Indeed, most of the concentrations that ranked at the bottom of the 1997 senior survey reprised their performance in 1999. The surveys show that there have been no significant improvements in the departments of government and economics since 1997, despite Faculty from those concentrators citing concerns with advising.

The economics department blames an unfavorable student-to-faculty ratio for its problems. As a result, department administrators say, changes in the advising system have been hard to implement.

Economics concentrators are not assigned to specific advisers but are told to seek help at the tutorial office. During business hours, one of eight economics graduate students are available to chat.

The department has assigned the graduate students to the Houses and encourages students to get to know the graduate advisers.

But that has been the extent of the change.

Christopher L. Foote, an assistant professor of economics and the head tutor, says the economics department has no further plans for improving advising on a Faculty level, though he pointed out that the department has hired a number of Faculty in recent months.

"Students get outstanding advice and consistent advice on courses; it's also very convenient and lots appreciate that," Foote says. "The disadvantage is that it's hard for students to get to know professors.

"I don't think we have the Faculty resources to take on advising responsibility on the Faculty level," he says.