WEAL Cites K-School In Testimony

Representatives of a nationwide women's group will tell a Senate committee today that the complaint filed last year against the Kennedy School of Government shows that federal pressure can strengthen universities' affirmative action hiring practices.

Carol B. Grossman, president of the Women's Equity Action League (WEAL), said yesterday that when she speaks today at the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee hearings reviewing federal affirmative action policy, she will argue that current programs have been effective in increasing opportunities for women and minorities in education. She will use the K-School as evidence, citing the increase in women and minority professors hired by the K-School since WEAL filed a complaint with the Department of Labor more than a year ago.

Disagreement

WEAL's testimony will come three days after the group issued a point by point rebuttal to a recent K-School report on affirmative action in hiring. In the statement, WEAL said the report--which noted "significant progess" in the school's hiring--relied on "a misrepresentation of data."

Grossman said yesterday the K-School statement, which was issued in October exaggerated the progress of the past year, but that some headway has been made. "I don't think those improvements would have come without the suit," she added.

Reading from the prepared testimony, Grossman said that "since the filing of WEAL's complaint and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs on-site compliance review, four new women and minorities have been added to the faculty of the Kennedy School."

Ira A. Jackson '70, associate dean of the K-School--who said officials had not been notified of the testimony--denied WEAL's contention that K-School action has come in response to complaints, saying "we are doing a better job because it's right and because it's the law." He added, "It is not in response to pressure from the Department of Labor or from an interest group."

WEAL is scheduled to testify for 10 minutes at the hearings on "how best to improve the goals" of affirmative action, a committee staff person said yesterday. The hearings are the fourth and final set the committee has scheduled on the topic. The previous ones examined the effectiveness of current affirmative action regulations.

Nathan Glazer, professor of Education and Social Structure will also testify before the committee. Glazer was unavailable for comment