Council Discusses Harassment Issue

Following two full meetings devoted solely to the election of its officers, the Undergraduate Council last night tackled its first full agenda, including a lengthy discussion of sexual harassment.

Although the two-and-a-half hour meeting primarily focused on procedural concerns, two officers of the Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) spent 40 minutes addressing questions about Harvard's sexual harassment policy, which they said is weak and under publicized.

The harassment discussion was the only part of the meeting devoted to a campus issue.

But even in addressing procedural questions, discussion moved at a quick pace which contrasted sharply, from meetings of the Students Assembly, the previous from of government.

The council--with 76 of its 89 members in attendance--voted unanimously to have its academics committee address the sexual harassment issue, which his gained considerable attention following the publicized complaint of a freshmen woman against her poetry professor last year.

The group, however, will not vote on a resolution on the matter until next week because RUS President Sharon J. On '83 said she would like the council to support in undisclosed memo to Dean of the Faculty Henry Rosovsky which RUS will release today.

Although she refused to describe the contents of the four-page memo. Orr said after the meeting that she "would like a serious discussion on the matter of sexual harassment by the Faculty" and "a public statement saying. "This is what we think it is and this is what we're going to do about it."

In the council discussion Orr and Elisabeth A. Einaudi '83 criticized Harvard officials for not confronting harassment in a comprehensive way.

Harvard administrators are "more concerned about their faculty members than they are about you and the welfare of your education, "Einaudi" said.

The council agreed in leas than 15 minutes to hire a pare time office manager for less than $6000 and require a typewriter and answering machines for the group's yet-to-be established office.

Council Chairman Michael G. Colantuono '83 had said before the meeting that be expected the money issues to be contentions but debate was minimal.

Council members sought to dispense with the internal policy decisions. On several, occasions, students voiced concern over the council's mid Ocotber start and the need for council action.

When one student proposed deferring the office manager decisions to allow time for further inquiry. Colantuono said, "I don't want to wait another three weeks to have an office manager." In the voice vote there were no dissents.

Finance Discussion Next

The council next week will wrestle with the questions of whether to put its $58,000 budget in a local bank where it can gain interest, an issue which many expect to be controversial.

The budget is currently kept in a University account like other college budgets where interest is used to defray accounting cost.

The council will also appoint student representatives to four Faculty standing committees advising and counseling, the Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibiltiy, athletics, and library. Students interested in these spots open to all undergraduates must contact Colantuono by Thursday