Students, Faculty: Alienated?

Undergraduates often complain that their professors are not accessible enough. But some faculty members say the problem lies with students, who they say seem uninterested in meeting them.

Still other professors join students in bemoaning what they perceive as an institutionalized lack of personal contact between students and faculty.

"I try to catch [my professors] before and after class and they're mobbed," says Elaine Foo '98, an Economics concentrator. "There's always a line at office hours."

But some professors, such as Andrew P. Metrick, head tutor in Economics, say students mistakenly perceive that faculty who teach large courses are remote.

"The truth is that [we] professors...like students and want to talk to students," Metrick says. "The people who teach the big [classes do it] because we like it; we have no intention of turning students away."

Concentration-Dependent

Foo says the Economics department, which has some of the largest undergraduate courses at Harvard, can be a hard place for students to meet professors.

Howard S. Hechler '98 also laments the rarityof personal interaction between students andprofessors in large concentrations.

Hechler switched from English, one of thelargest concentrations, to Near Eastern Languagesand Civilizations, one of the smallest.

"I found that for the most part the professorsare more willing to take time out with studentsand more willing to talk [in Near EasternLanguages]," he says. "I [felt] like one tinyperson in a sea of English majors."

Metrick says that while introductory coursescan be large and impersonal, students have morecontact with their professors in upper levelcourses.

"To the extent that the Economics departmenthas large classes at the introductory andintermediate levels, [lack of contact betweenstudents and faculty] can be an issue," he says."At the higher levels there's only one or twoclasses that have more than 100. The other 20courses that we offer are relatively small."

Students often avoid professors during thesemester, Metrick says, but they flock to officehours before finals, causing long lines.

"I understand how students feel [about waitingin line at office hours] but the answer is to justknock on doors," he says. "Ask if you can comeanother time. People will say yes."

Foo says she blames herself for not having madeuse of faculty office hours.

"[I haven't met professors] most of all becauseI've not made the effort," she says. "I onlysought them out when my TF was not available."

`The Essence of Teaching'

Indeed, some students say they are not alwaysinterested in meeting with professors.

And Metrick says he and his colleagues oftenfind themselves alone during office hours.

"Over the course of a semester where I have 250students, if 30 come [to office hours] that'sprobably a lot. I don't know if the other 200don't care or if they feel like I'm too busy," hesays. "If the latter [is true] then they're notusing office hours wisely."

Hechler says he would rather go to his teachingfellow's office hours.

"I tend to get more out of interacting with the[teaching fellows] than the professors," he says."When I got to office hours with my TF I get abetter understanding of what they're trying toteach and the writing style they're looking for,and it's interesting to have a more indepthconversation [about the course material]."

Foo says contact with faculty is not necessaryto an undergraduate's education, but that it canhelp those who want it.

"If you want to do well in classes then contactwith faculty doesn't matter," she says. "[If youhave] questions outside of class that your [TF]can't answer, then speaking to professors would bereally good."

But List Professor of Jewish Studies Jon D.Levenson '71, who is Hechler's senior thesisadvisor, says there is no substitute for personalcontact between students and faculty.

"I don't think [TFs] provide the sameexperience as a person who has spent his or herlife thinking about this material and who hasdesigned the course," he says. "[Faculty contact]is the essence of teaching."

Metrick also says that interacting with facultyis part of the reason why students come toHarvard.

"People learn a lot from faculty, as they dofrom their fellow students," he says. "Otherwisewe could all just go home."

Some professors have found ways to reach out totheir students besides office hours, such asresearch assistantships and independent projects.

Richard C. Marius, senior lecturer in English,frequently takes his students to lunch.

"I don't think I've had lunch with a colleaguefor three months; it's been with students," hesays.

Still, Marius, who is a former master of AdamsHouse, says faculty cannot change the minds ofstudents who do not want to interact with them.

"It's hard to know when you're intruding on astudent," he says. "I always enjoy my students,[but] I don't want them to say 'What's this oldfart doing when I want to have lunch with myfriends."

Students and faculty both say that e-mail makesit easier for them to communicate.

"A lot of my professors prefer [e-mail]; it'san easy way for you to phrase a question and theydon't feel harassed. I've gotten very detailedreplies [from professors]," Hechler says.

Marius says that giving out his e-mail addressand holding a "McDonald's Milkshake Seminar" makesit easier for his students to seek him out duringoffice hours.

Yet Levenson is wary of relying on e-mail.

"[Teaching] can't be done only throughelectronic devices or writing. Some involvementwith the personality and character of the[professor] is important," he says.

Difficult to Legislate

Metrick says it is up to individual facultymembers to decide how much contact to have withstudents.

"You can't really legislate an attitude towardstudents," he says.

Students say the amount of contact facultymembers have with undergraduates varies fromprofessor to professor.

"[Levenson] spends half his time with studentsat office hours, [but] another [of my professors]was late to class and hardly made it to officehours," Hechler says.

He says the amount of contact faculty have withstudents determines how successful they are asteachers.

"The professors that have a lot of office hourshave a better idea of what the students want andwho the students are," he says. "[Those thatdon't], they don't know what the students know andwhat we want to hear and they're condescending."

Levenson blames the University for notencouraging contact between students and faculty.

"The rewards [for faculty] are not in theteaching," he says. "There's so muchadministration and institutes and programs andmuseums, [things that] aren't directlypedagogical, and there's a price for that."

Levenson says that when he graduated from theCollege, "there was not one tenured faculty memberin the English department who had me in class whoknew me from Adam."

While he attributes this to his own shyness, headds that Harvard's "over-worked faculty" aretempted to give teaching less attention than theirother responsibilities.

"Harvard tends to be very impersonal," he says."It's a good place [for undergraduates] if youknow what you want to study. If you don't you getlost in the shuffle."

Levenson dubs Cores with many TFs"mega-courses" and says they "are not to thecredit of the University."

While undergraduates can periodically invitefaculty to eat with them at the Houses' FacultyDinners, Levenson says more structured,intellectual exchanges between students andfaculty are necessary.

"Schmoozing over coffee doesn't do it," hesays.

Metrick says Harvard is by its nature moreimpersonal than some students and faculty wouldlike.

"You have to be aggressive. That's Harvard," hesays. "At Swarthmore faculty knock on your door;here you have to knock on our doors, but we'llopen them."CrimsonMelissa K. CrockerMOB SCENE: STACY M. ABDER '99 speakswith Gurney Professor of English and LiteratureDEREK A. PEARSALL yesterday after a lecture in"Literature and Arts A-12: The Story of Arthur."Students often try to catch their professors afterclass instead of venturing into office hours.

Howard S. Hechler '98 also laments the rarityof personal interaction between students andprofessors in large concentrations.

Hechler switched from English, one of thelargest concentrations, to Near Eastern Languagesand Civilizations, one of the smallest.

"I found that for the most part the professorsare more willing to take time out with studentsand more willing to talk [in Near EasternLanguages]," he says. "I [felt] like one tinyperson in a sea of English majors."

Metrick says that while introductory coursescan be large and impersonal, students have morecontact with their professors in upper levelcourses.

"To the extent that the Economics departmenthas large classes at the introductory andintermediate levels, [lack of contact betweenstudents and faculty] can be an issue," he says."At the higher levels there's only one or twoclasses that have more than 100. The other 20courses that we offer are relatively small."

Students often avoid professors during thesemester, Metrick says, but they flock to officehours before finals, causing long lines.

"I understand how students feel [about waitingin line at office hours] but the answer is to justknock on doors," he says. "Ask if you can comeanother time. People will say yes."

Foo says she blames herself for not having madeuse of faculty office hours.

"[I haven't met professors] most of all becauseI've not made the effort," she says. "I onlysought them out when my TF was not available."

`The Essence of Teaching'

Indeed, some students say they are not alwaysinterested in meeting with professors.

And Metrick says he and his colleagues oftenfind themselves alone during office hours.

"Over the course of a semester where I have 250students, if 30 come [to office hours] that'sprobably a lot. I don't know if the other 200don't care or if they feel like I'm too busy," hesays. "If the latter [is true] then they're notusing office hours wisely."

Hechler says he would rather go to his teachingfellow's office hours.

"I tend to get more out of interacting with the[teaching fellows] than the professors," he says."When I got to office hours with my TF I get abetter understanding of what they're trying toteach and the writing style they're looking for,and it's interesting to have a more indepthconversation [about the course material]."

Foo says contact with faculty is not necessaryto an undergraduate's education, but that it canhelp those who want it.

"If you want to do well in classes then contactwith faculty doesn't matter," she says. "[If youhave] questions outside of class that your [TF]can't answer, then speaking to professors would bereally good."

But List Professor of Jewish Studies Jon D.Levenson '71, who is Hechler's senior thesisadvisor, says there is no substitute for personalcontact between students and faculty.

"I don't think [TFs] provide the sameexperience as a person who has spent his or herlife thinking about this material and who hasdesigned the course," he says. "[Faculty contact]is the essence of teaching."

Metrick also says that interacting with facultyis part of the reason why students come toHarvard.

"People learn a lot from faculty, as they dofrom their fellow students," he says. "Otherwisewe could all just go home."

Some professors have found ways to reach out totheir students besides office hours, such asresearch assistantships and independent projects.

Richard C. Marius, senior lecturer in English,frequently takes his students to lunch.

"I don't think I've had lunch with a colleaguefor three months; it's been with students," hesays.

Still, Marius, who is a former master of AdamsHouse, says faculty cannot change the minds ofstudents who do not want to interact with them.

"It's hard to know when you're intruding on astudent," he says. "I always enjoy my students,[but] I don't want them to say 'What's this oldfart doing when I want to have lunch with myfriends."

Students and faculty both say that e-mail makesit easier for them to communicate.

"A lot of my professors prefer [e-mail]; it'san easy way for you to phrase a question and theydon't feel harassed. I've gotten very detailedreplies [from professors]," Hechler says.

Marius says that giving out his e-mail addressand holding a "McDonald's Milkshake Seminar" makesit easier for his students to seek him out duringoffice hours.

Yet Levenson is wary of relying on e-mail.

"[Teaching] can't be done only throughelectronic devices or writing. Some involvementwith the personality and character of the[professor] is important," he says.

Difficult to Legislate

Metrick says it is up to individual facultymembers to decide how much contact to have withstudents.

"You can't really legislate an attitude towardstudents," he says.

Students say the amount of contact facultymembers have with undergraduates varies fromprofessor to professor.

"[Levenson] spends half his time with studentsat office hours, [but] another [of my professors]was late to class and hardly made it to officehours," Hechler says.

He says the amount of contact faculty have withstudents determines how successful they are asteachers.

"The professors that have a lot of office hourshave a better idea of what the students want andwho the students are," he says. "[Those thatdon't], they don't know what the students know andwhat we want to hear and they're condescending."

Levenson blames the University for notencouraging contact between students and faculty.

"The rewards [for faculty] are not in theteaching," he says. "There's so muchadministration and institutes and programs andmuseums, [things that] aren't directlypedagogical, and there's a price for that."

Levenson says that when he graduated from theCollege, "there was not one tenured faculty memberin the English department who had me in class whoknew me from Adam."

While he attributes this to his own shyness, headds that Harvard's "over-worked faculty" aretempted to give teaching less attention than theirother responsibilities.

"Harvard tends to be very impersonal," he says."It's a good place [for undergraduates] if youknow what you want to study. If you don't you getlost in the shuffle."

Levenson dubs Cores with many TFs"mega-courses" and says they "are not to thecredit of the University."

While undergraduates can periodically invitefaculty to eat with them at the Houses' FacultyDinners, Levenson says more structured,intellectual exchanges between students andfaculty are necessary.

"Schmoozing over coffee doesn't do it," hesays.

Metrick says Harvard is by its nature moreimpersonal than some students and faculty wouldlike.

"You have to be aggressive. That's Harvard," hesays. "At Swarthmore faculty knock on your door;here you have to knock on our doors, but we'llopen them."CrimsonMelissa K. CrockerMOB SCENE: STACY M. ABDER '99 speakswith Gurney Professor of English and LiteratureDEREK A. PEARSALL yesterday after a lecture in"Literature and Arts A-12: The Story of Arthur."Students often try to catch their professors afterclass instead of venturing into office hours.