WHERE TO HARVARD?

Under a modified tutorial system, with some men dropping out of the system after Sophomore year, the tutors now employed would find themselves with a greatly reduced number of tutees to take care of and their work would be lightened considerably. To answer the financial problem the number of tutors could be reduced under this plan. Further, all professors in every department should be required to take care of a few of the more promising tutees, inasmuch as these older men, theoretically, would make the best tutors and would stimulate students to greater study. This would allow for a further reduction in the number of faculty men, a lighter burden on each man, and higher salaries.

At present tutors are over-worked, nervous, unsure of advancement because a lack of funds limits the number of highly paid positions open. With the above change, schedules would be lightened and the tension would be removed partially. To remove completely this tension, tenure in office should be guaranteed by longer appointments. All tutors should be given a preliminary contract guaranteeing two years of work; at the conclusion of this period they should either be dismissed or given a five year, or longer, appointment. This would remove entirely the insecurity which plagues tutors at present and would allow them adequate time to prove their worth. At the end of this second appointment, when tutors would be between 30 and 40, they should be finally dismissed or advanced to higher positions.

To standardize and control further the work done by tutors, careful records should be kept for each man outlining the number of tutees he is caring for, the number of hours which he is spending in teaching (course work), the amount of research he is doing, and the time spent in administrative work (correcting bluebooks, etc.). minimum and maximum standards should be set up here and tutors freed from the disorganization which is all too apparent at present.

Mr. Conant has unfortunately (and perhaps because of finances necessarily) inspired too great a fear of God in his faculty. It is imperative that this situation be cleared up; men cannot work efficiently with a sharpened axe too close to their necks.