New Face in the Yard

Like the new tenant in an old house, Elizabeth S. Nathans is rearranging the furniture.

Since she assumed the post of dean of first-year students early this summer, Nathans has turned the entryway of the Freshman Dean's Office (FDO) into a comfortable waiting room. And on the third floor, she has added chairs for senior advisors and visiting students to use.

"I called Dean Jewett the other day to tell him I had bought some furniture for the office with my own money, and that if I ever leave this place it's going with me," said Nathans last week as she took a break from moving FDO chairs. "He seemed shocked; I guess people don't do that sort of thing around here."

As the New England native settles into her Prescott Street digs, it seems likely that Nathans will eventually alter more than just the FDO floor plan.

Some Harvard insiders say they expect the former associate dean of Trinity College at Duke University to institute sweeping changes in first-year advising and in the FDO's relationship with the greater Harvard community.

"It won't take Dean Nathans very long since she's done this at Duke," says Henry C. Moses, former dean of first-year students and now headmaster of Trinity School in New York City. "And she certainly doesn't need old advice from the likes of me."

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 says while he expects significant changes in the structure of first year at Harvard, he does not expect them in Nathans' first year.

"I think she will make some changes, but won't change things overnight," said Jewett. "She wants to go through it for a year."

Nathans says she herself won't discuss specific changes until a student committee presents its recommendations to Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57. But in an interview last week, Nathans spoke like someone who is thinking of shaking things up.

For example, she will talk about being impressed with the Harvard community's "tolerance for experimentation," in the same breath as she will discuss her concerns about first-year advising.

"In a place that has a lot of reverence for tradition, it's nice to see a willingness to try something new," she says.

Nathans, who is in her early 50s, comes to Harvard well qualified for the task ahead. Duke's Pre-Major Advising Center, which Nathans founded in 1988 and directed until this spring, is a national leader in undergraduate advising.

At Duke, each first-year student is assigned an adviser who is either a faculty member or a senior administrator. Advisers are required to sit for six three-hour sessions each semester, during which they meet with advisees face to face.

Ninety-six percent of the advisers return eachyear, and the program became so popular thatcenter officials say they had to keep a waitinglist of more than two dozen faculty members andadministrators who wanted to be advisers.

"We schedule the faculty and students ourselvesto make them get together," says John W. Zarker,interim director of the center. "We twist theirarms and get them there."

In addition, each academic department at Dukeemploys a director of undergraduate studies whohelps coordinate student advising with the center,says Zarker, a faculty advisor when Nathans wasdirector.

"These people answer the phones themselves, andthey know how to get things done," he says.

Some Duke administrators believe their systemwould also be successful at Harvard. And some sayNathans is the person to do it.

When asked about Nathans, former colleaguesspeak in tones that betray awe. Known by thenickname "Ibby," the Vassar College graduate iswell-known for reporting to campus before 7 a.m.on some workdays and for always wearing a beeper,two practices she plans to continue at Harvard.

"She instilled an amazing loyalty inpeople--staff and students," says Zarker. "You allgot a real gem up there."

Nathans has refrained from criticizing theHarvard system of advising, offering onlysuggestions for increased faculty and departmentalparticipations in first-year lives.

But Nathans says her office is sure to "take aclose look" at both first-year orientation weekand at concentration advising.

When she was first appointed dean in April,Nathans said the Duke model--with its emphasis onclose faculty contact--would emasculate Harvard'sproctor system. And in an interview last week, shesaid the Duke system differed significantly fromHarvard's because Duke prohibited proctors fromacademic advising and offered financial incentivesfor faculty participation.

Nathans says she strongly supports Harvard'ssystem of using graduate students as proctors inthe dorms. While schools like Brown university andPrinceton University have used undergraduates tosupervise first year dorms, Nathans says thatHarvard's policy of giving academic records to itsadvisers means that graduate students must serveas proctors.

"None of us would ever want to see anundergraduate with access to all the records that[the FDO] or the Admissions Office see," Nathanssays.

The former first-year dean, however, saysHarvard's advising system is not in dire need ofreform.

"There were always students who felt theydidn't get the attention they needed," says Moses."Complaints won't go away even if you reform theadvising system. Even in a system as individuallyresponsive as Harvard's, there are problems."

Another concern of Nathans is orientation week.The dean says she feels that the event may be tooexhausting and some of the presentations tooantagonistic.

"Right now, the freshman orientation is just athing on the calendar with yellow markings tellingme where I'm supposed to go," says Nathans. "InOctober sometime, I'm going to get a group to sitdown...and just see what it is we're trying to dowith orientation week."

Harvard's orientation week, with its mix of icecream bashes, placement tests and scripteddiscussions, is nearly identical to those of otherprestigious schools.

Some schools, however, are beginning to softentheir approach. At Brown, the first discussion ofacademic and personal conduct was heldout-of-doors, with the University band playingnearby.

"It's really kind of campy," says Brown'sAssociate Dean of the College Armando Bengochea."We try to mix serious subjects and fun things todo without mixing signals."

And in second semester of the first year,Nathans says she is concerned about the closeproximity of concentration choice deadlines andthe housing lottery. She worries that students maybe more attentive to housing choices than theirconcentration decisions.

Nathans says she has begun discussing thesubject informally with Dean of UndergraduateEducation Lawrence Buell, Dean of the FacultyJeremy R. Knowles and Jewett during the summer.

"It's an extraordinary conjunction of seeminglyearth shattering decisions," the dean says."You've just gotten settled in here, and thenyou're unsettled."

When talking about the future, Nathans says sheis looking forward to reorganizing the FreshmanDean's Office.

Restructuring is necessary, she says, becausemany FDO workers have responsibilities elsewherein the University and because of budget cuts inthe Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

And then there's the matter of the FDO lounge,which may need more rearranging.

Says Nathans, "In time, we'll fill that roomwith contemporary magazines and newspapers, alongwith hot chocolate, coffee and cider.

Ninety-six percent of the advisers return eachyear, and the program became so popular thatcenter officials say they had to keep a waitinglist of more than two dozen faculty members andadministrators who wanted to be advisers.

"We schedule the faculty and students ourselvesto make them get together," says John W. Zarker,interim director of the center. "We twist theirarms and get them there."

In addition, each academic department at Dukeemploys a director of undergraduate studies whohelps coordinate student advising with the center,says Zarker, a faculty advisor when Nathans wasdirector.

"These people answer the phones themselves, andthey know how to get things done," he says.

Some Duke administrators believe their systemwould also be successful at Harvard. And some sayNathans is the person to do it.

When asked about Nathans, former colleaguesspeak in tones that betray awe. Known by thenickname "Ibby," the Vassar College graduate iswell-known for reporting to campus before 7 a.m.on some workdays and for always wearing a beeper,two practices she plans to continue at Harvard.

"She instilled an amazing loyalty inpeople--staff and students," says Zarker. "You allgot a real gem up there."

Nathans has refrained from criticizing theHarvard system of advising, offering onlysuggestions for increased faculty and departmentalparticipations in first-year lives.

But Nathans says her office is sure to "take aclose look" at both first-year orientation weekand at concentration advising.

When she was first appointed dean in April,Nathans said the Duke model--with its emphasis onclose faculty contact--would emasculate Harvard'sproctor system. And in an interview last week, shesaid the Duke system differed significantly fromHarvard's because Duke prohibited proctors fromacademic advising and offered financial incentivesfor faculty participation.

Nathans says she strongly supports Harvard'ssystem of using graduate students as proctors inthe dorms. While schools like Brown university andPrinceton University have used undergraduates tosupervise first year dorms, Nathans says thatHarvard's policy of giving academic records to itsadvisers means that graduate students must serveas proctors.

"None of us would ever want to see anundergraduate with access to all the records that[the FDO] or the Admissions Office see," Nathanssays.

The former first-year dean, however, saysHarvard's advising system is not in dire need ofreform.

"There were always students who felt theydidn't get the attention they needed," says Moses."Complaints won't go away even if you reform theadvising system. Even in a system as individuallyresponsive as Harvard's, there are problems."

Another concern of Nathans is orientation week.The dean says she feels that the event may be tooexhausting and some of the presentations tooantagonistic.

"Right now, the freshman orientation is just athing on the calendar with yellow markings tellingme where I'm supposed to go," says Nathans. "InOctober sometime, I'm going to get a group to sitdown...and just see what it is we're trying to dowith orientation week."

Harvard's orientation week, with its mix of icecream bashes, placement tests and scripteddiscussions, is nearly identical to those of otherprestigious schools.

Some schools, however, are beginning to softentheir approach. At Brown, the first discussion ofacademic and personal conduct was heldout-of-doors, with the University band playingnearby.

"It's really kind of campy," says Brown'sAssociate Dean of the College Armando Bengochea."We try to mix serious subjects and fun things todo without mixing signals."

And in second semester of the first year,Nathans says she is concerned about the closeproximity of concentration choice deadlines andthe housing lottery. She worries that students maybe more attentive to housing choices than theirconcentration decisions.

Nathans says she has begun discussing thesubject informally with Dean of UndergraduateEducation Lawrence Buell, Dean of the FacultyJeremy R. Knowles and Jewett during the summer.

"It's an extraordinary conjunction of seeminglyearth shattering decisions," the dean says."You've just gotten settled in here, and thenyou're unsettled."

When talking about the future, Nathans says sheis looking forward to reorganizing the FreshmanDean's Office.

Restructuring is necessary, she says, becausemany FDO workers have responsibilities elsewherein the University and because of budget cuts inthe Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

And then there's the matter of the FDO lounge,which may need more rearranging.

Says Nathans, "In time, we'll fill that roomwith contemporary magazines and newspapers, alongwith hot chocolate, coffee and cider.