Summer School Rules Strict, But Enforcement Lax

High school students who attend Harvard's summer program and expect to find an authentic college environment may be sorely disappointed. Rather than basking in the glory of newfound independence, their college experience might be distinctly more like high school.

Drinking, partying and various debaucheries are strictly prohibited for students in the Secondary School Program (SSP). At least one student was expelled for underage drinking only three weeks into the program.

"Secondary school students are generally sent home immediately for possession of alcohol," said Summer School Dean of Students Christopher Queen.

The University-mandated rules, however, are very different for high school students in the SSP than for college students taking Harvard Summer School courses.

Undergraduates who commit a similar alcohol-related offense generally face a mere warning or probation.

Queen explained that the disciplinary difference is due to the abbreviated length of the summer program compared to the four-year college experience.

"Summer school is an eight-week program, not a four year program," Queen said. "So our long-term commitment is significantly less. There's not that much at stake for the student, so asking a student to leave is not as momentous a decision."

They Fought the Law

The threat of getting kicked out of summer school along with the SSP's zero-tolerance policy leaves many students unfazed. According to several SSP students, Thayer Hall residents are particularly notorious for disregarding the rules. And, the same students say, their proctors are doing little to stop them.

"Thayer [is] good for parties," said a 16-year old SSP student from New York City.

"[The proctors] know about it somewhat, but they choose to ignore it," added Sara L. Cooper, a SSP student in Matthews Hall.

Danielle K. Cohen, another Matthews resident, said her proctor laid out the rules but isn't around enough to enforce them.

"The way [our proctor] presented it, he was really serious, but then we never see him," she said. "Our proctor is kind of in his room all the time."

Thayer proctor Peter A. Hahn '99, who is also a former Crimson executive, said he was aware of his dorm's reputation, but attributed it to a pervasive social atmosphere.

"No matter what floor or proctor group they're in, [the students] are likely to know each other," Hahn said. "There are some who are serious about their classes and there are those who are not."

"It's our responsibility to see what's going on if it could be against the rules," he said.

There has also been a recent controversy regarding students congregating on the steps of Weld Hall. A popular late-night hang out, the steps of Weld have now been put off limits for SSP students seeking social diversion.

According to the SSP handbook, students are not allowed to make noise after 11 p.m. (1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights). The steps of Weld, however, were once the site for summer school frolicking into the wee hours of the morning.

"They keep on yelling at us, so now we move from dorm room to dorm room," said Christian A. Meyer, a Weld resident. "If we have more than 10 people in a room, the proctor will sometimes come and break it up."

Crime and Punishment

Innocuous revelry in front of Weld is a far cry from some other, more serious disciplinary divergences. Rumors of expulsion abound among the SSP students after one of their fellow classmates was asked to leave after violating the alcohol policy.

One resident proctor in Matthews Hall, Neiladri Sinhababu '01, found his charge vomiting violently in the bathroom after "consuming a lot of alcohol."

"When she came back here drunk," Sinhababu remembers, "we had to call the police and bring her to [University Health Services]."

Sinhababu never had to speak with the woman's parents, though he, and then the student herself, had to meet with a group of administrators. Due to the zero-tolerance policy, the student was immediately asked to leave.

"We have weekly proctor meetings," Sinhababu says. "We talk about minor odd things that happened during the week."

But serious offences, like underage intoxication, seem to be fairly rare subject matter for the proctor's meetings, he added.

Queen emphasized that while the punishment for SSP students and College undergraduates is somewhat different, both have access to the same due process and disciplinary procedure.

A proctor or assistant dean--one of the three who oversees the high school students living in the Yard--will normally report an incident and the culpable student will then submit a written statement to the Dean's Council.

The Dean's Council, consisting of Queen, Summer School Dean Peter Buck, Director of the SSP Elizabeth C. Hewitt and the three assistant deans, can take action on its own. Or when a more serious case arises, they can involve the Summer School Administrative Board, the highest disciplinary power on campus.

Made up of summer school and Harvard College administrators, the Summer School Ad Board can require a student to withdraw immediately after a punishable offense.