The task force created to weigh the pros and cons of expanding the freshman class will begin a formalized spring outreach program to gauge the perspective of the University community, said Senior Assistant to the President Jeff Wachtel to The Daily yesterday.

In his September 2007 column in the Stanford Magazine, President John Hennessy said that expanding the freshman class would enhance the diversity of the student body and permit Stanford to turn away fewer qualified students.

The committee, which has met twice and plans to meet three times more, has previously discussed the largest hindrance to freshman expansion — the lack of undergraduate housing, or what Wachtel called the “stuffing problem” — but will now look to students, faculty, alumni and staff for input.

“Right now there is no predetermined outcome about whether we are going to do expansion or not,” Wachtel said, “so we are going to try to have a comprehensive outreach.”

The outreach program will be the topic of discussion at the committee’s next monthly meeting. Wachtel said there is not yet a formalized structure for the program, but “public meetings and something with electronic media” will be involved.

“We will talk about how to make the outreach most effective,” he said. “We want to make sure we have a comprehensive plan after the meeting.”

Wachtel also said any expansion of the freshman class will have to be consistent with the University’s recent decision to increase financial aid for middle- and lower-income students.

“Financial aid is a given cost of any expansion,” he said. “The two go hand in hand.”

“We would have to anticipate a significantly greater amount of the aid we have announced,” he added, but did not comment further.

The committee’s outreach program is anticipated to begin as soon as spring quarter is underway.