New-York tribune., 1919-10-15
Students Vote
Residence Rule
For Columbia
Trustees Expected to Give
Approval of Plan for
Closer Associations in
Undergraduate S c h O o |
Affects 500 New Workers
Means Expansion Through
Mofningside and Crowd
ing Out of Graduate Halls

A period of expansion in which the
university will further encroach on
part of Morningside Heights will be the
result, it is expected, of the movement,
now in its last stages, to compel Co.
1umbia undergraduates to live in a
, dormitory or fraternity house for at
least two years. The proposal, which
was indorsed by the trustees earlier
this year, was voted upon by the stud
ent body last week and received an
overwhelming majority. The result, as
made public yesterday, was 1000 in
favor and only rs against
Mass meetings of the four classes
were held at noon under supervision OF
the student board Of representatives
the governing body of tie college. The
board has now sent the result Of the
poll to the college committee on in
struction, which will meet next Friday
and, it is expected, will recommend to
the trustees the adoption Of the resi-
dence rule. >Since the undergraduates
were the only possible obstacle to the
scheme, it Is generally believed at the
university that their favorable vote as
sures final adoption.
Congestion Is Problem
Figures available yesterday indicated
that 500 students, all from New York
City, will be affected. This new influx
of undergraduates to Morningside
Heights will add to the housing diff
culties of practically every school ex-
cept Teachers College. Graduate wom-
en- students and Barnard girls at Fur
nald Hall. Broadway and 10th Street,
Will have to seek other quarters. it is
believed. The brunt of this new burden
will have to be borne by Barnard,
which already has inadeqate facilities
at Brooks Hall. and by those who have
supervision of the graduate women.
Men students taking graduate work
and residing in Livingston Hall will
also have to move, it is believed. With
total registration in Columbia Col
lege OF 1.70O, it is estimated that each
year after the residence rule goes into
effect Will see nearly 400 of this num-
ber living near the university. The total
capacity of all available dormitories.
including Furnald and the Greek letter
fraternities. is only slightly more than
l,l00, which will leave neary 800 col
lege men still without rooms This fig
ure Will not include the graduate stu
dents, men and women, who will be dis
posed by the undergraduates.
Expansion Forced
Developments 'xdioete that re ex-
pansion into the .e,gftsyhot&. R.Uurrj
the university will be the solatian of
the problem, which has been mentioned
IN official reports for the last four
years. The first evidence of this move
lnent come in 1916. when Barnard Col
lege established what were called CO.
operative dormitories in apartment
houses on Claremont Avenue and 116th
Street. ihe two have now been merged
into one dormitory at COS West 116th
Street, where forty-three Barnard girls
obtain both board and rooms, under
the personal supervision Of an officer Of
the SC ohool.
The second development came this
summer when Teachers College. which
had far outgrown its residence hall,
purchased an entire apartment, Ban
croft Hall. at 500 West 121st Street.
Three hundred women students now are
beng accommodated in this dormitory
and for the present the problem in that
particular school has been solved.
The establishing of other informal
residence halls like that of Barnard
will be the only way out of the diff
Suity, IL WAS pOiltieu out Dy university
officers, until the cost of labor and
building material is lowered. A resump-
tion of the university's building pro
gramme according to prc-war plans
Tas said to be unlikely.
A possible solution, it was pointed
out, lies in the suggestion made by
President Butler in 1917 that a junior
college be established for those students
in Columbia College who are preparing
for profess onal schools, such as law
medicine, engineering and journalism
They would be kept distinct from
those college men enrolled only for the
bachelor of arts degree.
Were such distinction between
Columbia College and junior college
20 be drawn" President Butler said ir
MS report for 1917, lit might then be
practicable to look forward to a time
IN the not distant future when Colum
bia College may be made residential
college IN accord with the best English
and American traditions"