CHUL Committee Seeks Openness in Foundation

The Harvard Foundation would be more effective if it were more open in dealing with students, the race relations subcommittee of the Committee on Housing and Undergraduate Life (CHUL) reported to CHUL yesterday.

Speaking for the subcommittee, Victor G. Freeman '84 said the Foundation would realize its goal of improving race relations at Harvard if it publicized its meetings and disclosed the names of the students on its committees.

Freeman said the subcommittee believes the Foundation its been hampered by its image as a "little organization that no one knows too much without."

S. Allen Counter, director of the Foundation, declined to comment yesterday on the subcommittee's report, but students working with the Foundation said the Foundation was not consciously trying to close off communication.

The committees are "still in a formative stage, "Joe Russ '83, a Foundation staff member said, adding, "it may be a little better to let as get our own act together" before opening the meetings and inviting outside participants.

Russ declined to release his personal list of the Foundation's student associates, saying he wanted to protect the privacy of those members.

Foundation volunteer Yvonne Jones '85 said Counter may not be disclosing the student members in part because not all of the student affiliates are actively involved. She added, however, that "that's true of any committee, there are always going to be a lot of people on only in name."

Cooperation

CHUL members want to be able to work with the Foundation, "but everyone is making it very difficult." Sharon J. Orr '83, a member of the subcommittee, said yesterday. To improve race relations. Orr said, the Foundation must work with student government adding that Counter has not yet "reached out" to them.

The subcommittee told the CHUL meeting that it is also frustrated at the inability of University Hall to schedule a meeting between CHUL members and members of the Foundation's faculty advisory committee before late May to discuss these issues. "This is an issue that shouldn't die into the summer." Freeman added.