FOUR DECISIONS

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

After the recent decisions of the Harvard Administration concerning room rents and Tillich's examinations, we feel it is time to review some Administration policies. Four recent incidents will serve as illustrations.

The first is the diploma incident of last April. In this case the Administration took a stand that was disapproved by an overwhelming majority of Harvard students and refused to yield an inch. Only after a major riot did the University decide to change the format of the diploma. Had this decision been made earlier, the riot and a good deal of grief could have been prevented.

Less than a week after the riot, President Pusey announced that Pete Seeger would not be permitted to sing at Harvard, a decision that violated every principle of academic freedom Harvard stands for. Once again Mr. Pusey found himself in the embarrassing position of having to back down after a decision had already been reached.

Last Friday the third example was provided when the Administration announced a ten per cent increase in room rents the day after upperclassmen had signed their room contracts. This was a decision that could and clearly should have been made in time to allow students to make a choice of rooms knowing how much they would cost. Once again we see great inconvenience caused by an unnecessary delay on the part of the Administration.

Finally, the President has announced this week that Prof. Tillich will be required to give examinations in his courses. This might have been a wise decision, had it been made early in February. But by delaying the announcement, the Administration has caused undue hardship to many students. Indeed, one student has been forced to change more than one hundred reservations on a summer trip. Surely students have a right to know the requirements in a course before they commit themselves to take the course.

We feel that it is no coincidence that these four incidents have occured since the departure of McGeorge Bundy. If his successor as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences could be found quickly, perhaps such administrative delays could be ended before the arrival of warm weather and the riot season. Jefferson B. Hill '63   John Howard Payne '63   James DeW. Perry '63