J-Term Squatters To Face Ad Board

Students who stayed on campus during January Term without University approval may face disciplinary measures, though the severity of the repercussions remains unclear, according to Jay L. Ellison, associate dean of the College and secretary of the Administrative Board—the College’s primary disciplinary body.

Some undergraduates frequented campus facilities without permission—either as local residents or as campus-squatters—but none of their cases have landed on his desk yet, Ellison said.

“The report I’ve received is there are some coming,” Ellison said in an interview Monday.

Ellison said he did not know what punishment the students faced or whether they would appear before the Ad Board, but he acknowledged that the individuals had violated school rules prohibiting unauthorized students from using University facilities, including dorms and dining halls.

“That is a violation of rules, so the Ad Board is interested in a violation of the rules,” Ellison said. “There would be a response—I’m not exactly sure what the response would be.”

Ellison said he was particularly concerned by reports of unauthorized students lying to campus officials about their status.

Administrators monitored card swipes in Annenberg Dining Hall and flagged some suspicious activity, such as cards that had been swiped multiple times for a meal—possibly indicating that some had been swiping unauthorized students into the dining hall.

The administration approved over 93 percent of more than 1,400 applicants for room and board on campus during the College’s inaugural J-Term. But that left thousands of undergraduates—facing the longest winter break in recent history—without permission to stay in the Houses.

One undergraduate student—who asked to remain anonymous to preserve relations with the administration—reported remaining on campus for two weeks without authorization, holed up for most of the time in a dorm room with a rice cooker and instant noodles. The student, who had missed the application deadline for authorization, did not have swipe access to the House, but was never identified by administrators for the infraction.

The individual reported being cautious when encountering resident tutors.

“They were a little bit suspicious. I just said something about working really hard,” the student said. “I was a bit paranoid, but it was okay.”

Laure E. de Vulpillieres, a resident tutor in Kirkland House, said she was unaware of unauthorized students on campus, though she was told to report such students to the resident dean.

Vulpillieres wondered why unauthorized students would stay on campus, given that they would have no access to Annenberg and need to depend on others for House access.

“It seems like it would be distinctly un-fun to be here,” she said.

Adams House Master John G. “Sean” Palfrey ’67 said that he thought J-Term went smoothly, despite the presence of squatters on campus.

“I’m sure there were people here that were not supposed to be here. There was not the disorder that we were worried about,” Palfrey said. “I think the very, very large majority of people that were here were here doing what they promised the University they would do.”

—Staff writer Eric P. Newcomer can be reached at newcomer@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Noah S. Rayman can be reached at nrayman@fas.harvard.edu.