PASADENA, Calif.- Undergraduates at the California Institute of Technology attend "the hardest educational institution in the world," says Catherine Jurca, Caltech's new master of student houses. Her goals, then, are twofold: to improve the quality of undergraduate life, and to improve communication between students, faculty, and administrators. And, if she can get students out of the lab to watch a little NFL football on Sundays, she says, "all the better."
But Jurca, an associate professor of literature and unabashed NFL football fan ("Always have been; don't ask me why," she says with a laugh), is not the "go to" person when an undergraduate wants a new roommate or has a leaky pipe. The position of "MOSH" is intended instead to foster interactions between faculty and students outside the classroom and enable students to attend cultural events beyond the Caltech campus.
"I've always been drawn to the undergraduates here," she says. "They're quirky, sweet, and very smart. But too many students come here and feel isolated and overwhelmed. Many of them spend almost all their time studying, tend to socialize almost exclusively with other members of their house, and they can miss out on the breadth of experiences Caltech can offer."
Like other MOSHES, Jurca plans on holding weekly dinners with faculty and students at Steele House, the traditional location for MOSH activities, as well as hosting off-campus events such as trips to the theater and opera. Instead of inviting students based on which house they reside in, she intends to base her invitations on their options, or majors, so that students meeting for the first time will automatically share something in common with each other and with the faculty.
A new requirement for the MOSH position is to be a liaison between students and administration, to bridge any communication gaps that may occur between the two sides. "Part of the job is to meet on a more regular basis with student leaders and attend faculty board meetings," she says, "so I know the points of view on both sides of an issue."
In consultation with students, Jurca intends to examine various Caltech policies to see if there are ways to make undergraduate life a bit easier. For example, "most of the students I've talked to are not happy with the core course curriculum that is mandated for the first two years of study," she says. "It makes it difficult for many to select an option at the end of their freshman year because often, they've had no exposure to any classes in the fields they might be interested in." The option dinners are intended to compensate for this difficulty, enabling freshmen to meet faculty and upperclass students to discuss details of the option before making their decision.
At the same time she doesn't necessarily see herself as an advocate for all student issues. "I like to think I'll be able to present their viewpoint fairly to the administration, even if I personally disagree with it," she says. "But even so, I've found that students' opinions are often extremely well thought out and articulate; you have to be on your toes with them."
Jurca has been a Caltech faculty member since 1995, but comes from a long line of Techies. Although she broke tradition by doing her undergraduate work at UC Berkeley, both her father (Joseph Jurca '59, MS, '64, electrical engineering, who lived in Dabney) and grandfather (George Merrill Berkley '33 mechanical engineering, who lived in Throop) are alumni.
The MOSH position is a five-year, half-time administrative appointment; Jurca assumed the MOSH duties on August 1. Jurca does not expect the appointment to slow her research pace. Currently she is writing a book on post—World War II Hollywood. During the war, the film industry learned how to shape public opinion using its movies. Post-war, it applied this knowledge to advance its own social, economic, and political agendas. Jurca argues that the propaganda of World War II gave way in a number of mid-40s films, such as Mildred Pierce, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, and Miracle on 34th Street, to something like public relations, the commitment to promoting feelings of good will toward particular business enterprises and toward business in general.
As several Moshes have before her, Jurca will also reside in Steele, "rattling around," as she puts it, in the huge second-floor space that will be her personal quarters. The first floor and large backyard will be used for the weekly social gatherings.
And if she can twist the administration's arm for a big screen TV, what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than with a group of students, watching NFL football?
