Committee Visits On Race Relations

The Visiting Committee for the College discussed race relations and minority affairs with students, faculty and administrators last week during its yearly visit to campus.

The committee, which is composed of 33 people with ties to Harvard, is one of many that visits University schools and departments yearly to provide an "outside perspective" on certain areas of life at Harvard, said Elizabeth A. Gray, secretary to the Board of Overseers.

The committee concentrates on a different topic each year.

Dean of Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell, Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III, Associate Dean Hilda Hernandez-Gravelle, Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Jeremy R. Knowles represented the administration of the College.

S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, also represented the College.

Faculty in attendance included Professor of Afro-American Studies K. Anthony Appiah, Professor of Government Jorge L. Dominguez, Professor of English Marjorie Garber, Professor of Sociology Aage B. Sorensen and Loeb Associate Professor of Social Sciences Mary C. Waters.

Students on the Foundation Student Advisory Committee, as well as a few others involved with ethnic studies and race relations, attended the meetings.

Committee chair Robert C. Waggoner '58 said that about 25 members attended the meeting. "We covered all aspects of race and ethnicity," he said. "The discussion was very constructive."

Waggoner declined to discuss specific views or plans of the committee with The Crimson.

Although the new Handbook on Race Relations prepared by Epps' office and issued last Tuesday was available at the meeting, Waggoner said that it was not discussed specifically because the members had not been able to look through it before the meeting. He said he plans to read through it before the committee issues its final report.

Thursday the representatives of the College and the committee met at a lunch, a student-faculty panel and a dinner Thursday night at which Knowles spoke. Academic issues dealing with minority affairs were the main topic that day, according to Jewett.

"The student-faculty panel ran over two and one-half hours," Jewett said. "The committee members were interested in...particularly the availability of courses and progress in ethnic studies and the prospects of increasing minority faculty."

Faculty members, Jewett said, were concerned about the specifics of establishing a concentration or department dealing with ethnic studies.

Friday the topics branched out into non-academic subjects, Jewett said.

"Some students cited ideas of a Third World center, a student center," he said.

The committee met Friday afternoon to discuss what it had learned. Waggoner said that all the committee members would discuss the matters addressed at the meeting by phone and letters over the next several months.

A report containing observations and suggestions will be sent to administrators in the summer and presented to the Board of Overseers in the spring, he said

The committee met Friday afternoon to discuss what it had learned. Waggoner said that all the committee members would discuss the matters addressed at the meeting by phone and letters over the next several months.

A report containing observations and suggestions will be sent to administrators in the summer and presented to the Board of Overseers in the spring, he said