Tutor Resigns Post On Advisory Board

A Dunster House tutor who allegedly influenced the master to hire his brother has resigned from a new committee established to hire tutors, Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said yesterday.

Vincent W. Li '87, assistant senior tutor in charge of hiring, stepped down from the seven-member Advisory Board created this summer as part of Master Karel F. Liem's new tutor hiring process, Jewett said.

The announcement of the resignation came as Jewett stepped up his investigation of the tutor conflict in Dunster, and as President Neil L. Rudenstine voiced his concern about the situation.

In addition to discussing the issue with Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Jeremy R. Knowles, Jewett met with resident tutors for two hours last week.

"I'm willing to do anything I can and be as useful as I can," Jewett said in a telephone interview yesterday. "The master is equally open and willing to do things."

Eight tutors said last year Vincent Li had influenced Liem in the hiring of his brother, girlfriend and two longtime friends. Vincent Li was present at his brother's student interview.

Liem, Vincent Li and his brother William Li also met last week with two resident tutors who last month received a letter from the brothers' lawyer which said legal action "may result" if further allegations of impropriety are made.

Jewett yesterday called the decision to send the letter "unwise and counterproductive."

"It did not help at all in terms of trying to promote discussion," the dean said."In fact, it heightened tensions." Sophie Volpp, aresident tutor in East Asian Studies, resigned twoweeks ago in protest of the letter.

Rudenstine, who met with one student and twotutors about the issue last week, yesterdayexpressed his "concern" about the tutor conflict,but said he is "confiden [t] that FAS isproceeding in a very scrupulous way."

Also yesterday, three house seniors sentletters to all Dunster residents claiming Li andLiem have shown "a troubling lack of concern forfree expression," and invited residents to attenda meeting Monday night to discuss the issues.

Liem and Li would not return repeated phonecalls yesterday.

Jewett said he supported the decision to ask Lito step down. He wouldn't say when Li resigned.

"It probably is a wise decision not to havetutors evaluating peers for reappointment orrenewals," Jewett said. Li was the only tutor onthe committee.

Jewett, who said he investigated the charges ofimpropriety during the summer, is planning toreport on his investigation to Dunster studentsdirectly within the month.

"It's probably fair to say that there were noovert violations of University rules," Jewettsaid. "But there are more complicated issues,things that people might do differently."

Jewett encouraged students to express theirconcerns to him, and said he had spoken with onestudent already this semester.

But Ted G. Rose '94 and Perspective PresidentJesse M. Furman '94, who organized the revival ofthe defunct Dunster Students for Free Expression,said students are still scared to voice theiropinions.

"A few people came up to me and said they wouldlike to attend the meeting [to discuss free speechin Dunster], but they were afraid about doingthat," Rose said.

Rose, a former Dunster House UndergraduateCouncil representative and Crimson sportsexecutive, said about 10 people told him they wereafraid to speak out on the tutor conflict.

Dunster Students for Free Expression wasoriginally formed two years ago when Liem did notrenew a resident tutor's contract after the tutorexpressed disapproval for a kosher toaster inDunster House.

In a telephone interview yesterday, William Lisaid he told tutors he was sorry for the letter's"bad timing" and the negative reaction it caused,but he defended the decision to send it.

"I think that we were harassed all last year bythese tutors," Li said, adding he received anumber of crank phone calls. "Because theUniversity did not put a check on [theharassment], we tried to see how we could protectourselves against further shenanigans."

But Li, who is co-chair of Dunster's pre-medadvisory committee with his brother Vincent, saidhe never considered actually filing alawsuit--that he was seeking legal advice--andtold the tutors as much at last week's meetingwith Jewett.

Jewett said tutors had "mixed" reactions to themeeting.

"Some issues were not satisfactorily resolvedfor everybody," Jewett said. "Not all issues weresolved in everyone's mind."

Li said most of the tutors felt they could movepast their personal conflicts

Rudenstine, who met with one student and twotutors about the issue last week, yesterdayexpressed his "concern" about the tutor conflict,but said he is "confiden [t] that FAS isproceeding in a very scrupulous way."

Also yesterday, three house seniors sentletters to all Dunster residents claiming Li andLiem have shown "a troubling lack of concern forfree expression," and invited residents to attenda meeting Monday night to discuss the issues.

Liem and Li would not return repeated phonecalls yesterday.

Jewett said he supported the decision to ask Lito step down. He wouldn't say when Li resigned.

"It probably is a wise decision not to havetutors evaluating peers for reappointment orrenewals," Jewett said. Li was the only tutor onthe committee.

Jewett, who said he investigated the charges ofimpropriety during the summer, is planning toreport on his investigation to Dunster studentsdirectly within the month.

"It's probably fair to say that there were noovert violations of University rules," Jewettsaid. "But there are more complicated issues,things that people might do differently."

Jewett encouraged students to express theirconcerns to him, and said he had spoken with onestudent already this semester.

But Ted G. Rose '94 and Perspective PresidentJesse M. Furman '94, who organized the revival ofthe defunct Dunster Students for Free Expression,said students are still scared to voice theiropinions.

"A few people came up to me and said they wouldlike to attend the meeting [to discuss free speechin Dunster], but they were afraid about doingthat," Rose said.

Rose, a former Dunster House UndergraduateCouncil representative and Crimson sportsexecutive, said about 10 people told him they wereafraid to speak out on the tutor conflict.

Dunster Students for Free Expression wasoriginally formed two years ago when Liem did notrenew a resident tutor's contract after the tutorexpressed disapproval for a kosher toaster inDunster House.

In a telephone interview yesterday, William Lisaid he told tutors he was sorry for the letter's"bad timing" and the negative reaction it caused,but he defended the decision to send it.

"I think that we were harassed all last year bythese tutors," Li said, adding he received anumber of crank phone calls. "Because theUniversity did not put a check on [theharassment], we tried to see how we could protectourselves against further shenanigans."

But Li, who is co-chair of Dunster's pre-medadvisory committee with his brother Vincent, saidhe never considered actually filing alawsuit--that he was seeking legal advice--andtold the tutors as much at last week's meetingwith Jewett.

Jewett said tutors had "mixed" reactions to themeeting.

"Some issues were not satisfactorily resolvedfor everybody," Jewett said. "Not all issues weresolved in everyone's mind."

Li said most of the tutors felt they could movepast their personal conflicts