"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