As the University prepares for the opening of the four-year residential colleges in 2007, a proposal to remove assistant masters from the colleges has provoked concern among some Residential College Advisers (RCAs).
Currently, two graduate student assistant masters in each residential college act as liaisons between the undergraduate RCAs and the residential college staff, running core group meetings and giving advice to RCAs who ask. As of fall 2007, however, the assistant masters will be replaced with a director of student life and 10 graduate students in residence.
Because of the role assistant masters play in enhancing residential life, a number of RCAs have expressed concern with their removal.
"They are absolutely vital in residential colleges, and it saddens me that the position will be eliminated in 2007," Syon Bhanot '06, an RCA in Forbes College, said in an email. "I think college life will suffer as a result."
Other RCAs questioned the strength of the support system that the future directors of student life could offer.
"I firmly believe that the director of residential life position can take some of the burden off of the assistant masters," Mathey College RCA Elizabeth Dooley '07 said. "However, the director of residential life cannot completely supplant the role of the assistant masters without it being detrimental to the general support of the student body in the residential colleges."
Administrators anticipate that with the new plan, the graduate students in residence could be involved in different aspects of campus life, such as organizing special events, helping RCAs or working with the college master and director of student life.
"There will be many more opportunities for informal contact, and the graduate students will all have assigned roles in involving themselves with different aspects of the life of the college," David Stirk, master of Butler College, said.
Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel said graduate students have expressed their desire to be better integrated into the campus community.
"I think it will be very valuable for a significant number of graduate students to have the opportunity to participate in the life of the residential colleges." Malkiel said in an email. "We heard from a lot of graduate students that they'd like to have such opportunities."
Some students said they would welcome the increased contact between graduate and undergraduate students.
"I really don't have many relationships with grad students. This new system could be a good way for the grad students to get to know undergrads and make them feel more a part of the school." Jason Adams '09 said.
Others said the change would be minor.
"To be honest, I don't know who the assistant master of Butler College is," Kohler Johnson '08 said. "Frankly, as long as help is easily available to me when I need it, I really don't care whether we have one assistant master, 10 grad students or whatever."
Administrators said the position of assistant master was not attractive to most graduate students.
"My perception is that the job has been very time consuming for most assistant masters," Dean of the Graduate School William Russel said in an email. "The limited number of applications for the [assistant master] positions each year suggests that graduate students in general perceive it that way."
Russel said the decreased time commitment for the graduates in residence — no more than 10 hours per week — will attract "easily more applicants than for assistant masterships."
"That more limited commitment seems to be much more consistent with completing work toward the degree," Malkiel said.
But some students say the decreased time commitment of graduate students may hinder the work of the RCAs.
"I have found our assistant masters to be an invaluable source of support," Dooley said. "I cannot honestly imagine what future RCAs would do without being able to turn to them in a crisis."
The RCAs weren't consulted about the change, Bhanot said.
"I wish we were," he said. "I would have told them that it was a bad idea because we really need this position in the colleges. The people who will be most adversely affected will certainly be the RCAs who have come to rely on the guidance of these assistant masters."
Some RCAs, however, said they welcomed the anticipated changes.
"I think it will help the administrators, provide more access for undergraduates to more experienced students and it will help the RCAs by taking some of the pressure off by simply not having to be oldest in each dorm," Wilson College RCA Steve Armenti '07 said in an email.
No current assistant masters responded to requests for comment.
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