College house dorm system to shake up on-campus living

Freehold Township High School '97 Marlboro, N.J. In the first major overhaul of campus residences since dorms went coed in the 1970s, Penn has spent the last year transforming all of its residences into full-fledged, multi-year college houses which will debut this fall. Based on the model of existing colleges houses -- such as Hill and Van Pelt -- each residence will feature expanded in-house programming, designated dining hall space and enhanced academic services such as tutoring, writing advising and computer aid. Even if students move off-campus -- as approximately half of all undergraduates do -- they will still have access to house resources. Participation in house programs, even for residents, will be wholly voluntary. Another important feature of the houses, officials say, is the increased staffing in each residence. At least two faculty members -- one faculty master and one or more faculty fellows -- will live in each house, along with a residence dean and a total of approximately 200 graduate associates and undergraduate resident advisors spread over the 12 houses. Some of the houses, such as King's Court/English House and Hill, have used these concepts for years. Others, such as the three high rise houses and the four houses in the Quadrangle, will have to adjust to the new student-oriented features of the colleges houses. The University's plan, however, has met criticism from some students and faculty members. All of the college houses will be composed of students in their freshman through senior years. Many students claim the multi-year housing will deny many first-year students the "freshman experience" in the Quad, Hill and King's Court/English House. Many current freshmen have opted to stay in their freshman residence halls in the year to come, with several formerly freshman houses having upperclassmen occupy 20 to 25 percent of the rooms. Consequently, more freshmen will live in Harnwell, Harrison and Hamilton houses -- formerly known as High Rise East, High Rise South and High Rise North -- whose apartment-style suites provide the level of privacy more traditionally associated with upperclass living. Accompanying the increased services and staffing in the residences will be a number of capital improvements over the next decade. For the first several projects, rooms in Hill will have new furniture for the first time in almost 40 years while a new basement dining hall and rooftop exercise facility are slated for construction in Harrison. The University plans to pay for these improvements through a combination of financing methods. The savings from outsourcing facilities management to the Trammell Crow Co., a three percent increase in room rates over last year and a $70 activities fee charged to all students living on campus will defray the costs of increased staffing and services. The plan is the brainchild of separate reports by Art History Professor David Brownlee and the Biddison Hier consulting firm. Brownlee, who will be the faculty master in Harrison next year, authored a report nine years ago and a similar report last year, that was implemented, identifying the creation of communities-in-residence as a major priority. He served as interim director of college house implementation for the last year as his plan was finally put into effect. In May, Interim Provost Michael Wachter named Brownlee as chairperson of the Residential Faculty Council -- a body made up of all faculty members living in student dormitories -- and as director of the new Office of College Houses and Academic Services. "What David is taking on is a task of extraordinary importance to the University," Wachter said. "David will be in charge of residential lives in the college houses, both academically and in the non-academic parts." Whether the new college house system meets with student satisfaction, however, remains to be seen. Brownlee insists that the increased programming will not be pervasive. "No one is going to be out pounding on the doors, saying, 'Come on out, we're having mandatory discussions of Kierkegaard'," he said. Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta said the success of the program will be based on whether it improves the lives of students, rather than on the popularity of any one component of the plan. "The measure of success is going to be on the individual basis," he said. "Ultimately, can every student express that Penn provided what they wanted? Did they find a path, did they find a niche, did they find a community that satisfied them?"