EFFICIENCY OR SYMPATHY

The College has been fortunate in solving the difficult problem of finding capable Deans; not only have the majority of them been equipped to carry out the administrative work of their office, but more important, they have possessed an understanding of undergraduate problems. Although it seems to be an almost impossible feat to find a group of men who combine these two abilities, Harvard has seemed to succeed reasonably well in its task.

The problem comes to the fore with the realization that a successor to Dean Keyes, whose impending resignation has just been announced, must be chosen. To be sure, he must be efficient, and he must be well trained in the administrative duties of his office, but above all he must lend a sympathetic ear to the troubles which confront every undergraduate. For while the first qualities can be found among other officers of the University, a dean alone is placed in the role of father-confessor.

From the undergraduate point of view, the dean must be a person whom he respects and trusts. When he enters the rather dreaded precincts of University Hall, it is a sympathetic comprehension of his problems, rather than a dictatorial insistence, which can exert a beneficial influence over him. Most of the troubles which these officials have to deal with are magnified out of their importance; it takes a friendly technique to show them to their proper place.

So the choice of a successor to Dean Keyes must be made with great care. There must be no intrusion of the automaton or robot into University Hall. It must be a man who possesses those rare qualities of patience, sympathy, and understanding.