College Adopts New House Transfer Policy

Members of the Committee on House Life (COHL) have proposed a new house transfer policy in response to the planned randomization of the housing lottery.

Under the new policy, rooming groups can specify two houses in which they do not wish to live but face random placement in the others. But groups of two or fewer can apply to join friends in another house.

"Given randomization, this [policy] was the best we could do to preserve student choice," said Nienke C. Grossman '99, one of the Undergraduate Council representatives to the COHL subcommittee that developed the proposal.

The proposed policy includes four main components.

First, the proposal stipulates that a maximum of two students can apply to room with specific people in another house with the understanding that they will all room together for at least one year.

Second, it mandates that any group larger than two students attempting to leave one house will be randomly assigned to another house.

Third, the proposal states, "students seeking singles can apply to transfer to houses with singles (no ordering of choice is possible)." Such students, however, will not be guaranteed a single.

Finally, the proposal provides for increased caps on the number of stu- dents allowed to leave a house: five percent for the two returning classes, but 10 percent for the class of 1999.

As in the past, transfer decisions will be made on a space-available basis, said subcommittee member Robert B. Wolinsky '97-'98.

"[This is] a system that will be able to accommodate almost any concerns with housing," Wolinsky said.

Student representatives to COHL called the proposal the best possible compromise.

"Our job as representatives of students was to try and make a transfer policy that gave the students as much freedom of choice as possible," Grossman said.

Marco B. Simons '97 said he supports the policy as a whole.

"The real advantage is that it raises the caps for transfers, allowing more total transfers," he said.

Thomas A. Dingman '67, associate dean of the College for human resources and the house system, said the COHL is planning to "see how it goes" with the new policy. If it is not effective, he said the group is willing to make a reassessment and "fine-tune it."

The proposal has been submitted to Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 for final authorization.

Lewis has voiced his support for the proposal.

"I think it's a very good policy," Lewis said in an interview last week. "It looks like it makes a lot of sense."

Lewis said that while the change is not set in stone, he expects the policy to take effect.

"It's set in wet cement," the dean said, adding that it is "hardening fast.

As in the past, transfer decisions will be made on a space-available basis, said subcommittee member Robert B. Wolinsky '97-'98.

"[This is] a system that will be able to accommodate almost any concerns with housing," Wolinsky said.

Student representatives to COHL called the proposal the best possible compromise.

"Our job as representatives of students was to try and make a transfer policy that gave the students as much freedom of choice as possible," Grossman said.

Marco B. Simons '97 said he supports the policy as a whole.

"The real advantage is that it raises the caps for transfers, allowing more total transfers," he said.

Thomas A. Dingman '67, associate dean of the College for human resources and the house system, said the COHL is planning to "see how it goes" with the new policy. If it is not effective, he said the group is willing to make a reassessment and "fine-tune it."

The proposal has been submitted to Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 for final authorization.

Lewis has voiced his support for the proposal.

"I think it's a very good policy," Lewis said in an interview last week. "It looks like it makes a lot of sense."

Lewis said that while the change is not set in stone, he expects the policy to take effect.

"It's set in wet cement," the dean said, adding that it is "hardening fast.