Registration Room Policy Will Change This Fall

Upperclass students returning to campus early next fall to participate in Orientation Week activities will be allotted temporary housing in their own house, Thomas A. Dingman '67, Associate Dean of the College for Human Resources and the House System, said yesterday.

First-year dorms will open at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, and upperclass houses will open for general student arrival on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 9 a.m., Dingman said.

Houses will open Sept. 3 for students with disabilities, and some athletes will also have early access to the houses.

Registration will be Sept. 15 for upperclass students.

According to Dingman, the houses will also open for members of student organizations conducting activities during Orientation Week. "The houses will open for students with institutional reasons," Dingman said.

Dingman also said that this year, students who arrive in Cambridge early "will move directly to their own houses" to avert the confusion which ensued last September, when many students had to switch houses mid-week from their temporary rooms.

The office of the Dean of Students will be responsible for considering requests for temporary housing.

Susan Atkins, Assistant to the Dean of Students, said the Dean's office will contact groups in need of temporary housing. "The Dean of Students' offer will be in fairness to students," Atkins said.

Lillian J. Epstein '00, who chaired the Undergraduate Council's Move-In Policy Task Force last fall, said the Council had insisted the University allow students to live in the same house for temporary housing as they would permanently.

Epstein said there would not be a change in the temporary housing requirements which require groups to meet certain criteria to secure rooms for members. This year, however, students will be allowed to come back earlier,"she said.

Jamil A. Ghani '99, President of the CrimsonKey Society, which coordinates Orientation Week,called the new policy "a moderate step in theright direction."

"The University should facilitate those groupsbeing here," Ghani said, referring toorganizations such as singing groups, orchestrasholding auditions, and other student groups whichtake part in Orientation Week activities.

Ghani said Crimson Key's biggest problem lastSeptember was moving from temporary to permanenthousing.

"The Crimson Key was in Mather," he said."Moving to different rooms complicated an alreadycomplicated situation."

He added that being "required to do personalhousekeeping and volunteering" at the same timewas a hardship.

Last year many upperclass students felt themove-in date was unfair to parents, who had tomiss a workday to bring students to Cambridge,Dingman said.

Because the new move-in date allows students tomove in over a weekend and still be in Cambridgefor registration, Dingman said the policy "willaddress that family hardship.

Jamil A. Ghani '99, President of the CrimsonKey Society, which coordinates Orientation Week,called the new policy "a moderate step in theright direction."

"The University should facilitate those groupsbeing here," Ghani said, referring toorganizations such as singing groups, orchestrasholding auditions, and other student groups whichtake part in Orientation Week activities.

Ghani said Crimson Key's biggest problem lastSeptember was moving from temporary to permanenthousing.

"The Crimson Key was in Mather," he said."Moving to different rooms complicated an alreadycomplicated situation."

He added that being "required to do personalhousekeeping and volunteering" at the same timewas a hardship.

Last year many upperclass students felt themove-in date was unfair to parents, who had tomiss a workday to bring students to Cambridge,Dingman said.

Because the new move-in date allows students tomove in over a weekend and still be in Cambridgefor registration, Dingman said the policy "willaddress that family hardship.