B-School Says Records 'Confidential'

The Business School Administration assured the Afro-American Student Union (AASU), the Student Association, and the Harbus News Wednesday that Business School policy "precludes access to student records by any outside person or agency, including the FBI."

Thomas A. Graves Jr., associate dean of the Business School's M. B. A. Faculty, made the statement Wednesday in response to AASU claims last week that an FBI agent asked one if its members to serve as an "informer" on AASU activities.

Graves said, "I can assure you that we would not knowingly permit surveillance at this school of any student or student group by an outside agency,"

Lawrence E. Fouraker, dean of the Business School, said Thursday that he will issue a statement Monday concerning FBI surveillance of student groups.

Repulsive

Marne Obernauer, first-year M. B. A. student and president of the Student Association, met with Fouraker Thursday and said last night, "I'm fairly satisfied that Fouraker will make more than a technical response. He seemed to find the whole idea of surveillance repulsive."

The AASU, in an April 15 statement, urged Fouraker to take a position similar to that taken last month by Robert D. Cross '47, president of Swarthmore College. After documents stolen from an FBI office in Media, Pa., revealed that Swarthmore's Afro-American Student Society was under FBI surveillance, Cross said, "Any faculty, student, or staff who divulge confidential information risk dismissal."

Reassertion

Graves' statement represents no change in policy, but simply reasserts the policy on confidentiality of information outlined by Fouraker in a memorandum to faculty and staff last Fall. The policy prohibits the release of information without a student's written consent.

Graves said that faculty or staff members who violate the confidentiality of information policy will be subject to disciplinary action under the procedures recommended by the Harvard Committee on Governances and presently under consideration by the Faculty. The recommendations, approved by the Business School Faculty on April 8, could lead to the dismissal of faculty members.

Charles Bush, a first-year M. B. A. student and co-chairman of the AASU, said Thursday that he would have no comment until after Fouraker makes a statement Monday.

The Business School's M. B. A. Faculty managed to consider and approve only one of five reforms proposed by the Joint Committee on M. B. A. Grading Policy during its Thursday meeting.

The approved motion gives responsibility for the "maintenance and consistent application of academic standards" to the First and Second-Year Subcommittees of the Policy and Operating Committee.

One of the four motions to be considered by the faculty next Thursday would reduce the present 15 gradingintervals to four-Excellent, Satisfactory, Marginal Pass, or Unsatisfactory.

The Committee was formed by Fouraker last December when students and faculty expressed increasing concern over the divergence in grading standards among faculty.

Richard F. Vancil, professor of Business Administration and chairman of the Committee, said yesterday that the proposals-effective next September if passed-are "clearly sympathetic to the student viewpoint."