General Interest: Apply to be a Freshman Proctor
A proctor is a Harvard graduate student or officer who lives in the historic freshman dorms and serves as the primary academic, residential, social, and personal adviser to a group of first-year students at Harvard College.
The Role of the Proctor
The proctor’s role takes three forms. Providing academic information and guidance is, of course, the key to an effective advising system, and each proctor must develop knowledge of general and specific course and degree requirements as they apply to his or her group of students. Proctors are expected to help students plan course schedules, aid students when they encounter academic difficulties, and think through course programs and concentration plans with students. The proctor will not always have all the answers students seek, but knowledge of where to find the answers and a willingness to help students seek them out will be of inestimable benefit to the students he or she serves.
Because the proctor is an adviser who lives in the dormitories, he or she also provides important personal and social counsel as first-year students adjust to life in the
College community and make the individual and group decisions mandated by the freedom they enjoy as undergraduates. Finally, as an officer of the University, each proctor plays a disciplinary role. He or she is responsible for understanding, conforming to, and implementing the rules and regulations of Harvard College, as well as working with senior members of the College administration to balance appropriately these disciplinary responsibilities with his or her role as counselor and advocate.
Requirements for Eligibility
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Enrollment as a degree candidate in a Harvard graduate or professional school, or a minimum of half-time employment in the University in an exempt position. Candidates for appointment are expected to document their University affiliation at the time of application. If affiliation is pending, candidates must provide documentation of their affiliation by May 1.
• For initial appointment, preference for two or more years availability to serve as a proctor.
• Evidence of sensitivity, maturity, and judgment in dealings with peers, professional colleagues, and younger men and women.
• Commitment to learn about the academic and curricular opportunities available to first-year students at Harvard.
Application Process
The application will be available at fdo.fas.harvard.edu on Monday, December 3. The application requires biographical data, responses to three short essay questions, and three letters of recommendation. Completed applications and all supporting materials should be submitted by 12:00 noon, Monday, January 14, 2008. Candidates selected as finalists for appointment will be interviewed during January, February, and March. Application is located on the ORL website at http://www.orl.fas.harvard.edu
Want to learn more?
Please join us for a brief presentation and an informal question-and-answer session with real live proctors and Deans on:
Tuesday, December 11 at 6 PM in the Straus Common Room (Between Mass Hall and Lehman Hall in the Yard) fdo.fas.harvard.edu (617) 495-1574
Harvard College Freshman Dean’s Office