Crowded Houses Leave Out Visiting Students

Their e-mail accounts have been activated and they've registered for classes, but a small group of visiting students still lacks what most Harvard undergraduates take for granted--housing.

Only a handful of the 20 students who are enrolled as visiting undergraduates have been placed in College housing so far, according to Susan R. Kane, an undergraduate housing officer for the College.

Harvard does not guarantee on-campus housing for visiting students, but Kane said in recent years the College has found housing for nearly all of them. Visiting students are full-time undergraduates at other universities and apply to study for a semester or two at Harvard.

But the Houses are more crowded this year because more students are returning from leaves of absence than have gone on leave this fall, according to Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68.

As a result, Lewis said the number of people in the House system is at a four or five-year high, though not at a level unprecedented in Harvard history.

"Because of our absolute guarantee that any [returning Harvard] student who files for housing by a given date will get housing in their own House...the statistical fluctuations can hit different houses differently," Lewis said. "Some houses are a bit crowded."

And so visiting students, lower on the priority list than returning undergraduates, have been squeezed out. Many are still awaiting housing and looking for alternative arrangements.

One visiting student from an area college who asked not to be identified said she was somewhat disappointed that the severity of the shortage was not made clearer when she called over the summer.

"They never told me to look for an apartment," she said.

Consequently, she and another visiting student have been living temporarily on the floor of a friend's suite in Dunster House. She said she has no plans as of yet to find off-campus housing.

"I have high hopes," she said.

Kane from the housing office said she has been working closely with the Houses, which are in the process of finalizing the size of their resident populations. With registration over and the Administrative Board currently deciding which students may return to the College after taking leaves of absence, these numbers will be soon available.

As spaces become available, Kane said she attempts to place visiting students in the openings.

Since a visiting student typically lives in the same room wth current Harvard undergrads, Kane said she attempts to match visiting students based on the type of rooms available and the study habits of potential roommates.

But until those arrangements are set, Kane said she has little to tell the parade of visiting students who have been frequenting the office.

Right now, she said, "We're just waiting."