Liller Offers Coed Living Pilot Project Ford Says Decision Will Come by Spring

William Liller, Master of Adams House, presented a plan for an experimental coed housing exchange between Adams and South Houses to President Pusey last week. Bruce Chalmers, Master of Winthrop House, is expected to give the President a similar plan for Winthrop and North Houses soon.

Although Liller's proposal has not yet been released, Dean Ford said yesterday that it was "much better prepared than last year's," referring to general proposals by both Chalmers and Liller for limited coed living exchanges.

Both proposals suggest exchanges this Spring, and although Ford did not comment on their chances of being approved, he said, "We should be able to make up our minds about it for the Spring."

Liller's proposal suggests an exchange of up to 50 students from each House for the Spring term. He said Thursday that the number was limited only by how many Adams students would be willing to move. At Radcliffe; men would be housed in separate floors of the brick dorms. Adams would be integrated by suite, rather than by entry.

Legal Problems

One of the major obstacles to coed housing before completion of the merger is the problem of legal jurisdiction over students in coed dormitories. Presently, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has no legal jurisdiction over Radcliffe students outside of the classroom.

Last year, Pusey was opposed to coed housing before the merger. Earlier this month, however, he said that complete

merger was not necessary before coed living, although some legal changes must be made.

Plans for a limited, one-semester exchange will probably recommend that administrative responsibility for the students involved remain with their own College, and not be changed to their place of residence.

A Faculty subcommittee on the coeducational living aspects of merger gave its support to Liller's proposal Thursday. Unless specifically asked, however, it will not make any formal recommendations o?? Pusey until it issues a brief general report on its findings sometime before Christmas.

Jerome Kagan, professor of Developmental Psychology and chairman of the subcommittee, said yesterday. "The plan shouldn't be called an experiment-it should be called a pilot project." Kagan said he felt the trial exchanges would probably be successful because they would involve the most enthusiastic students.

Kagan said that his committee would give Pusey a report on coeducational housing "before Christmas recess." He said that the report would outline the advantages and disadvantages of coed living, and recommend ways of setting it up.

Male-Female Ratio

One of their recommendations, Kagan said, would be for a male-female ratio in coed houses differing from that in the rest of the University. The present ratio is about four men to one woman. For coed housing, the committee will recommend about two to one, or five to three.

If the Houses were integrated in those ratios, then not all could be coed, Kagan pointed out. He said that his committee is considering proposals based only on the present enrollment, and will not discuss any possible changes in admissions to alter the ratio throughout the University.