Word: proctoral
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...mistakes freshmen make is course selection is not taking prerequisites for potential concentrations. The problems is that proctors, the average freshman's only direct advising source, often lack a working familiarity with the courses and requirements of each department. It is very difficult for those proctors who did not graduate from Harvard Radcliffe to offer anything more than general advice on course selection. In addition, many proctors who did graduate from Harvard Radcliffe are only familiar with their own concentrations. Mr. Melamed explains that "for concentration advising, students are referred to individual departments to consult experts in their subject. "However...
...advising system here is less than perfect," however, what Mr. Melamed fails to realize is that freshmen need more specific information than is currently given and that the main thrust of the thrust of the Council's proposals is to supplement rather than displace the appropriate role of the proctor...
...Academics Committee is trying to set up a system in which upperclassmen would attend all doom proctor meetings on academic advising to answer freshmen's questions. As Mr. Melamed agrees, upperclassmen would offer a valuable yet different perspective from proctors. In particular, upper-class advisors would be able to describe current courses and trends within many academic departments and could direct freshmen to other students who have knowledge of departments and could direct freshmen to other students who have knowledge of departments the advisors do not know well. It is a needless waste of a resource not to employ...
...points of the Council's proposed "solution" is to have "upperclassmen...attend all dorm proctor meetings to answer freshmen's questions." The advice and experience of upperclassmen are valuable resources for freshmen, but there is not reason to think that undergraduates can give better advice about any concentration except their own. The advising system here is supposed to foster independent thinking, encouraged by concerned guidance. The College hires older people as proctors and advisers for a reason: their experience makes them better qualified to be a student's first source of counsel...
...certainly true that the advising system here is less than perfect, and I applaud the Undergraduate Council's interest in improving it. But the Council's characterization of freshman proctors is grossly unfair, and the proposed "solution" to the problem is no solution at all. Daniel R. Melamed '82 Proctor, Thayer Hall