Another reason for decreased student autonomy may be traced to a wide trend--the increase in pre-professionalism and seriousness among students nationwide, a tendency HSA has encouraged and emphasized in recent years.
"There is more real pressure now to maintain your office hours, for instance," explains John Nevin '84, manager of the Linen Agency, not traditionally the most formal in comportment of the services. HSA looks much more professional now than in its previous "released" days. Nevin adds.
"A whole degree of professionalism is coming into it," observes Brian Mullaney, manager of HSA's newest agency, advertising, who is encouraged by the fact that he sees "better managers" working at HSA. Mullaney, who plans to make advertising design a career, adds that a "corporate image" is developing at HSA simply because "it's the way the real world is."
Del Vecchio suggests that the normal college student is "more professionally oriented" than in the past, so that the student managers themselves take their jobs more seriously as providing experience and training for the real business world. In a summer poll taken at HSA of student managers, 45 percent said they plan to attend business school in the future.
Under Del Vecchio's direction. HSA has continued to move in the direction of "business." It has been pared down from 35 different agencies to the current 11, allowing the group as a whole to operate more efficiently. And since the general manager's appointment. HSA has continually ended the year with a surplus--around $21,000 for the last fiscal year.
Non-student interest of a different form comes from College officials, some of whom sit on the HSA board. Partly because HSA provides important opportunities for employment for students who need help financing their education an intention contained in the original HSA charter the College keeps a proprietary eye on the corporation to "minimize the financial risk" of it, says Archie C. Epps III, dean of students and an ex office board member.
And I. Fred Jewett '57, dean of admission and financial aid and also a board member, notes that HSA is a good source of employment for those who "fall just over the line for financial aid" who need money but technically don't quality for the University's direct and packed of the federal government's work study option.
The financial lure is actually stronger for the 1400 workers who may earn anywhere from $5.00 to $30.00 per hour, than for the managers, some of whom say the yearly pay is low compared to the number of hours they wind up spending on their work. "HSA's great from the viewpoint of the laborer," a former manager notes.
But the reasons that would lead people to sign up for bartending courses juggling stints or shifts as doormen are likely to go beyond a simple need for financial aid. And the outlook for entrepreneurs, in the end, will have little effect on whether the customer can count on HSA's promise never to allow your cat to get lonely."
Managers at Harvard Student Agencies say they wonder if centralization and pre-professionalism are costing them their independence