2024-2025 Tutor Roles
Inclusion and Diversity
Inclusion tutors provide house programming that seeks to foster an environment at Leverett House where students of all identities feel welcome. The Committee works to foster a community that values cultural humility and promotes understanding of issues related to inclusion and diversity. Duties include helping students deal with a particular incident or an atmosphere of harassment or tension, or aiding students to promote greater understanding among races or ethnic groups. Inclusion tutors are sensitive to issues related to identity and safety and are available to all students as individual resources. Each year, the committee chooses a student to serve as the Archie Epps Fellow in Diversity and Inclusion through an application process in which students propose a project or programming.
BGLTQ +
BGLTQ+ tutors strive to promote an open, supportive, and lively BGLTQ+ community in Leverett House. They advise and support students on a wide range of queer issues, including but not limited to coming out, homophobia, family issues, harassment, health concerns, gender identity and expression. We hope students will feel comfortable approaching BGLTQ+ tutors to discuss any issue or concern. Tutors also support and advise allies on allyship issues! No assumption of identity is made in reaching out or attending an event, we are here to support the BGLTQ+ community in all forms and roles. The Committee plans and hosts BGLTQ+ study breaks for the BGLTQ+ community, holds events funded by the college LGBTQ+ office and other Harvard allies.
Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness Tutors help students lead balanced lives by presenting relevant programming, connecting students with campus resources, and working with students privately to address wellness-related concerns and questions. Working closely with HUHS and the River East wellness advisor, this committee provides healthy study breaks, meditation workshops, and many other wellness events throughout the year. Health and wellness tutors also organize educational programming and outreach events on gender, sexuality, and violence prevention in the house in order to create and promote discussion in our community, and they act as resources for students who have, at any point in their lives, experienced or witnessed interpersonal violence.
Religion, Ethics, and Spirituality (REST)
Religion, Ethics, and Spirituality Tutors (REST) strive to foster a community of religious understanding and to support Leverett students in integrating their intellectual and spiritual lives. We work to nurture an environment in which spiritual difference is respected and engaged, not just tolerated. REST tutors provide resources within and beyond the University, supporting students one-on-one, helping the House in its commitment to religious pluralism, hosting events, and assisting student religious and spiritual groups at Leverett.
Fellowships
The Fellowships Committee at Leverett is a team of Leverett resident and non-resident tutors who help students discover and apply for Harvard’s broad and deep range of funding opportunities, in concert with URAF, the Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Office. Some fellowships are well known like the Rhodes or Marshall Scholarships. But there are a large number and a wide range of fellowships available to Harvard students. The Fellowships Committee holds frequent office hours, meets 1:1 with students throughout the year, drafts official letters of support for our students, and helps prep students for interviews.
Pre-Med Advising
Pre-med tutors advise and shepherd Leverett students through the long and complex process of applying to medical school. Overseen and instructed by specialists in pre-med advising from the Mignone Center for Career Success, the pre-med team at Leverett hosts informational meetings, advises students 1:1, and does extensive work with students all the way through the application process. Resident tutors on this committee work with non-resident tutors to draft formal letters of support from Leverett House.
Pre-Law Advising
Pre-law tutors help students determine if a career in law is right for them, and then to help navigate the application process. Pre-law tutors advise both current students and Leverett alumni/ae, ultimately helping to find the program best suited to the individual applicant. Tutors on this committee hold frequent office hours, schedule 1:1 meetings with students, work with non-resident tutors, and work with advisors from the Mignone Center for Career Success. Pre-law tutors do not draft letters of support for candidates, unlike pre-medical tutors.
Pre-Career Advising
Pre-Career tutors help with internships, jobs, and careers outside of academics. They hold office hours and 1:1 meetings with students along a broad range of interests, from those just starting to think about what they might want to do after college all the way to helping prepare students for final job interviews. Over the course of the year, pre-law tutors lead or direct students to a variety of events and workshops to assist with resumé writing, career direction, practical tips for life post-college, and more.
Pre-Grad Advising
Pre-grad tutors work with students who are considering graduate school. Leverett-based tutors can help discuss general principles of graduate study, application processes, and career opportunities.
PhD programs requirements and applications are very field-specific, and pre-grad tutors also work to connect students to advisors in their chosen fields to learn about prerequisites, research requirements, and other unique features in each field. Sometimes, pre-grad committee members will also refer students to other resident tutors at Lev for field specific information.
Public Service
Public service tutors work alongside the student Public Service Representative to organize public service projects, encourage student involvement in volunteer opportunities, support students in exploring public interest careers, and provide information on resources at Harvard for public service internships and fellowships.
Intramurals
Intramural sports are an important opportunity to foster house pride and spirit, to introduce students to athletic endeavors they may not otherwise experience, and to allow students to engage in athletics and exercise in a casual and fun environment. IM tutors organize and advertise teams, represent Leverett to the College’s IM community, and provide sustained encouragement. IM tutors should enjoy participating in some of the sporting events, but tutor presence is not required for all sports or all events.
Student Engagement
Each year, the DSO provides funding for activities and programs initiated by students. The Student Engagement Tutors advertise the availability of the funding, collect applications, and advise the senior staff on which applications have the highest priority for funding. The Student Engagement tutors work with the House Administrator to distribute the funds once granted. One student engagement tutor works closely with the HoCo tutor and HoCo.
House Committee (HoCo) Liaison Tutor
House Committee is the central student government and activity function of the house. HoCo plans student-oriented social events such as weekly “steins,” major events like twice yearly formals, and all activities for housing day, and is a very important group that maintains and supports house culture and community. HoCo has an independent budget, and relates directly to a central committee through the Dean of Students Office. The HoCo Tutor meets with HoCo weekly, supports their engagement efforts, provides wise counsel and organizational advice, and organizes tutor support for the events planned by HoCo. The HoCo tutor will be backed up and supported by one of the Student Engagement tutors.
Kitchen
Leverett House has a student kitchen in the lower level of McKinlock. The Kitchen Tutor organizes and advertises the required training, provides post-training permission for swipe access, organizes supplies, and recommends needed equipment. The Kitchen Tutor also helps with Hare’s Kitchen, Lev’s cooking contest (twice yearly).
Gym
Leverett House has a gym on the ground floor of G Tower. The Gym Tutor works with the Building Manager to ensure the gym is clean, the equipment is safe and in good repair, and recommends updates or additions to the House. The gym tutor sends periodic safety information and tips to students (several times each semester), and addresses signage needs.
Language Tables
So many of our students and tutors speak languages other than English! Language table tutors invite students to lead and attend language tables (typically during the dinner meal at Lev), provide support for language table scheduling and advertisement, help with student engagement projects related to language tables, and attend some (but not all!) tables.
Arts Tutors
The Arts tutors provide programming related to the arts, considered broadly. They engage students interested in careers in the Arts and serve as advisors. They lead the Lev Attends the Arts program, in which the House purchases tickets so that Lev students can attend shows, recitals, concerts, and any arts programming that features other Lev students. In addition, the Arts tutors supervise the use of the Lev Art Workshop, and connect with the Office of the Arts to arrange sponsored programming at Lev to be held in our art space. Last year, the arts committee created a monthly newsletter of upcoming events. The arts tutors also organize and advertise the required training for Lev Art Workshop access and provide post-training permission for swipe access.
STEM
New last year, the STEM committee tutors support the growing interest and engagement of Lev students in STEM fields. From encouraging large course sections to meet at Lev and engaging the leadership of Math Night on Mondays, to providing workshops, connections, and advice, the STEM tutors engage and encourage STEM concentrators.
FGLI
Nearly 20% of Harvard students are now the first member of their family to attend College. Lev’s First-Generation Low-Income tutors provide connection and community for Lev’s FGLI students by hosting welcome events, connecting students with college resources and programming, and by meeting 1:1 with students who seek tutor support for advice and help with navigating House life.
Senior Common Room (SCR)
Leverett’s Senior Common Room is slowly rebuilding membership and engagement around the goal of inviting senior University and Boston-based leaders across fields and domains to participate in House Life. Tutors review membership lists, build lists of suggested new members, and connect students to SCR members for small dinners or other discussions.
Music
The music tutors have several functions: 1. They provide a review of Lev’s musical equipment and recommend repair or replacement; 2. Along with interested students and Chuck Honnet, an SCR member, they plan Sunday Night Bunnie Beats concerts in the JCR that feature performers from Club Passim, student musicians, and Lev’s vinyl jazz collection; and 3. They plan Lev’s annual Conway Concert, in which students and House affiliates play a formal concert/coffee house in the Library Theater.
Sophomore Orientation
Each House puts on a unique orientation for incoming Sophomores. The activities are aimed at introducing sophomores to House tutors, staff, and each other, and at providing a welcoming and inclusive environment in which they can learn about Leverett House and our resources. The involved tutors will provide advanced planning over the summer, will work with the Faculty and Resident Deans and House Administrator to execute plans already in place, and will work with the entire tutor corps to participate in the orientation. After the orientation, the tutors will provide an assessment/debrief of the day(s), make recommendations for next year’s orientation, and participate in early planning next spring.