RGSes need accountability

Next year, as part of its new structure, each residential college will have nine to 10 "Resident Graduate Students" living in that college. As set out in the "Report of the Four-Year College Program Planning Committee," RGSes could serve as writing fellows, organize film series and musical performances and advise students who have interests in their particular fields. These are excellent ideas, and we agree that the focus of these new RGSes should be to add to the intellectual and social life of each of the colleges. We fear that the position currently lacks real definition, however, and that it will follow in the steps of other residential college positions that do not substantively benefit undergraduates.

Graduate work at any university is all-consuming when it comes to time. Indeed, the report admits that the current assistant masters have severe trouble balancing graduate work and their halftime jobs in the residential colleges. It cites these time conflicts as precisely the reason for why the assistant master positions should be eliminated. The new RGSes, on the other hand, will only be expected to spend a maximum of 10 hours interacting with undergraduates each week, including time spent in the dining halls. But this too is problematic. Since each RGS will have around eight meals a week in the college dining hall, the graduate students will have precious little of those 10 hours left over after meals to serve as truly effective advisors, or organize large, extended events such as a film or musical performance series.

There is also the matter of oversight. As previously mentioned, the assistant masters have historically interacted very little with the undergraduates in the colleges, and the masters have not done anything substantial to ameliorate this situation. Therefore, it is vital that every college master ensures that the RGSes are putting in the time and effort required to add to the intellectual and social vibrancy of his or her residential college. The masters should regularly follow up with undergraduates to make sure that their needs are being met by the RGSes.

The creation of the RGS position is intended to serve as a constructive addition to residential college life. It will be a waste of college resources and space, however, if the RGSes, having been given the best rooms in the colleges and free meals in the dining halls only organize one or two disparate, ill-attended programs over the course of a semester or year. We hope that the University, the college masters and the RGSes themselves will keep this in mind as they make plans for next year.