Mahan said he told the Masters that the increased number of students opting to spend a semester abroad has created difficulties in rooming arrangements.

“The issue of friends being far away is always going to be there, but we can’t change the fact that study abroad rates have been going up in recent years,” he said.

Mahan said he also thought a larger blocking group size might decrease the number of inter-House transfers and would also give students greater leeway to choose quads or triples within their blocking group.

He said he thought the Masters expressed interest in exploring the proposal.

“Many of the Masters nodded their heads and agreed that at least this is something to look at,” Mahan said.

Though Palfrey said the Masters have agreed to organize a subcommittee to raise questions and concerns regarding blocking group size, the upcoming discussion will not affect the House lottery process for the class of 2007.

Former Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68 decreased blocking size from 16 students to eight students in 1999.

—Staff writer Elena P. Sorokin can be reached at sorokin@fas.harvard.edu.