Board wants mailboxes for students

The SAS Dean's Advisory Board will push for departments to provide majors with mailboxes in or near the department office, Chairperson Susan Begelman said. The School of Arts and Sciences board met with the SAS deans this month to discuss their plans for the year, which were highlighted by the mailbox proposal. The goal is to increase contact both between majors, faculty members, and the departments as a whole. The mailboxes could also be used to provide students with information about research positions, jobs, internships, and lectures. "The major concern was the lack in many departments of undergraduates identifying with their major," Begelman said. Begelman said letters proposing the mailboxes will go out to departments soon. The boxes would be located in the building where each department is headquartered. Norman Adler, the associate undergraduate dean, said yesterday that the College is considering linking students through the use of E-mail, the University's electronic mail network. Begelman said the student board has discussed that option, but she emphasized that it would be years before such a plan could be implemented. Advising, which has been a major concern for several years, took a back seat this year. Begelman said that advising has expanded and improved over the last two years partially as a result of her board's work. Advising in the College is now a residence-based program, with peer advisors and faculty members working together. Adler said the students on the board told him there was almost too much advising for the current freshman class. "It was the best bad news I've had all week," Adler said.

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