Wheelwright Signs Living Agreements
Exeter dorms differ in their implementation of study hours and lights out; while some faculty members do not enforce these rules, others feel a responsibility to look after students.
Wheelwright recently had its lowerclassmen sign the dorm’s “Guidelines for Study-Homework Hours.” According to some Wheelwright residents, even before this, the dorm had been notoriously strict. “This is because they are tough on students late to check-in or lights out and are not afraid to hand out sevens,” lower and Wheelwright resident Candace* said. “When we inquired about getting help from others in the dorm, [faculty] said we would have to FaceTime them. This seemed absurd to us.”
“This is because they are tough on students late to check-in or lights out and are not afraid to hand out sevens,” lower and Wheelwright resident Candace* said. “When we inquired about getting help from others in the dorm, [faculty] said we would have to FaceTime them. This seemed absurd to us.”
Wheelwright, however, is not the only dorm that takes lights out and study hour rules seriously. Webster Hall Proctor Gavin Cotter described how at 10:45 p.m. every night, the proctor on each floor knocks on preps’ doors to ensure that everyone is ready for bed. “It has helped my Exeter experience, especially with transitioning,” Cotter said. “Most of us come from being at home where there are rules, when we think we’re completely free we might just watch Netflix instead of do homework.”
Unlike Webster’s proctor-enforced rules, Wheelwright’s guidelines are in print. The signed document prohibits lowerclassmen from being in common space or dormmates’ rooms and from checking out to peer tutoring during the 8-10 p.m. study hours. Teachers must host any study groups in Wheelwright during study hours. Any prep or lower who breaks the rules will be required to check in at 7 p.m. for one night. Wheelwright dorm head Joseph Lambert stated on the guidelines with the intention of helping new students “establish effective and strong study habits prior to upper and senior year,” according to the contract.
Lambert did not reply to requests for comment.
While the contract’s wording is strong, faculty members enforce these rules to differing degrees, according to underclassmen Regina*. She said, “Most dorm faculty seem to hint that they don’t agree with the new rules. They have seen me go to others’ [rooms] and haven’t said anything about it.”
Dorm faculty and English Instructor Barbara Desmond, meanwhile, expressed her support for the new guidelines. “This year, Lambert has focused on establishing the right tone during study hours. [...] The hope is to promote good work habits early in the evening so everyone is getting to bed earlier,” she said.
After lowerclassmen signed the document, Lambert followed up with an email amending the contract and clarifying concerns about barriers to obtaining academic support. “You may find that, on occasion, you need to check out to peer tutoring after check-in,” the email stated. “If this is the case, you must check-in at 8 p.m. in your room and then ask the faculty on duty for permission to check out to peer tutoring.” A conversation would then ensue between faculty and student on “overall academic workload.”
Wheelwright faculty maintained that they wanted to foster a positive atmosphere in the dorm. “We want to keep the focus on a healthy dorm community where everyone feels at home,” Wheelwright faculty and History Instructor Amy Schwartz said. She also mentioned that her previous dorm, Langdell, had been even stricter with study hour policies, forbidding students to take showers between 8:00 and 10:00 or to order take-out after their check-in. If students wanted late lights, they were expected to be in their rooms working by 7 p.m.
Proctor Martha* in Wheelwright brought up concerns about how this system relied on students being able to reach out to faculty members and advocate for themselves. “A lot of the preps and new lowers aren’t at that level of comfort with the faculty yet,” she said. “Wheelwright shouldn’t be creating a culture where it’s bad to reach out for help.”
Martha also pointed out that not all students operate on the same schedule. “[The guideline] does a lot more damage than it helps,” she said. “During my lower year, I had clubs from 7 to 7:50 p.m., but I found my classes challenging so I had to go to peer tutoring afterwards.”
Students and faculty may have contradicting ideas on the amount of freedom students should have in a boarding school environment. “I think a lot of the frustration comes from different expectations,” Hollie* said. “Students feel like they’re at boarding school and that they should be able to manage their own time, whereas the faculty are coming from a place of, ‘we want to help you do the best you can in school specifically.’”
Not all students, however, are averse to stricter dorm policies. Upper Erin Ahern appreciated having strict lights-out enforcement during her prep and lower years. “Now I have it in my head that I need to go to sleep even though I don’t have lights out as an upper,” Ahern said. “I don’t think the adults trust the students less, they’re just trying to promote good study habits.”
Cotter, meanwhile, attributed his academic performance and overall well-being to “right values” his dorm instilled. “I feel like it’s something all dorms should do,” he said.
Amen Dorm Affiliate Lee Young, Senior Associate Director of Admissions and long-time member of the Academy, explained that more uniform policies between dorms would be convenient, but also impractical. “Overall, because the size of the dorm, the composition of the students in it, and the layout and configuration of the dorm vary, I think dorm heads and the team of faculty should have the leeway to operate in a way that best suits the inhabitants in the dorm,” Young said.
*Asterisks denote name change to protect anonymity.