FAS to Look Into Race Relations, Retirement

College administrators will work this summer to make the campus' two race relations offices more responsive all undergraduates, Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III told a meeting of the full Faculty of Arts and Sciences yesterday.

Epps discussed the recent racial tensions on campus at the Faculty's final meeting of the year, and described steps begin taken to ease those tensions.

He said the College should continue examining the problem this summer by making sure the two agencies--the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations and the office of Race Relations and minority Affairs--are adequately meeting student's needs.

"We need to find a way to ensure that the agencies addressing race are more inclusive," he said.

Epps said questions of anti-Semitism are "one of the most difficult issues" facing the College.

He also said controversy posters advertising a Peninsula forum titled "Spade Kicks" raised questions about "how you thread the needle between First Amendment issues and the use of racial stereotypes."

Epps said the Harvard Foundation "shoulddiscuss this summer questions of governance thatmight make it open and welcoming to all." FacultyDean Jeremy R. Knowles has already taken steps tointegrate the two offices' faculty advisorycommittee.

"We need to work especially on coordination andconsistency of approach," Epps said, adding thatthe College will "use the summer to begin to puttogether a working group to begin [discussing]these issues."

Kowles said the relative quiet on campus duringexam period "does not mean that these concernshave evaporated," adding that the Faculty needs tolook these problems.

"We must continue to work on this during thesummer and into the fall," Knowles said after themeeting.

In other business, Wells Professor of PoliticalEconomy Jerry R. Green presented the interimreport of a committee examining the facultyretirement issue.

In January 1994, federal laws will force theUniversity to abandon a mandatory facultyretirement age. Currently, Harvard professors mustretire at age 70.

Green, who chaired the committee, reported thatthe Faculty will probably hire 48 fewer professorsbetween 1994 and 2004 if no provisions are made toencourage retirement.

That shortfall threatens to "cut into the senseof fresh new ideas coming to the Faculty," hesaid.

Green outline several proposals that couldprovide incentives for retirement, including onethat would project the pension system from theeffects of inflation.

Green also said the committee will explore thepossibility of a special part-time, renewablefive-year appointment designed for professors aged60 to 70.

These professors would receive less pay andteach only a half-time course load. They wouldhave no administrative duties on the departmentlevel, Green said

Epps said the Harvard Foundation "shoulddiscuss this summer questions of governance thatmight make it open and welcoming to all." FacultyDean Jeremy R. Knowles has already taken steps tointegrate the two offices' faculty advisorycommittee.

"We need to work especially on coordination andconsistency of approach," Epps said, adding thatthe College will "use the summer to begin to puttogether a working group to begin [discussing]these issues."

Kowles said the relative quiet on campus duringexam period "does not mean that these concernshave evaporated," adding that the Faculty needs tolook these problems.

"We must continue to work on this during thesummer and into the fall," Knowles said after themeeting.

In other business, Wells Professor of PoliticalEconomy Jerry R. Green presented the interimreport of a committee examining the facultyretirement issue.

In January 1994, federal laws will force theUniversity to abandon a mandatory facultyretirement age. Currently, Harvard professors mustretire at age 70.

Green, who chaired the committee, reported thatthe Faculty will probably hire 48 fewer professorsbetween 1994 and 2004 if no provisions are made toencourage retirement.

That shortfall threatens to "cut into the senseof fresh new ideas coming to the Faculty," hesaid.

Green outline several proposals that couldprovide incentives for retirement, including onethat would project the pension system from theeffects of inflation.

Green also said the committee will explore thepossibility of a special part-time, renewablefive-year appointment designed for professors aged60 to 70.

These professors would receive less pay andteach only a half-time course load. They wouldhave no administrative duties on the departmentlevel, Green said