For freshman "orphaned" by the current housing-assignment system, University officials now have a plan.
The idea, announced this week, is to better integrate incoming students who are not assigned to traditionally freshman college houses by making sure they don't end up surrounded by upperclassmen.
Deputy Provost Janice Bellace said that beginning in fall 2007, freshmen not assigned to one of the major freshman college houses -- those in the Quadrangle, Hill College House and Kings Court/English College House -- will be placed in "clusters" of about 25 other freshmen instead of being cut off from their peers.
Under the current system, officials go solely by a student's listed preference in making assignments, meaning they can easily end up surrounded by upperclassmen whether they want to be or not.
The issue of "orphaned" freshmen has become a growing concern, Provost Ron Daniels said, as these freshmen "are not part of an integrated freshman community."
The Undergraduate Assembly brought the issue to light with a formal proposal this spring for concentrating freshmen more densely in the dorms they already inhabit, bringing those left out of the Quad, Hill and Kings Court together.
Bellace developed the clusters plan after hearing the UA's proposal and consulting with various members of the University community. She added that University President Amy Gutmann has already accepted the proposal.
Officials are currently working on logistical issues regarding precisely where to place the clusters.
Beginning in fall 2007, the clusters will primarily be in the high rise dorms, ideally on consecutive floors, Bellace said.
She said housing officials would first assign students wishing to join a residential program located in one of the non-traditional freshmen college houses, leaving about 200 freshmen to be put in clusters.
Effort will be made to develop a sense of cluster community, Bellace said, "so, even in their clusters, they don't just feel like they are that cluster on the 12th floor in Harnwell."
The proposal emerged after a semester of debate on the "orphan" freshman issue between the UA, the student-run Residential Advisory Board, administrators from the college houses and others.
Other suggestions included designating some dorms freshman-only, assigning sophomores to college houses that they did not specifically request if none of their choices is available and an even distribution of freshmen and sophomores in all the college houses.
Currently, freshmen make up about 80 percent of Quad and Kings Court residents, while Hill contains about 93 percent freshmen.
There are 2,400 freshmen and 3,100 upperclassmen in the college-house system.
Students seem to recognize the value of the proposal.
Wharton freshman Pat Pow-anpongkul, who lived in Harrison College House's "Freshman Experience" residential program, agreed that living with mainly freshmen, even in a mostly-upperclassman college house, is important.
"Especially during [new student orientation], it makes you feel like you're part of a group," he said. "I just think it's a bonding experience."
