Telling It to The Boss

Two of President Bok's advisers provided confirmation this year of rumors that had been circulating for some time: that the Bok administration was more concerned about its public image--or lack of it--than it would publicly admit.

Bok had grown into the habit of attributing his lack of visibility to the size and structure of the University, something that could not be changed. But confidential memoranda from Charles U. Daly, vice president for government and community affairs, and Robin Schmidt, assistant vice president for public affairs, painted a different picture.

Daly, in his memorandum, advised Bok that to improve his communications with those inside the University, he would have to improve his communications with those outside, a process that Daly said, "depends not only on our making better use of existing media opportunities and developing new ones but also upon your [Bok's] being more open and cooperative."

Schmidt saw a more serious problem: an alienation of the Faculty from an administration he said it sees as an unwieldly corporate structure of non-Harvard men, siphoning off faculty money and giving little in return.

"I am certain we have a problem there, capable of becoming major," Schmidt wrote. "I am equally certain it will never be totally solved, but I do think the relationship can be bettered. I also feel Derek [Bok] will never achieve his major objectives without the active and majority help of the faculty."

Schmidt counseled Bok to become more involved in faculty affairs, and to emphasize "communication of his scholarly messages and concerns over the more businesslike communications."

He also advised Bok to "take it on himself to be the spokesman outside for scholarly concerns" but to "make conscious use of [Dean] Henry Rosovsky and others of the faculty when presenting various ideas, particularly the more controversial ones."

Daly and Schmidt were notably tight-lipped about their memos. Daly saying only: "If this raw material is the best The Crimson can beg, borrow, or steal, then I feel sorry for its readers."

Bok initially refused to comment, but became more vocal after a re-reading of the memoranda, particularly Schmidt's. In a statement reportedly issued at Daly's urging. Bok said he "disagreed with the tone" of what he described as "Mr. Schmidt's hastily written intra-office memorandum," and that he "took exception to many of the ideas it contained."

"During the course of a year I received a good deal of advice from faculty, students, alumni and others. In particular, I encourage my staff to communicate freely and informally with me," Bok said.

"Some communications contain useful insights and recommendations," he continued. "Others do not."