"We work very well together," he says. "It may happen that some are jealous of the rank, but I haven't seen anything."

Many teaching fellows say experience in a course gives more prestige than the head TF label anyway. Phillips Professor of Early American History Laurel T. Ulrich says the head TF and other returning TFs all have a lot of say about the structure of her course, Historical Study A-33: Women, Feminism and History.

"In my own case, all the teaching fellows in my course have either taught with me before in the course or are

advanced graduate students whose dissertations I am directing," Ulrich writes in an e-mail message.

And in the past they all "have had quite a bit of input into the content," she continues.

Thus, TFs can still feel they are high up in a course's hierarchy without being the leader of the pack. Course input can provide consolation to those who aspire to the head TF position and make relations between all TFs more agreeable.

Outside of administrative tasks, head TFs see their role primarily as a go-between--mediating any conflicts that arise with students or other TFs.

Ransom says the professional dynamic of his course could not be better, and it is his job talk to the professor on behalf of the course's other TFs.