Faculty Readily Approves All Proposals on Women

The Faculty yesterday approved - with very little opposition - all four recommendations of the Committee on the Status of Women, substantially as proposed by the committee in its report released two weeks ago.

All points passed by separate voice votes at the end of a specially-convened two-hour meeting of the Faculty.

Earlier this week, supporters of the proposal - including committee co-chairmen Caroline W. Bynum. assistant professor of History, and Michael L. Walzer, professor of Government - expressed fears that the report would meet with widespread disapproval, and might be defeated.

In fact, the Faculty - at the largest meeting of the year - seemed eager to get the business of passing the legislation out of the way. All amendments were quickly voted down.

Legislation

In abbreviated form, the approved legislation provides:

That the Faculty endorse the major conclusion of the Committee "that the number of women on the Faculty must be increased;" and urge the dean to appoint a Standing Committee on Women to assist in the process and report periodically;

That the Faculty permit part-time appointments to be made to any of the present professorial ranks;

That any non-tenured professor who becomes pregnant during her appointment shall be allowed an extension of the appointment for one year for each pregnancy, not to exceed a total of two years;

That the Faculty permit graduate students in all departments to work on a part-time basis while retaining proportional scholarship assistance, working at not less than a two-course load per term.

The one change here from the original proposals is in the wording of point two, which originally called for "part-time professorships." The rewording was suggested in a friendly amendment by Mary I. Bunting, President of Radcliffe.

Must?

In moving the first point, Bynum - reflecting rumors that Faculty members were planning to challenge the use of the word "must" - said, "Must, according to the OED [Oxford Englishimportance to the committee of continuing familiarity with the work of the faculty."

One of the council's functions will be to select student representatives for each of the School's standing committees, except the Appointments Committee and the Admissions Committee.

The council is to be composed of five faculty members and one teaching fellow chosen by the dean, five students from each of the School's three classes, one graduate student, and the eight representatives of student organizations.

It is empowered to establish committees of its own members to "handle grievances, complaints and requests [of any student or faculty member] with respect to the administration of the School."

The council may make reports and recommendations to the faculty on any matter pending before the faculty or on any matter of concern to the council. Such recommendations will be placed on the faculty agenda as motions made and seconded.

The council, as well as any majority of the ten permanent representatives, will have the right to request, within 24 hours of any faculty meeting, reconsideration of any action other than appointments taken by the faculty.

Finally, the council is charged with reviewing the arrangements for student participation in the governance of the School after two years and recommending changes it "deems appropriate."