Engineers Find Selves in Special Housing Situation

The problem of graduate housing has been under consideration for the past two years by a committee appointed by Harald M. Westergaard, Gordon McKay Professor of Civil Engineering and Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering, although it has just recently been brought to prominence by the P. B. H. questionnaire.

According to Jack E. McKee, assistant in Sanitary Engineering and Chairman of the Committee, engineering students find themselves in a very awkward situation as regards housing, since they may gain admittance to a dormitory only after the students at the other graduate schools have been housed. For this reason, only six men are at present housed in University dormitories.

During the first year the committee carried on an extensive survey of existing housing conditions. A detailed report was drawn up and placed at the disposal of the incoming engineering students, giving them the rentals and a general criticism of the rooms rented the year before.

Low Income

The answers to the poll revealed that the average income of the students was very low, most of the students coming to the school on a scholarship and receiving just enough to pay for room and board. McKee believes the average income set at $1,300 in the P. B. H. poll is extremely high, pointing out that the median income is probably much lower.

This year the committee has taken more vigorous steps, recommending that some sort of cooperative house plan be adopted for the engineering students. The proposed house would be very like International House, which P. B. H. established on a cooperative basis, students being responsible to the University for payment of rent and room service and supporting their own restaurant.