b. The creation of a central dining area in South House. $

1.4 The House System

7. To study and test the feasibility of a more creative use of some of the "offshoots" of the regular House system through the utilization of them as "theme" Houses, focusing on language, art, or a special area of concentration. This system would provide an alternative living arrangement for those who might prefer it.

8. The creation of more uniformity within the housing system through major changes in the system. Several alternatives were considered. $

a. The ideal but least feasible alternative would be the creation of four-year Houses. Although the mix of classes would be very positive, the construction and rearrangement of the campus which would be required was considered an impossible undertaking for FAS at this time.

b. Tactically, the alternative of 1:3, all freshmen at the Radcliffe Quadrangle and all upperclassmen in the Yard or at the River, is excellent. The educational value of this plan would be that the freshman program could be better integrated, especially if the Expository Writing Program were to be housed in Hilles Library. This scheme would necessitate the construction of athletic and recreational facilities and central dining area (called for in recommendation 6).

Another version of 1:3 would be to have all the Freshmen in the Yard, and all the Houses three-year Houses. This alternative would have the benefit of least cost and would also achieve some of the objectives favored by the Task Force.

c. The most interesting alternative was 1:1:2, with all Freshmen in the Radcliffe Quadrangle, all Sophomores in the Harvard Yard and all Juniors and Seniors in the River Houses. This would alter the House system radically, but would certainly solve many problems. It would allow for better integration of programs for Freshmen and Sophomores, it would make the college experience more similar for all students, it would effectively limit the relative ranking of the various Houses, and competition for places in the popular ones; and would insure that all students did in fact live in the House system for two years.

9. The institution of "no-choice" pre-Freshman assignment of students to the Houses. This system has proved very successful at Yale, and is one recommendation about which this Task Force feels very strongly.

a. Intensive discussion between the masters, Faculty of Arts and Sciences to construct a system of assignment which would not unduly isolate minorities, would guard against unbalanced male-female ratios and would determine the importance of such factors as secondary school education, geographical area and limited master's choice should take place.

b. Freshman affiliation to the Houses might be made concrete through the distribution of House calendars, the invitation to House functions, the distribution of keys, and the supervision of this by one House staff member.

1.5 Crowding

10. The Houses as presently constituted should be comprehensively studied and plans be drawn up to "uncrowd" them as equitably as possible given the basic differentials in size and quality of space found therein. $

11. Wider support for an official "Year Abroad" program. Students could be offered the opportunity for a Sophomore or Junior Year abroad for which they would receive full course credit.

12. The admission of more transfer students and commuters.