Dean Leighton Reveals Drastic Changes in Advising Freshmen

Dean Leighton's long-awaited revision of the Freshman advising system was revealed yesterday with his proposals to the Board of Freshman Advisers. The dean's plans have already been approved for 1938-39 by President Conant and Dean Birkhoff.

Recognizing the "great complexity of making adjustments in the teaching load," the dean announces that part-time instructors in the Freshman courses, who are not Tutors, will receive direct payments for advising. Resident Advisers (the three Head Proctors and those other Proctors who also are Freshman course instructors) will receive allowances for all meals taken in the Union, instead of two per day as under the present system.

Under the plan the Board of Advisers will be reduced from 84 to 60 "because of the budgetary necessity" and also to make the board compact enough to discuss together problems of guidance. Appointments for next year will be announced by May 10, it is hoped.

Furthermore Dean Leighton will call on his next year's staff to comply with three recommendations:

(1) "That he will consult each of his Freshmen at five specific times and shall keep announced office hours at least two different hours per week";

(2) "That he will be responsible for taking the initiative, if necessary, for seeing each of his Freshmen often enough to ensure that he is reasonably well informed of the student's progress";

(3) "That he will be willing to come to two or three meetings per year, at the request of the Chairman of the Board, to discuss with other Advisers and administrative officers problems of policy in the guidance of Freshmen."

The five interviews called for will come, the statement says, one in September, a second after two or three weeks, a third after the November grades are out, a fourth in December for discussion of second-half year courses, and a fifth after mid-years "with specific reference to plans about concentration, distribution, and Houses."