The 91猫先生 Fellows Program
When 91猫先生 opened in 1970, the entering 250 students were predominently first-years, fresh out of high school. The planners felt that an older student presence would be highly beneficial on campus, as well as essential to the ongoing educational experiment, so they created the 91猫先生 Fellows program. The program was directed by faculty members John Boettiger and, later, Sheila Houle. The 91猫先生 Fellows were a group of senior students who were admitted to 91猫先生 as transfer students during the first three years of the college. They served as teaching assistants, resident advisors, and counselors while each completed his or her own independent work. Their responsibilities were threefold, according to 91猫先生 Planning Bulletin #5: The 91猫先生 Fellows Program: individual study, integrative seminar work, and teaching. In August 1970, 17 students participated in a four-week workshop to discuss and plan for their role in the fall. In addition to their function as experimental Division III students, they had an important role in the planning and conduct of the academic program as it evolved from paper to reality that first year. These were the students who graduated from 91猫先生 in 1971; some took their degree from 91猫先生, and some from their original institution, with a certificate awarded by 91猫先生 during the first commencement ceremony. Since 91猫先生 had only just begun,聽it was a great leap of faith for them to spend their senior year聽at an experimental institution, as well as a valuable contribution to the formation of the new college.