At a "town meeting" last night, students voiced their concerns about the Committee on the First-Year Experience's proposal to create primarily freshman residence halls.
Dean of the College Lee Pelton, who called the meeting to discuss the committee's proposals, said the recommendation of primarily freshman residence halls is an integral part of the committee's report.
Pelton said he thinks changes to residential life, "form the structure and foundation around which all the other recommendations fit."
Pelton said the proposals are far from finalized and that discussion is a necessary part of its development.
"I was very impressed with the dialogue tonight," Pelton said after the meeting.
About 75 administrators, faculty and students attended the meeting that began with a 35-minute explanation of the proposals by Pelton, who chaired the committee last year.
Following Pelton, Jim Brennan '96, Theresa Ellis '97, Andy Schaeder '98 and John Strayer '96 briefly gave their opinions on the report, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Ellis and Strayer supported most of the proposals, while Brennan and Schaeder disagreed with many of the proposals.
Pelton began his presentation by describing the creation of three Senior Faculty Fellow clusters, where a faculty member would reside with primarily first-year students.
The three clusters would be the Choate Cluster, the River Cluster and a third new cluster, the Bema cluster, which would consist of Wheeler Hall, Richardson Hall and the Fayerweather Cluster.
Pelton said the plan would require about 140 extra beds and the construction of three houses for Senior Faculty Fellows and two extra student buildings.
The student buildings, called buildings "A" and "B," would contain dining areas, extra beds, study areas, social space and possibly classrooms, Pelton said.
"Building A" would be built joining Bissell Hall and Little Hall in the Choate Cluster. "Building B" would be built on the grassy area between the River Cluster and the River Apartments.
The Senior Faculty Fellow houses would be built near the three clusters.
Most students who asked questions or expressed their opinions at the meetings did not suggest changes, instead describing their experiences as freshmen or upperclassmen in College housing.
But Hosea Harvey '95 made one of the few alternate proposals of the evening.
Harvey, who is the senior class vice president, suggested freshmen be given a choice of whether or not they want to live in a primarily freshman residence hall or in a residence hall with more upperclassmen.
Many students at the meeting were concerned that first-year clusters would isolate freshmen from the rest of campus.
Students also said they had some concerns about having faculty members living close to the residence halls.
But Pelton said in his presentation that Senior Faculty Fellows "are not going to be den-mothers, den-fathers or disciplinarians."
John Honovich '97 said he feared having primarily first-year dorms would fragment the campus. Honovich is the vice president of the Student Assembly.
Pelton said students would still be able to meet upperclassmen outside of the residential-life structure.
Brennan called the report's proposals "sweeping" and said he is concerned freshmen and upperclass will not benefit from interaction if the proposals are accepted.
"We all deserve the right to be equal, to live together and to learn from one another now and in the future," Brennan read from a set of prepared notes.
Brandon del Pozo '96 said many of the problems the report seeks to alleviate, such as incontinuity in student housing, are due to the Dartmouth Plan.
"I think there is something to be said for taking a serious, serious look at changing back to the semester system," del Pozo said.
Pelton said student turnout to the meeting was what he had expected.
"What really surprised me was that students were so honest about their disenchantment with the D-Plan," he said.
