Nowadays, resident tutors exist as but another confusing level in Harvard's academic advising labyrinth. Their formal role in the Houses largely depends on the purview of their House master. And while a handful of tutors do take very active roles in running House programs or advising students, the majority have few actual responsibilities. They are not supposed to be glorified proctors, and they behave as much. They may ask us to keep it down at night, but don't seem to care too much about the studies--or other things--going on in our rooms.

Indeed, I can barely think of one person I know well whose academics have been affected in a major way by a resident tutor in his or her House.

While I do not advocate eliminating the system entirely, downsizing the program and making it more selective makes good sense. Not only would it free up large rooms and suites in the Houses, but it would also encourage the remaining tutors to play a more active role in the social fabric of the Houses. House officials should also seek ways to better utilize non-resident tutors, who can accomplish many of the goals of the resident tutorial system without living in the House.

To improve the system would take an enormous overhaul of business as usual at FAS. Because resident tutors do have a tenuous connection to the academic advising system that is largely run out of individual departments, changing the role of the tutor would necessarily involve a huge cross-section of individuals. But if the College is serious about finding more room in the House and about improving the advising system, the resident tutor system is a great place to start.

Still, does downscaling the resident tutorial system strike a fatal blow to the famed House system and risk turning our Houses into, gasp, plain old dorms? Certainly not. While resident tutors do play role in broadening the pool of people with whom students can interact and learn, plenty of other options exist to make this happen. The Houses' ailing senior common room system has the most potential to infuse the Houses with scholars. Yet in its current state, it too has a long way to go.

To be sure, I have enjoyed my share of great mealtime conversations with interesting tutors who live in my House. But the residential tutorial system should, in my opinion, provide more than good meal-time chats. Unless the system can be reinvigorated in such a way as to better justify devoting so many precious resources to the cause, the College would be wise to look to tutors first in the quest for more room in the Houses.

Scott A. Resnick '01 is a economics concentrator in Cabot House. His column appears on alternate Wednesdays.