"Neither prefects nor other undergraduates may see the student records on which comprehensive and appropriately-informed advising needs to be based," Nathans writes.
Some proctors agree that access to records gives them an advantage over potential peer advisors.
"The confidential information is very helpful," says James I. White, a proctor in Greenough.
But White also notes that many students decide to explore academic areas at Harvard that depart from what they were interested in in high school.
Others are not convinced that peer advisors would be at a serious disadvantage in giving good advice because of their lack of access to a student's academic records.
"I think that information is incredibly irrelevant," Melanie A. Brennand '01, a former officer of the Prefect Program. "As far as I'm concerned, everyone starts on a clean slate here."
THE ROLE OF A PREFECT
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