"Each department has its own idea of what should be taught. A professor isn't going to appreciate some dean coming in and telling him how to teach his class." Verba explains, adding, "I don't want to set up a rigid police state."

Several departments math and economics are two examples have taken initiatives to train and supervise their TF's unusually closely.

The Undergraduate Council report singled out as exemplary the system for training TF's in Social Analysis 10. "The Principles of Economics," a course which relies on the section as the chief form of instruction. The report urges other departments to adopt similar methods when possible, such as the three day seminar in which TF's are videotaped presenting concepts before other section leaders, and lunches to discuss the topics to be presented in section that week.

And Charles S. Maier, head tutor of the history department, says that these autonomous efforts to address TF performance are probably the most effective. "You can get a lot more done to improve the quality without pushing and nagging [professors] from a central administration," he explains.

Yet while officials throughout the Faculty preach the virtue of the decentralized approach to the TF problem. Harvard seems to be handling the problem more directly from its central offices than in the past.

Verba's programs to encourage evaluations and meetings. Keenan's funding of the Danforth Center, and Rosovsky's decision to make the issue a priority in his annual report all show that complaints about TF quality have hit home with the administration.

"Everyone from President Bok down has been talking about the need for excellence in teaching," McWade says.