential Life Suzy M. Nelson in a debriefing of the report, which has not yet been released.