Jewett: Houses to Get Key Cards

Although the Harvard administration hopes eventually to fit all residential housing with electronic key card readers, there are no immediate plans to install them in upperclass houses, University officials said yesterday.

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said he supports installation of the readers in the houses. However, he said the College has not drawn up a timetable or specific plans.

"The success of the system in the Yard has convinced officials that the additional benefits of an electronic system would outweigh any inconveniences," he said. "[But] there has been no final definite decision to do it."

Jewett's statement contradicts reports in campus publications last week that readers would be installed in all the houses by a spring.

It also marks a reversal in Jewett's stance on readers in the houses. In September, Jewett said they would probably not be installed at the houses, citing the enhanced security of courtyard enclosures in most houses.

The key card system was first implemented in the Union dorms last year. The system was expanded to include all first-year dorms by the beginning of this school year.

Except for the sabotage of 12 readers with glue at the beginning of the year, the system has suffered no major glitches, according to Harvard Police Chief Paul E. Johnson.

Johnson said he thought installation of an electronic reader system had increased perceived and actual security of the first-year dorms, and would probably do the same for the houses.

"One half of all [breaches] occur in the houses because of people illegally getting access. The overall security of [the houses] should be enhanced," he said.

But Jewett said that the individual situations of each house will be studied before any action is taken. "The houses [each] have different situations in terms of security. We will be working with each house to see what makes sense," he said.

He emphasized that no progress could occur without the full cooperation of each house. "The individual houses are to give me opinions," Jewett said. "There may be reasons that come up that have to be dealt with."

Jewett said that the houses probably have less of a need for the increased security of card readers than did the first-year dorms.

"The Yard didn't have the semblance of security that the houses have," he said. "The level of immediacy is less high. To my knowledge, we haven't had... [demands] to go ahead right away."

Michael N. Lichten, director of physical operations for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, said that installing readers would take two to three months per house. However, he said he thinks implementation of an electronic system at the houses would be a good idea.

"I think it's a very attractive use of technology to install in the houses. [The system would] have great flexibility," he said.

Assistant Dean of Students Ellen H. Towne agreed. "When we canvassed other colleges and universities, we found they all had some kind of [electronic security] system," she said. "This is the wave of the future."