But college officials and students alike praiseJewett, whose first name is Lester, for hiswillingness to tackle difficult problems and hisability to find equitable solutions to them.

"It's easy to talk and listen to him," saysWinthrop House Co-Master Martha H. Davis. "Youfeel that he wants to solve the problem and notmanipulate anyone."

"Dean Jewett gets to the heart of the matterquite quickly and very efficiently," saysUndergraduate Council Chairman Richard S. Eisert'88.

Again, people say, Jewett's implicitunderstanding of human nature aids himimmeasurably in his job. "He understands thateveryone has to move a little, and he expectsother people to also," says Dunster House SeniorTutor Jeffery Wolcowitz.

While students and faculty may not necessarilyagree on what stance the College should take on avariety of issues including the alcohol policy,overcrowding and disciplinary reform, Jewett'sstance on these has won kudos from all over theUniversity community.

"He has addressed those issues as well as theycould be addressed," Davis says.

The alcohol policy he established is one of themost trusting in the Northeast," says Brian C.Offutt '87, who last year led the UndergraduateCouncil. "The fact that he was willing to do thatmade us feel very good about him."

"In the [disciplinary reform,] he was trying tohear what are the concerns underlying the studentcriticism," says Wolocowitz. "Even if we couldn'timplement exactly what the Undergraduate Councilproposed, we tried to address those concerns."

Few people in the College, from students toadministrators, can find flaws in the job that thedean has done for the past year and a half or thepersonality that Jewett brings with him to thepost.

"I'm very happy with Dean Jewett and he'sgotten better since he started," says Lowell HouseSenior Tutor Jack M. Lee, who sits on the Ad Boardwith Jewett.

"The only weakness I can think of is a friendlykind of weakness," says Hastings. "He's verytalkative about his own views and he could get onwith meetings more promptly."

Even members of the Southern Africa SolidarityCommittee, who have had frequent run-ins with thedean over their attempts to convince theUniversity to divest from its South Africa-relatedholdings, say they have few bones to pick withJewett.

"I think he tries hard and I wouldn't questionhis sincerity. He's convinced that he is right onthis issue and won't stand for any opposition,"says SASC member Dorothee Benz '87. "He doesn'tseem to have a lot of understanding or patiencewith our views."

His one acknowledged weakness, his love oftalking, makes Jewett seem all the moreaccessible. Colleagues and students alike praisehim for what seems to be a genuine interest instudents and an understanding of what their livesare like.

"Students are the only people who can tell ushow well [the College administration] is working,so he seeks their opinions," Epps says. "He isextraordinarily sympathetic towards students. Hetrusts them and expects a lot of them."