The Five Principles working groups met for a final time last night to finalize the proposal they will present to the Social/Residential Life Task Force today.
Thirteen people attended last night's meeting in the Topliff basement, where the final recommendations were presented and suggested revisions to the proposal were considered.
The working groups were brought together to represent student voice in developing a new social and residential system. The initial meetings were well attended, with over 50 attending the first meeting of the Principle Three working group. But the bulk of the work fell to about 10 students and few students attended most of the working group meetings over the course of the term.
"We basically created a whole new residential and social system," principle two working group co-chair Thomas Leatherbee '01 said.
The proposal created by the working groups will be submitted to the Task Force this week. Their proposal will be considered as will other proposals submitted by students since the group's formation in February. Students were invited to submit proposals to the task force, which will read them and organize them before presenting them to the Steering Committee in June.
In structuring a new social and residential system, the working groups considered the current Greek and undergraduate society system and created a new system taking both principle three and student opinion into account, principle three working group co-chair Mark Fenigstein '01 said.
The main changes to the current system proposed by the working groups are the formation of new coed houses and a shift away from houses as residences toward houses as social space.
The groups propose an 8-8-8 plan, with eight all-male houses, eight all-female houses and eight coed houses. Although those who drafted the plan emphasize that this means offering more options, there are currently 14 all-male houses, meaning the plan would necessitate male houses to go coed.
However, the proposal also states that the ratio is not set and should be shaped by student interest in each type of house.
Another change is the proposal that houses move away from their current residential role, allowing only five members to live in each house. This would allow current residence space to be converted to social space.
"You don't have to socialize in the basement or a bedroom," Leatherbee said.
Other proposed changes to the Greek system include improved programming standards and a centralized financial aid system for house dues.
In addressing principle five, eliminating "the abuse and unsafe use of alcohol," the working group proposal recommends mandatory alcohol education for freshman, although no specific approach to this is endorsed.
The proposal also includes steps to change social norms around alcohol, encourage situations that foster responsible drinking and stronger enforcement of College alcohol policies.
The group proposes sweeping changes in the College's residential system. Tops on the list were replacing or renovating existing residences into more attractive and varied options for on-campus housing and increasing social space and amenities in College-owned residences.
The proposal recommends replacing the River cluster with townhouses and apartments to create "seniorland," where seniors would have priority because of housing numbers. They also propose replacing the Choates cluster with suites.
In addition, any student who wants to live on campus, including those on leave terms, would be able to obtain on-campus housing under the plan.
Substance-free housing would be moved to Hitchcock, accommodating more of the students who apply for the substance-free residential option.
Butterfield would serve as a place for theme floors developed by students on a application basis.
In improving social space, most of the proposed changes have already been considered by the College or proposed by the Student Assembly.
The most ambitious is a plan which would expand Collis Student Center and make it entirely student-controlled and connect Thayer Dining Hall, Robinson Hall and Collis into a student services and activities complex.
The proposal includes suggestions to connect the three building with tunnels, move Hinman Post Office to those tunnels and create more recreational options in the complex.
The lowest level of Collis would become student social space with alcohol available in all parts.
Other suggestions include building a replacement for Webster Hall, creating a nightclub in the Hovey Grill space in Thayer and establishing outdoor student-controlled social space.
