FDO, Council Will Try Out New Freshman Advising Plan

An Undergraduate Council plan to provide freshmen with upperclass advisors will get a trial run next semester, officials of the Freshmen Dean's Office (FDO) said yesterday.

The council's Academics Committee, which drew up the plan for linking one or two upperclassmen to each proctoral group, presented it to the FDO and other University officials in a meeting yesterday morning.

A scaled-down version of the plan will go into effect this Spring with 18 upperclassmen assigned to 12 proctors and their freshmen, said Dean of Freshman Henry C. Moses.

A special committee made up of members of the Academics committee, Moses, Associate Dean of Freshman Susan D. Lewis, and Dean for Advising and Counseling Mack I. Davis will select the upperclassmen based on suggestions from the council and the freshmen senior advisors.

It the student, and proctors react favorably to the program, Moses added, the committee could implement the full plan in the fall.

In addition to providing academic counseling, the upperclassmen will be encouraged to share with freshmen more informal knowledge on topics such as extracurricular activities and study habits, said Brian C. Offutt '87, chairman of the Academics committee.

"We basically want to provide upperclassmen friends for freshmen who don't have them," said Melissa S. Lane '88, a member of the Academics Committee.

Lewis said the council's proposal is the first of its kind in the twelve years that she has worked in the FDO.

Students Helping Students and other earlier, short-lived programs matched individual upperclassmen and freshmen. Lewis said she sees the council's plan as more promising because it doesn't require two students to form a close relationship through a match up program.

Moses said he favored the proposal because unlike past suggestions, students will work through the FDO established advising channels.

Moses added that he wants to make sure that the students complement the efforts of proctors.

"Peter Robey, a freshman proctor, said upperclassmen "could only help" proctors guide freshman through the decisions and dilemmas of their first year

At some point next spring the committee will meet with all those involved in the pilot program to discuss its benefits and drawbacks, Offut said.