Nathans to Be Frosh Dean

Duke University Associate Dean Elizabeth S. Nathans accepted the post of dean of first-year students yesterday morning, Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 announced yesterday.

Nathans will take over from acting Dean of Freshman Virginia L. Mackay-Smith '78, who has filled the post since Henry C. Moses stepped down last year.

Jewett said Nathans, who was offered the job earlier this week, combines the teaching and administrative experience important to running the Freshman Dean's Office (FDO).

Having served as the dean of first-year students at Duke University from 1971 to 1972, Nathans will be familiar with the demands of her new job, said Jewett. Nathans is currently associate dean of Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke--a post she has held since 1972.

Nathans said yesterday she was enthusisastic about the opportunity to shape Harvard's FDO, which she said "is a model for everyone else who runs [such a] program."

Calling her experience with first-year students "extraordinary," Jewett said Nathans will bring a "new perspective" to the FDO and can incorporate her "broad range of experience at another institution" into her work here.

Nathans will direct the reform of the first-year advising system, having already carried out a "very successful advising program with a lot of faculty participation" at Duke, Jewett said. Nathans established Duke's Pre-Major Advising Center in 1988 and has directed it ever since.

Nathans' advising center is the "leading pre-major advising center in the country," according to Richard A. White, Duke's vice provost for undergraduate affairs and dean of Trinity College.

But Nathans said the Duke model of advising, in which students are assigned to faculty advisors, would not apply to Harvard because the two systems have evolved so differently.

"The Duke model would absolutely emasculate the Havard proctor system," she said.

She did say, however, that Harvard's currentacademic advising system could be extended toacademic departments to ease the transition forfirst-years to their concentrators.

Duke administrators yesterday praised Nathansfor her work at Duke.

"It will be an incredible loss for thisUniversity," said Suzanne J. Wasiolek, dean forstudent life at Duke. "I'm very proud of the factthat she will be able to share all of thewonderful things she does with Harvard."

Wasiolek also emphasized Nathans' interest instudent affairs.

"She has been on call 24 hours a day for allfirst-year students and sophomores at TrinityCollege," Wasiolek said.

And White said Nathans has "guided andcounseled years worth of undergraduates here."

But Jewett said Nathans is not likely to launchextensive reforms of the FDO early next year.

"She probably will not leap in and make changesimmediately without spending some time and gettingto know the place," said Jewett. "She has noready-made agenda to make overnight changes."

Nathans said she hoped Mackay-Smith would stayon at the FDO in a "very senior position."

The decision to tap Nathans culminates anextensive and secretive search spearheaded by12-person faculty and 12-person studentcommittees, and marks the first time students haveparticipated in a dean search.

Jewett praised the role of the studentcommittee in the search process.

"They did an extraordinary job of keeping thesearch confidential, which is usually one of thearguments used against having students involved insearches," said Jewett. "They gave a huge amountof time and excellent suggestions."

Jewett also said he supports further studentinvolvement in College dean searches, suggesting ajoint student-faculty committee instead of twoseparate committees.

"I now feel very confident that it could work,"he said

She did say, however, that Harvard's currentacademic advising system could be extended toacademic departments to ease the transition forfirst-years to their concentrators.

Duke administrators yesterday praised Nathansfor her work at Duke.

"It will be an incredible loss for thisUniversity," said Suzanne J. Wasiolek, dean forstudent life at Duke. "I'm very proud of the factthat she will be able to share all of thewonderful things she does with Harvard."

Wasiolek also emphasized Nathans' interest instudent affairs.

"She has been on call 24 hours a day for allfirst-year students and sophomores at TrinityCollege," Wasiolek said.

And White said Nathans has "guided andcounseled years worth of undergraduates here."

But Jewett said Nathans is not likely to launchextensive reforms of the FDO early next year.

"She probably will not leap in and make changesimmediately without spending some time and gettingto know the place," said Jewett. "She has noready-made agenda to make overnight changes."

Nathans said she hoped Mackay-Smith would stayon at the FDO in a "very senior position."

The decision to tap Nathans culminates anextensive and secretive search spearheaded by12-person faculty and 12-person studentcommittees, and marks the first time students haveparticipated in a dean search.

Jewett praised the role of the studentcommittee in the search process.

"They did an extraordinary job of keeping thesearch confidential, which is usually one of thearguments used against having students involved insearches," said Jewett. "They gave a huge amountof time and excellent suggestions."

Jewett also said he supports further studentinvolvement in College dean searches, suggesting ajoint student-faculty committee instead of twoseparate committees.

"I now feel very confident that it could work,"he said