By Conor Friedersdorf
News Editor

Pomona's sponsor program is extremely effective in helping first years, according to 26 sponsors who took part in a recent TSL survey examining the state of the sponsor program. Sponsors were asked 16 questions on a range of topics including sponsor training, the effectiveness of head sponsors, and the biggest problems that face the sponsor program overall.

The student-run program, which pairs all first-year students with floor mates and sponsors, has faced scrutiny in the past year after members of the administration removed two of last year's sponsors without consulting the program's student leaders.

Overall, this year's sponsors give favorable ratings to the program as a whole,and to Head Sponsors Laura Rosen'01, Brian Schwartz'01, and Nick Lewis'02.

But while confidence in the overall program is high, a majority of sponsors alsoexpressed several concerns: the perceived gray area surrounding the grounds for being de-sponsored, the idea that the administration is infringing upon the program's student leadership, and the extent to which sponsors are considered employees of the college.

The first portion of the survey focused on sponsor training, which received an average rating of 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Interviewed sponsors agreed almost unanimously that training provided excellent preparation for handling serious? issues such as eating disorders, depression, and substance abuse.

The most commonly perceived shortcomings involved issues like setting up voice mail, signing up for student employment, and dealing with housekeeping and maintenance concerns. Many sponsors complained of an inability to answer questions about such day-to-day matters.

Asked to comment on the survey results, Head Sponsor Brian Schwartz said, "We have to weigh all of the things that we're offering in training." Noting that sponsors could only absorb a limited amount of information in such a short period, he said, "it's essential that [sponsors] know how to deal with the more serious stuff."

Assistant Dean of Campus Life Frank Bedoya, who provides staff support and guidance for the sponsor program, added that the Office of Campus Life staff is available all year as a resource for sponsors with questions about day to day issues.

Bedoya also indicated that sponsor training is an ever changing, ever improving process. "Each group of head sponsors and each class is different," he said, "and we're always looking for feedback to improve."

The second portion of the survey asked sponsors about the overall effectiveness of the program and the effectiveness of its leaders.

The most striking answer came to the question, "How effective is the sponsor program in helping first years?" The average answer was a nine out of a possible ten, and only one sponsor answered six, which was the lowest rating.

Sponsors gave head sponsors considerable credit for the program's overall effectiveness, giving them an average rating of 8.3 when asked how effectively the head sponsors facilitate a beneficial program.

Nearly all sponsors felt head sponsors were more closely aligned with serving their interests as opposed to those of the administration, and sponsors would unanimously consult their head sponsor if they had a serious concern in their capacity as a sponsor.

The final portion of the survey focused on the sponsor program as a whole, and asked sponsors to discuss the biggest problem facing the sponsor program. Of the 90% of respondents that offered any response to this question, 75% expressed concern that they did not know exactly what the administration expected of them as sponsors, and that they did not have a clear idea what could lead to their de-sponsoring. The latter concern comes after the removal of three sponsors in the last two years.

"When you're talking about de-sponsoring," said Bedoya, "you can't associate last year's situation with this year's." The decision to de-sponsor last year was made unilaterally by the administration, while this year head sponsors made the decision to de-sponsor on their own. Still, many sponsors felt uneasy due to their lack of knowledge about this year's de-sponsoring, and the criteria behind de-sponsoring in general.

"Was it for something that I might do not knowing it could cost me my position as sponsor?" asked one sponsor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Head Sponsors, however, cite the circumstances of this year's case as demanding a high level of confidentiality for involved parties, and feel it is in the best interest of the program and the students to not address the issue as a group.

"I know the head sponsors have made an effort to talk individually with sponsors about their concerns," said Bedoya. "The situation is different from last year as far as what they can do."

After last year's de-sponsoring, an all sponsor meeting was held and the de-sponsoring was discussed in a large group setting. But while many students worried about the issue of de-sponsoring, most reported that their view of the sponsor program had not changed significantly as a result of this year's de-sponsoring.

"It doesn't change my job, its importance, or how much I enjoy it," one sponsor said. Meanwhile, head sponsors are left to balance concerns of confidentiality, fairness, and attempts to alleviate the concerns of sponsors. And while head sponsors note the desirability of judging de-sponsoring on a case by case basis, many sponsors want more clear cut policies on when de-sponsoring can occur.

"We invest a lot of time and effort into the sponsor program," said transfer- exchange sponsor Emily Gold '03. "We deserve some sort of concrete policy to guide us when the stakes are losing that position that we invested so much time and emotion into."

The Head Sponsors, however, point out that it would be impossible to come up with every hypothetical that could arise, and that an attempt to do so would only undermine their ability to satisfactorily decide individual cases.

The other main sponsor concern, that the administration is infringing upon the student-run status of the program, is due in part to last year's de-sponsoring.

However, Head Sponsors also noted that coordinating a student-run program with administrative concerns can be tricky.

"The sponsor program can only succeed as a student-run program," said Lewis. "Many students have different perceptions on many issues and how they can best be dealt with than would the administration,"

In this sense the continued success of the sponsor program hinges on students that continue to want to do the job. On that count, the sponsor program seems to be in no danger at all: 100% of surveyed sponsors would recommend the job to others.