Officials to Mull Co-Ed Rooms

College administrators said yesterday they would consider granting students the option of co-educational rooming groups--if a recent report advocating such a change receives enough campus support.

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said he would not oppose the recommendation, issued by the Civil Liberties Union of Harvard (CLUH) in an 18-page study released Wednesday.

"As long as we think we can handle the logistical problems, I do not have any principles against the proposal," Jewett said.

The CLUH report says students should be able to decide if they want to "share bathrooms, bedrooms, common rooms and other elements of housing" with members of the opposite sex.

A survey, included in the study, indicated that 85 percent of Harvard students support co-ed rooming groups.

Jewett and Thomas A. Dingman '67, associate dean for human resources and the house system, said the Committee on House Life, the house masters, the Freshman Dean's Office and the Undergraduate Council will thoroughly discuss the CLUH report.

Dingman, who would be responsible for implementing the policy change, said he doubts all those groups will approve of the co-ed rooming proposal. The final decision would rest with Jewett.

Dingman added that co-ed rooming would not present serious administrative difficulties.

"I don't think [co-ed rooming] would be a problem to administer if it were approved. But that's a big 'if,"' Dingman said.

Jewett said a shift to co-ed rooming groups is a definite possibility if the majority of parties involved favor such a move.

"My own goal is that the housing system is as reasonable and well-supported as possible," Jewett said. "We have to see if co-ed rooming will create more problems than it solves."

A limited number of co-ed rooms already exist in Mather House and Adams House.

Anne F. Aubrey, assistant to the master of Mather House, said the house's high-rise building has a five-bedroom suite with only one bathroom that houses four men and one woman.

"The reason we allow it is because the bedrooms in the tower suites can be locked," Aubrey said.

Jewett also said the College currently allows the Mather setup because of the private bedrooms. "But in other houses, many students have to share bedrooms," he said.

In Adams House, one senior rooming groupconsists of four women and one man.

While the house authorized a setup of twoconnecting suites with one bathroom for each sex,the students use either bathroom, said Keiko K.Morris '92, a resident of that room.

And her roommate, Helen H. Hill '92, said theco-ed room has worked well. She said the Collegemakes a grave error in forcing most students tolive in single-sex rooms.

"I think students should be able to decide howthey want to live," Hill said. "By not allowingco-ed rooming, the University is saying that youhave to be in a romantic situation with someone,or you can't be close friends with that person."

"Also, because their argument is based onsexual attraction, their policy is saying thatthere is no gay or lesbian community on campus,"she said.

Obstacles

Although the co-ed arrangement seems to workwell in the Adams and Mather suites, a number ofobstacles could prevent the College from adoptingthe CLUH proposal.

Jewett warned that students in a co-ed roominggroup might change their minds in the middle ofthe year.

"We must be careful to look for flexibility inhousing, because we would need some guaranteedbackup if problems arose in the co-ed setup," saidJewett. "We would be irresponsible if we didn't."

And a decision would have to consider thesentiments of many parents who would stronglyoppose a co-ed rooming policy, he said.

Dingman said the College will examine thepolicies of "other schools that have theco-educational dorms" before making its owndecision.

According to the report, severalcolleges--including Tufts University, New YorkUniversity and the University ofPennsylvania--permit co-ed dormitories.

Jewett said a co-ed rooming policy would nottake effect at least until the 1993-94 school yearbecause the issue cannot be fully examined beforethe housing lotteries this spring

In Adams House, one senior rooming groupconsists of four women and one man.

While the house authorized a setup of twoconnecting suites with one bathroom for each sex,the students use either bathroom, said Keiko K.Morris '92, a resident of that room.

And her roommate, Helen H. Hill '92, said theco-ed room has worked well. She said the Collegemakes a grave error in forcing most students tolive in single-sex rooms.

"I think students should be able to decide howthey want to live," Hill said. "By not allowingco-ed rooming, the University is saying that youhave to be in a romantic situation with someone,or you can't be close friends with that person."

"Also, because their argument is based onsexual attraction, their policy is saying thatthere is no gay or lesbian community on campus,"she said.

Obstacles

Although the co-ed arrangement seems to workwell in the Adams and Mather suites, a number ofobstacles could prevent the College from adoptingthe CLUH proposal.

Jewett warned that students in a co-ed roominggroup might change their minds in the middle ofthe year.

"We must be careful to look for flexibility inhousing, because we would need some guaranteedbackup if problems arose in the co-ed setup," saidJewett. "We would be irresponsible if we didn't."

And a decision would have to consider thesentiments of many parents who would stronglyoppose a co-ed rooming policy, he said.

Dingman said the College will examine thepolicies of "other schools that have theco-educational dorms" before making its owndecision.

According to the report, severalcolleges--including Tufts University, New YorkUniversity and the University ofPennsylvania--permit co-ed dormitories.

Jewett said a co-ed rooming policy would nottake effect at least until the 1993-94 school yearbecause the issue cannot be fully examined beforethe housing lotteries this spring