In 1997, the Department of English Languages and Literatures scraped the bottom of the advising barrel, receiving a score of 1.97 out of a possible five points on a survey of graduating seniors.

In the past two years, however, the department has nearly doubled its score. With a ranking of 3.38, the department is the major success story of this year's advising survey.

"I do not mean to claim that we have arrived at the utopian state, but I'm pleased by the improvements we've made, and I'm pleased that the change has been noticed," said Marquand Professor of English and Department Chair Lawrence C. Buell.

Except for the English Department, however, the results of the 1999 senior survey on advising mirrored the results of the previous two surveys. The survey data showed a divide between small committee concentrations and large department concentrations.

Most of the departments that received below-average marks on the 1997 and 1998 senior surveys were once again at the bottom of the pack.

The departments that received high ranks were mainly small departments and committee concentrations. Of the top five concentrations, four were committee concentrations.

In the social sciences, seniors reported an average satisfaction rating of 3.02 out of a possible five points, significantly lower than the 3.58 mean in the humanities. Natural sciences concentrations came in with a mean of 3.14, while the overall mean was 3.19.

Overall, said Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68, who developed the survey as chair of the Faculty Committee on Advising and Counseling, student satisfaction with advising had generally improved.