All Upperclassmen Asked To Evaluate College Life

The University will begin surveying all undergraduates in the residential houses this weekend, asking them to comment on the quality of Harvard academics and student life, the director of the Office of Instructional Research and Evaluation (OIRE) said yesterday.

The survey will include questions about race relations, the quality of academic advising, faculty accessibility, sexual harassment, career counseling, alcohol and drug use and the lottery system.

OIRE director Dean K. Whitla said it would be "very helpful in getting a sense of various undergraduate activities, education and extracurriculars."

Georgene B. Herschbach '62, director of Harvard's Office of Special Programs and a member of the committee drafting the survey, said she hoped three-quarters of the students would respond.

"This is an opportunity for the undergraduates really to express their opinions in a formal sense to the community as a whole," Whitla said.

The last student life survey was conducted in 1982, although the University had previously distributed. such questionnaires about every three years. Whitla gave no reason for the delay. He said an attempt to run the poll last spring simply "didn't happen."

Results of the 18-page questionnaire "will be made broadly available" after tabulation this spring, when President Bok will chair an open forum for students to discuss them, Whitla said.

Winthrop House Master James A. Davis '55, called the project "Bok's baby," and said the president had urged OIRE to conduct a broad survey.

Whitla said the survey expands on "house life" questionnaires traditionally distributed every few years to selected house residents. The current "College life" survey will have a wider scope and reach more students, Whitla said. He said the survey would cover "a waterfront" of undergraduate issues instead of focusing on the residential houses.

Today Bok, administrators, house masters, house committee and Undergraduate Council members will meet to discuss the final draft of the survey. Whitla said the survey will be released tostudents as soon as the masters approve it,probably this weekend.

Davis said that after the last "house life"survey in 1982, "there was some concern among themasters whether some specific questions made it abeauty contest of houses and tutors."

A subcommittee that the masters formed todiscuss the 1982 survey recently joined Collegeadministrators and Whitla in drafting the newquestionnaire, Davis said. He added that hebelieved a large, comprehensive study couldprovide a better picture of the College than couldsmaller surveys conducted by different offices.

Whitla said the committee asked severalUniversity offices to contribute survey topicsearlier this year. He said the Office of CareerServices, the Bureau of Study Counsel, and severalacademic departments and committees were among thegroups that responded.

The Undergraduate Council also contributed twoquestions--one asking students whether they wouldprefer to take fall semester examinations beforethe holiday break, and another asking whether anew student center would improve undergraduatesocial life, said Council Chairman Evan J. Mandery'89.

Already the survey has drawn attention fromother universities because of its size and scope,said Herschbach. She said the universities hadasked for copies of the final survey