Economics Department to Begin Sophomore Advising Program

The Economics tutorial staff decided last week to begin a program to advise all economics concentrators by the beginning of their junior year.

Kurt Brown, associate head tutor of Economics, said yesterday the program will begin in about a month when the tutorial office notifies students of their appointments.

Brown said that half of the concentrators will be called in during the second semester, with the other half reporting in the first semester of junior year for a conference with a member of the tutorial staff.

Edward Montgomery, assistant head tutor of Economics, said yesterday that while the idea for the meetings sprang from students' comments and criticisms before the Economics Department visiting committee last November, "the idea to revamp the system" was the brainchild of Donald W. Walls, head tutor in Economics.

Walls could not be reached for comment yesterday.

One assistant head tutor of Economics, who asked not to be identified, said yesterday the program is a great idea. "It is important for us to tell people some things that can really make a difference in how much they can get out of the economics program," the tutor said, adding it would probably make the department "less anonymous and amorphous."

Brown said the plan will start late because the beginning of sophomore year was "too early" to begin advising student. "Sophomores have only had Ec 10 and tutorial and are not sure which way they're going yet," he said. He added that the size of the department and the number of concentrators preclude calling in students every semester.