DUTIES OF HOUSE TUTORS OUTLINED

"To insure the success of the House Plan, the tutors must have no part in the administrative duties of the College, restricting themselves to an advisory and social capacity," declared L. D. Peterkin, a member of the Classical Department of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and a tutor in the Department of English and the Classics, when asked his opinion of the duties of the tutors under the House plan. Peterkin speaks from experience gained as a tutor in the University for the past four years, and from knowledge of the English system in practice at Oxford and Cambridge.

"One of the strongest bonds which will grow up between tutor and tutee will be the latter's ability to discuss freely any question without fear of disciplinary action from the College office. If the Office desires someone to oversee the conduct of the Houses, it may well apply the present system of proctors, providing the tutor has no part in the proctorial duties."

Another feature in the tutor's part in the new system, according to Peterkin, will be his headquarters. He should reside in the House in which his tutees are living, and should strive to make these quarters as attractive as possible. It is in the tutor's rooms, and not in the common rooms, that Peterkin thinks the system will best be advanced. Certain hours each week should be given each student wherein he might talk 'shop' or hold the conference which now makes up the sole relation between tutor and student. In addi- tion to this, however, the tutor should maintain a sort of open house, on certain evenings at which times a student would always feel at liberty to visit. During his residence in Stoughton Hall, Peterkin tried this system, and found it worked very well. Many students paid regular visits, while others dropped in casually for a chat after the theatre, or to pay a short evening call.

"The Houses should not be restricted to one group, or to one field of concentration," Peterkin said. "Rather they should be, as the majority of those favoring the House Plan believe, a cross section of all types of student and fields of education. Although some House might get the reputation of being a History House by virtue of some prominent History tutor's residing there, the Houses on the whole should, and will without a doubt be made up on a diversified basis. All classes of students, all fields of study, will be united in one House, and it is the duty of the various tutors to invite, not only their tutees, but the tutees of their colleagues into their apartments for gatherings, thus eliminating all narrow educational restrictions."

In answer to a question as to the advisibility of married tutors living in the Houses, with their families. Peterkin stated that he thought the plan had both advantages and disadvantages. While a tutor's wife could aid him in creating an hospitable atmosphere in his apartments, the presence of women and children about a student building, such as the House, would not be wholly desirable. Care in selecting the location of the married tutors' apartments might do much to eliminate any disadvantage on that score. Peterkin believes that the unmarried men should be scattered throughout the Houses, keeping near enough to their tutees to be of educational and social benefit.

"Thus the tutors would have an opportunity of becoming one of the leading factors in this new social and educational system which is about to be undertaken by the University. Great care should therefore be taken in selecting the members and defining the duties of all tutors who are to serve the various Houses.