Students Will Assume Larger Foundation Role

Harvard's race relations Foundation will try to attract increased student leadership next school year and its current director said this week that he will reduce his role with the organization by spring of 1983.

Foundation Director S. Allen Counter said in an interview Wednesday that he plans to devote more of his time to research in his academic specialty of biology, "pulling out of a lot of formal work with the Foundation though still working with the problem of race relations on campus."

Before reducing his activities as director Counter said, he "will make sure the infrastructure of [the Foundation's] student committees is really working as it should be." "He also set a fundraising goal of $100,000 for the year, which he called "something we can probably reach."

Counter as Driving Force

Counter has been the driving force behind the Foundation during its first year. He has received praise from administrators and some students for nurturing the controversial product of a minority drive not a third world center.

But he has also faced difficulties in distributing the small initial budget he received from the College, and he received criticism from some Black student leaders for not responding quickly to students needs.

Dean of the College John B. Fox Jr. '59 said this week that he was unaware of Counter's plans to reduce his activities with the Foundation Fox did, however endorse Counter's attempt to elicit increased student leadership.

The dean credited Counter with having established "a basic outline of the program we want now all we have to do is continue that work."

The Foundation consists of six student committees designed to seek out and diffuse racial tension in areas such as academics athletics and community relations.

Fox said that the Foundation will receive the $20,000 budget Counter has requested for 1982-83 approximately four times the amount the organization received last school year.

Student participants in the Foundation indicated throughout the spring semester that with more money and a year's experience they will succeed in soliciting increased undergraduate support.

"The way of attracting students is to give them specific activities they can plug into and now we have those things," Lisa Quiroz '83, who is supervising summer publicity for the organization, said yesterday.

Quiroz said that the Foundation plans to step up contact with freshmen by distributing brochures about third world life at Harvard and by working in cooperation with the Freshman Dean's Office orientation program.

Less Pressure on Director

Another change for next year Fox and Counter emphasized is an expanded role for the 12-member faculty advisory committee to the Foundation. They said that the committee will review all requests for funding from student groups and will also allocate the money. Counter handled these responsibilities largely on his own this past year.

The change will shift public attention away from the director, said Counter, allowing him to work with a broad variety of students free of the responsibility for specific funding decisions.

"It should relieve some of the pressure on me, specifically," he added.

Not having to arbitrate among competing demands for Foundation money. Counter said he will have more time to raise money from outside donors, organize cultural and political events on campus and disseminate information the Foundation gathered during its first year.

For example, he said that he will make available the results of a preliminary report on race relations in the Houses compiled by Foundation Staff Assistant Charlene Avery '82.

Student leaders sharply criticized Counter in May for not explaining what the Foundation is doing to ease racial tension in the Houses.

Curtis M Hairston '84, president of the Black Students Association (BSA), said at the time "I don't really see where the Foundation has taken any steps to improve race relations"

Harrison and others requested in a private meeting with Fox that the College provide professional race relations counselling independent of the Foundation for undergraduate groups. Fox said this week that the service will be available upon request this fall.

More Political and Cultural Programs

In addition to opening boarder communication with groups like the BSA, Counter said he will continue to organize programs similar to this year's well-attended conference on Japanese internment during World War II and Noche Mexicana, a celebration of Mexican folk dance and music.

Counter also explained plans for a December fundraiser in Washington D.C., which is tentatively scheduled for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

He said that the ongoing $350 million Harvard capital fund drive had hindered Foundation fundraising somewhat last year because University development officers have tried to channel most donations through the central fund "But this year, we expect more flexibility," he added.

:We are in a better position now than we were a year ago to show that Harvard has a different way to approach this problem," said Counter "We have convinced the third world students that the Foundation can serve them best as an integrated organization," he added.

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III generally concurred with Counter but added that "work must still be done to make it clear that white students as well as minority students can benefit from the Foundation's work.