Mather Opening to Reduce Off-Campus Living Quota

With the opening of Mather House this term, fewer Harvard undergraduates have been allowed to live off-campus, and those wishing to move out of their dorms next year will find official discouragement even greater than it is now.

The change is in line with past College policy to have as many students living in the Houses as possible. The only difference now is that Mather has provided more rooming capacity.

Down to 100

About 175 students now live off-campus. Dean Watson has said that when Mather is completely occupied the number will be reduced to 100. In the past, about 200 students have been allowed to live off-campus.

When deconversion is finished sometime next year, about 15 students per house will be able to live outside of the College, Watson said.

The College's policy of keeping as many students in the Houses as possible is based mainly on the premise that "this is a residential college," Watson said. "Part of the important educational processes is right there in the Houses."

There are other considerations, however, including the Cambridge housing shortage. Watson said that Harvard was subject to "a good deal of pressure from Cambridge" to keep students on campus.

When asked about those who wished to live in Boston. he said "it's a community problem," not one limited to Cambridge.

A less tangible reason for keeping students in the Houses is the "healthier" atmosphere of the House system, Watson said.

"The group who are living out are sort of the trouble-makers," Watson said. The Houses may have a stabilizing effect on such students, he added, citing the findings of a Faculty committee which studied the housing situation three years ago.

Discussing the possibility of substantially increased off-campus living, Watson said "financially we can't afford it."

Maintaining vacant rooms, he said, will probably lead to a rent increase. "You can't lose 50, 60, 80, or 100 thousand dollars." he explained.

Although the number of off-campus students will be reduced, about 100 persons will still be permitted to live outside when Mather is at full occupancy, Watson said that this figure will remain fairly fixed indefinitely. "If the College stays the same size, this would be just about it," he said.

The choice of students to live off-campus will follow the criteria which Harvard has used in the past. Among the reasons Watson considers valid for moving out of the dorms are:

a strong medical excuse, usually on psychological grounds;

being 23 years old;

educational opportunities-Watson suggested a student studying Russian who wished to live with a Russian family; and

being a serious musician whose frequent practicing bothered the members of his house.

Watson said that off-campus living will not be granted to those who wished to move "for no good reason other than that they would like to get out of the Houses."