Report Reveals Spotty Advising Among Depts.

The Standing Committee on Advising and Counseling reached a not-so-starting conclusion in a report it released this month: advising varies widely across the concentrations.

Some concentrations--such as women's studies, literature and religion--reported student satisfaction ratings several times those of the lowest performers, like economics and applied math.

The advising standards vary so widely by concentration, the committee reported, because each is responsible for developing its own system.

Dean of Undergraduate Education William M. Todd III acknowledged that the decentralization of academic advising is an obstacle to swift reform, but said he was optimistic about future improvements.

"We can't really 'make' them [adopt the committee's proposals], but we can help and encourage--by getting head tutors together to trade good ideas, by working to get Faculty into the process, and by setting standards," Todd said.

Although the committee, led by Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68, did not suggest restricting the current level of autonomy that the concentrations currently enjoy, it recommended fostering a certain amount of coordination that could set some minimum College wide standards.

The Suggestions

The committee's proposals--based on three years of review of the comprehensive senior survey of 1997--are aimed at creating a more universal standard for concentration advising.

The committee's first suggestion that instead of broad college-wide efforts, the revisions focus on two departments at a time. This proposal aims at changing a few large departments to help a large number of students.

The second proposal urges departments to select tenured Faculty as the directors of undergraduate studies and head tutors.

If all concentration heads were also tenured professors, Associate Professor of Economics Christopher L. Foote suggests, there would be an incentive for Faculty to familiarize themselves with departmental and College-wide degree requirements.

"If we used professors, all the professors would have to learn all the rules. Advising is not [currently] the primary responsibility of the Faculty member," Foote said. In the Department of Economics, for example, most undergraduates are advised by graduate students.

In the committee's report, Lewis suggests that the extra departmental clout that senior Faculty would bring to the role of adviser could help them advocate more strongly on their students' behalf.

Foote said he hoped having a tenured Faculty member serve as an adviser may also provide stability. Graduate students andjunior Faculty often leave before a studentgraduates, forcing students to adjust to a newadviser. Foote said he believes high turnover isunavoidable when graduate students serve as suchpositions.

"Students should not tie themselves to oneadviser, but be ready to discuss their academicrecord with many different people," Foote added.

The proposals also call for departments toadhere more stringently to Faculty legislationrequiring each concentration to giveundergraduates a voice in directing its program.Undergraduate involvement in some concentrationshas lapsed in past years.

The Department of English and AmericanLiterature and Language, which still maintainsstudent involvement via its Undergraduate SteeringCommittee, may serve as a model for otherdepartments.

The committee consists of two undergraduatesand Faculty members who meet regularly and reviewstudent questions, petitions and suggestions forimprovements of the concentration, among its otherduties, according to Werner Sollors, director ofundergraduate studies.

But the senior surveys indicate that studentinvolvement in department administration does notnecessarily translate into good advising. Despitethe department's relatively good record on keepingundergraduates involved, the English department'sadvising system received low ratings, ranking 36thout of 38 concentrations on the 1998 seniorsurvey.

In addition, the committee made severalproposals aimed at keeping Faculty members betterinformed about the requirements and regulations oftheir department and the College. The Committeealso proposed a focus on advising in the regularreviews by the Educational Policy Committee ofeach department and the allocation of some fundsfor improving advising systems in certaindepartments.

Bigger Isn't Always Better

The senior surveys indicated that it was mostlythe large concentrations--such as economics--thatleft students dissatisfied with their advising,whereas smaller concentrations generally leftstudents feeling well-mentored.

For example, the Economics department--theperennially largest concentration at theCollege--ranked near the bottom on most 1997senior survey responses on advising and rated 35thout of 38 concentrations for advising on the 1998senior survey.

Yet, according to the director of undergraduatestudies, they are not considering ways to improvetheir advising.

"We have no plans to rework the system," Footesaid.

Concentrations administered bydegree-conferring committees rather than academicdepartments earned generally higher approvalratings from the classes of 1997 and 1998. Of theconcentrations ranked in the top five by the classof 1998, four--women's studies, literature,folklore and mythology and religion--are committeeconcentrations, which tend to be smaller thantheir departmental counterparts.

Some concentrations went against the trend,however. Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations,a small department, got poor marks on questionssuch as satisfaction with academic and personaladvice, while students praised the largerDepartment of Biochemistry on the survey.

"One of the things that the data show is thatsome programs do an excellent job with advising,even some large programs," Lewis said.

It may not be the size of the concentration,but the priority the Faculty and department placeon advising that leads to good advising.

"What is essential, in my opinion, isprioritizing the role of the adviser within theconcentration and ensuring ample and, again,consistent opportunity for advising conversationsof all kinds," said Sandra A. Naddaff '75,director of studies in the literatureconcentration.

Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles agreesthat it is the involvement of the Faculty thatmakes or breaks the advising system.

"The fundamental problem is that we mustincrease the Faculty-to-student ratio," Knowlessaid. "That will allow for better advising,smaller classes and a Faculty more able to doeverything that we hope for."

Advising Over Corn Flakes

In addition to the recommendations forconcentration advising, the Committee proposedreviewing the appointment of House tutors toinsure the quality of staff, non-concentrationadvising and the development of a commondefinition of what is expected of tutors as juniorscholars and advisers.

As with concentrations, the autonomy each Houseenjoys means that it can be difficult to maintainan even standard for advising.

Under current administrative structure, thecommittee can only offer suggestions for theHouses--it cannot force the master or seniortutors to adopt them.

"The Houses are individual communities, butthey are also part of a system," said Thomas A.Dingman '67, associate dean of Harvard College."To tell the masters how to do their jobs is notappropriate."

Overall, however, Dingman said that Houseadministrators should make sure that residenttutors earn their keep.

"We want our communities to be supportive andtutors not just good eaters in the dining room butto be a guide through the labyrinth," Dingmansaid.

Choose-Your-Own Adviser

Lewis also suggested that some of theresponsibility for finding good advising shouldrest on students' shoulders.

Students who feel adrift in large departments,for example, might want to consider a move to asmaller, more personalized concentration.

And other Faculty members say that enterprisingstudents can find good advising even in largedepartments with several levels of bureaucracy.

"I really do not accept that students aredissatisfied with the advising system in theGovernment Department," said Louise M. Richardson,associate professor of government.

Richardson said she believes it is possible forstudents to form close relationships with Facultyin a large department.

"Close interaction with Faculty is certainlypossible in a large concentration, but it doesrequire more initiative on the part of thestudent," said Richardson, who is also a member ofthe department's Committee on Advising

"Students should not tie themselves to oneadviser, but be ready to discuss their academicrecord with many different people," Foote added.

The proposals also call for departments toadhere more stringently to Faculty legislationrequiring each concentration to giveundergraduates a voice in directing its program.Undergraduate involvement in some concentrationshas lapsed in past years.

The Department of English and AmericanLiterature and Language, which still maintainsstudent involvement via its Undergraduate SteeringCommittee, may serve as a model for otherdepartments.

The committee consists of two undergraduatesand Faculty members who meet regularly and reviewstudent questions, petitions and suggestions forimprovements of the concentration, among its otherduties, according to Werner Sollors, director ofundergraduate studies.

But the senior surveys indicate that studentinvolvement in department administration does notnecessarily translate into good advising. Despitethe department's relatively good record on keepingundergraduates involved, the English department'sadvising system received low ratings, ranking 36thout of 38 concentrations on the 1998 seniorsurvey.

In addition, the committee made severalproposals aimed at keeping Faculty members betterinformed about the requirements and regulations oftheir department and the College. The Committeealso proposed a focus on advising in the regularreviews by the Educational Policy Committee ofeach department and the allocation of some fundsfor improving advising systems in certaindepartments.

Bigger Isn't Always Better

The senior surveys indicated that it was mostlythe large concentrations--such as economics--thatleft students dissatisfied with their advising,whereas smaller concentrations generally leftstudents feeling well-mentored.

For example, the Economics department--theperennially largest concentration at theCollege--ranked near the bottom on most 1997senior survey responses on advising and rated 35thout of 38 concentrations for advising on the 1998senior survey.

Yet, according to the director of undergraduatestudies, they are not considering ways to improvetheir advising.

"We have no plans to rework the system," Footesaid.

Concentrations administered bydegree-conferring committees rather than academicdepartments earned generally higher approvalratings from the classes of 1997 and 1998. Of theconcentrations ranked in the top five by the classof 1998, four--women's studies, literature,folklore and mythology and religion--are committeeconcentrations, which tend to be smaller thantheir departmental counterparts.

Some concentrations went against the trend,however. Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations,a small department, got poor marks on questionssuch as satisfaction with academic and personaladvice, while students praised the largerDepartment of Biochemistry on the survey.

"One of the things that the data show is thatsome programs do an excellent job with advising,even some large programs," Lewis said.

It may not be the size of the concentration,but the priority the Faculty and department placeon advising that leads to good advising.

"What is essential, in my opinion, isprioritizing the role of the adviser within theconcentration and ensuring ample and, again,consistent opportunity for advising conversationsof all kinds," said Sandra A. Naddaff '75,director of studies in the literatureconcentration.

Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles agreesthat it is the involvement of the Faculty thatmakes or breaks the advising system.

"The fundamental problem is that we mustincrease the Faculty-to-student ratio," Knowlessaid. "That will allow for better advising,smaller classes and a Faculty more able to doeverything that we hope for."

Advising Over Corn Flakes

In addition to the recommendations forconcentration advising, the Committee proposedreviewing the appointment of House tutors toinsure the quality of staff, non-concentrationadvising and the development of a commondefinition of what is expected of tutors as juniorscholars and advisers.

As with concentrations, the autonomy each Houseenjoys means that it can be difficult to maintainan even standard for advising.

Under current administrative structure, thecommittee can only offer suggestions for theHouses--it cannot force the master or seniortutors to adopt them.

"The Houses are individual communities, butthey are also part of a system," said Thomas A.Dingman '67, associate dean of Harvard College."To tell the masters how to do their jobs is notappropriate."

Overall, however, Dingman said that Houseadministrators should make sure that residenttutors earn their keep.

"We want our communities to be supportive andtutors not just good eaters in the dining room butto be a guide through the labyrinth," Dingmansaid.

Choose-Your-Own Adviser

Lewis also suggested that some of theresponsibility for finding good advising shouldrest on students' shoulders.

Students who feel adrift in large departments,for example, might want to consider a move to asmaller, more personalized concentration.

And other Faculty members say that enterprisingstudents can find good advising even in largedepartments with several levels of bureaucracy.

"I really do not accept that students aredissatisfied with the advising system in theGovernment Department," said Louise M. Richardson,associate professor of government.

Richardson said she believes it is possible forstudents to form close relationships with Facultyin a large department.

"Close interaction with Faculty is certainlypossible in a large concentration, but it doesrequire more initiative on the part of thestudent," said Richardson, who is also a member ofthe department's Committee on Advising