Amherst Passes New Guidelines Restricting Faculty CIA Links

Amherst College administrators yesterday established guidelines defining relations between Amherst faculty and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Prosser Gifford, dean of faculty at Amherst, said yesterday.

The guidelines are based on a faculty committee report submitted to the administration last May. Gifford said.

The guidelines prohibit administrators from releasing information on Amherst students and employees to intelligence organizations, he added.

Gifford also said the guidelines request the administration to refuse research funds offered by government agencies unless the agencies agree to make research results public.

In the past, the CIA has said that it would not agree to abide by college guidelines on active intelligence work and covert recruiting.

These guidelines prompted a conference Friday between President Bok and Adm. Stansfield Turner, director of The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). After the conference, Bok said that their differences had been "narrowed" as a result of the meeting.

Clifford added he saw "no reason to believe that Amherst-CIA links exist," but added the guidelines are necessary to "make it clear where we stand."

The faculty report last May asked members of the faculty not to recommend members of the Amherst community for intelligence service without first informing them.

John W. Ward '45, president of Amherst, wrote a letter to Turner, asking him to disclose any existing connections between the CIA and Amherst employees or students, Douglas Wilson, secretary of public affairs at Amherst, said yesterday.

Turner refused to confirm or deny the existence of such contracts, Wilson said.