Radcliffe Redesigned

When Radcliffe administrators announced the restructuring of the school two months ago, they hailed the changes as a refocusing of effort and funding towards undergraduates.

But the undergraduates who administrators say will benefit from the changes don't necessarily agree with the plans.

Several Radcliffe student leaders are protesting some aspects of the reorganization, most notably the impending dismissal of the popular dean of Radcliffe College, Philippa A. Bovet.

Some of those students also object to the elimination of Bovet's position, saying the move signals a shift away from Radcliffe's original undergraduate focus.

And the students almost unanimously agree that they were unfairly cut out of the decision-making process that led to the changes.

Meanwhile, a number of Radcliffe officials acknowledge that the reorganization is positive on the whole, but say they're upset about the firing of nine workers at Radcliffe Career Services (RCS).

For their part, Radcliffe administrators say the reorganization will improve the college's bureaucratic efficiency, allowing the school to direct more of its resources toward undergraduates.

The move also makes sense from an educational point of view, administrators say. The reorganization will allow Radcliffe to keep up with changing educational currents and meet the demands of next century's scholars.

A New Structure

The reorganization of Radcliffe was unveiled by President Linda S. Wilson on November 14 and approved by Radcliffe's Board of Trustees.

The restructuring, which will be implemented over the next four years, effectively divides Radcliffe's programs into two umbrella groups.

The first group, the Radcliffe Educational Programs (REP), will include all undergraduate extracurricular programs and all post-baccalaureate and graduate programs currently offered by the school. These programs include the Radcliffe Seminars and the Office of the Arts for Harvard and Radcliffe.

The second new group, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies (RIAS), will unite the College's Bunting Institute, the Murray Research Center, the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America and the Radcliffe Public Policy Institute.

Senior administrators say that the new setup will allow Radcliffe to organize its services more efficiently.

Wilson describes Radcliffe's current setup as "a set of very successful but disparate programs."

By grouping the programs into two separate subdivisions, the president says she can more easily realize her three-pronged vision for Radcliffe--new programs, stronger research and a reframed educational mission.

Mary V. Carty '74, executive director of the Radcliffe College Alumnae Association, praises the new organization for its logical structure.

"It clarifies the focus of the college and puts us in a situation where we can maximize our impact," she says. "It makes it easier for those of us who work at Radcliffe to say what we do."

Wilson denies that financial considerations sparked the decision to restructure, noting that the total amount of funding Radcliffe allocates to educational services will remain the same.

In fact, the restructuring will increase funding to undergraduate programs by rerouting dollars that had been previously earmarked for postbaccalaureate activities.

To oversee the REP, Radcliffe will hire someone to fill the newly-created post of dean of educational programs.

Wilson says this new dean will serve as the "intellectual and educational leader for all of the educational programs," including post-baccalaureate and graduate programs.

Radcliffe will seek candidates for the position who have experience in faculty and administration, curriculum development and distance learning, she says.

Fired: Bovet

But the reorganization will not come without its costs.

The most wrenching result of the restructuring will be the loss of Bovet, who has served as Radcliffe's dean of the college for 17 years.

Bovet's job description is some-what nebulous; as dean, she says she is responsible for overseeing undergraduate programs and resources, and "dealing with student affairs and student concerns."

Still, her central importance to Radcliffe undergraduates seemed to stand unquestioned even as late as this fall.

In fact, in a promotional pamphlet on undergraduate life published by Radcliffe's Office of Communications, no administrator receives higher praise than Bovet--not even President Wilson.

"Dean Philippa Bovet, friend and counselor to legions of Radcliffe students, should be at the top of your `people I really want to know' list," the pamphlet instructs Radcliffe students.

"We can't begin to list everything that the dean's office can help you with--you'll just have to discover it for yourself," the pamphlet continues.

But the administration decided that Bovet is, in fact, dispensable--and undergraduates are surprised and upset.

Megan L. Peimer '97, co-president of the Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS), expresses "incredible disappointment" at Bovet's impending departure.

"I can't imagine what Radcliffe is going to be like without her," she says.

Students unanimously sing Bovet's praises.

"She's worked really hard to foster close, personal ties with the students," says Avery W. Gardiner '97, who works as an undergraduate research assistant at the Public Policy Institute.

"No one is happy about it. No one wanted to see her go," adds Sarah H. Lieberman '96, former RUS co-president.

In the wake of the restructuring, 73 Radcliffe women signed a letter to Wilson protesting the elimination of Bovet's position.

The letter, dated December 1, expresses "severe dismay" at the elimination of Bovet's position.

"Though we are pleased by the renewed focus on undergraduate programming such as the research partnerships, we are disturbed that the person who was the driving force behind this and other initiatives is being left out of the process," the letter continues.

Administrators also agree that Bovet is an important asset to Radcliffe's mission.

"She's a wonderful supervisor and a wonderful person," says Joanne Allen-Willoughby, assistant dean of the college.

"I know that the students and the rest of the campus will feel a great loss when she's not here," she says.

Even Wilson, a major player in the decision to eliminate Bovet's position, describes the outgoing dean as "a wonderful performer for the college" and "very highly valued."

But Wilson says that Radcliffe simply doesn't have the money to pay the salaries of both the dean of the college and the new dean of educational programs.

Because the new dean's responsibilities extend beyond those of the dean of the college, the job requires a person with extensive academic credentials, at "a scholarly level that we don't currently have," says Radcliffe spokesperson Carolyn Chamberlin.

These new requirements render Bovet unfit for the post, according to Wilson and Chamberlin.

Bovet herself declines to comment on her ability to serve as dean of educational programs.

But students are quick to point to Bovet's years of experience at Radcliffe as more than sufficient qualification for the new job.

"I think 15 years should take precedence over a Ph.D.," Peimer says.

However, Bovet leaves little doubt about her future at Radcliffe after her term as dean expires in June.

"I will be somewhere else," she says, adding that Radcliffe has not offered her a new job. "I'm giving a great deal of thought to that, but I have nothing specific to say at this time."

Fired: Nine RCS Employees

The other significant shake-up resulting from the reorganization is the dismissal of nine employees at RCS and the scaling back of that office's services.

The Radcliffe Graduate Studies Center, a byproduct of the restructuring, will offer career programming services similar to those now offered by RCS, but will not have fee-for-service career counseling.

Chamberlin describes the decision to cut RCS's staff and services as "one of those hard choices that had to be made."

Lesser Radcliffe administrators seem particularly upset about the loss of their colleagues.

"It's very hard to separate personal feelings from my understanding and hope of how these changes will affect Radcliffe," Carty says.

Students express mixed views on the changes at RCS.

Rachel H. Garlin '96, former RUS co-president, describes her feelings as "not as strong a personal reaction.

But Lieberman says she is disappointed by the scaling back of a service she had anticipated using.

Peimer suggests that RCS's programs could have been preserved by consolidation with Harvard's Office of Career Services (OCS).

"The one thing that could kind of solve the void that will be left would be to integrate some of the personalized services available from RCS into OCS," she says.

The Radcliffe administration is currently investigating ways to keep offering the services which are now on the chopping block.

And Radcliffe officials say they will not leave the RCS staffers out in the cold.

"We're making every effort to find them jobs within Radcliffe, within Harvard and within our extensive professional contacts," Chamberlin said earlier in the year.

Not Adequately Consulted?

Many students are equally upset about not being consulted before any of the changes were announced, or adequately informed after the changes were released.

About 50 students attended an open question-and-answer session on December 7 with Wilson and Vice President Barbara J. Nelson.

In an interview after that meeting, Melissa G. Liazos '96, a coordinator of the Lyman Common Room, said that she "was more worried going out of the meeting than coming in, because it was evident that there hadn't been any undergraduate input" beyond informal chats.

Lieberman joins Liazos in protesting the lack of student involvement in the restructuring, calling for undergraduate input in the search for the dean of educational programs.

"Radcliffe should make a concerted...effort to get undergraduate input into the actual implementation," Lieberman says.

Peimer says Wilson promised at the informational meeting that she would seek undergraduate input on future stages of the restructuring.

Peimer says that has not been the case thus far.

"They still haven't asked any students, to my knowledge, for input," she says.

Wilson says the restructuring originated in a "multi-staged plan that was developed in a broad consultative process in the early 90s."

"We are constantly in touch with individual students," she says.

Not Adequately Informed?

Students have protested not only what they see as administrators' failure to consult them, but also administrators' failure to provide timely and sufficient information about the change.

Garlin, who was then serving as co-president of RUS, says she learned of the restructuring only when she picked up The Crimson the morning after the announcement; Peimer learned of the changes from a Crimson reporter calling for comment on the story.

Wilson says the senior administration has attempted to convey the details of the restructuring to students by giving access to The Crimson and communicating directly with student leaders.

Wilson says she thought the December meeting went "very well," and Liazos, despite her concerns, described the meeting as "upbeat" in an interview afterwards.

But other students say the meeting was tinged with hostility.

"There was a certain amount of resentment," Lieberman says.

Peimer says she is "really glad that President Wilson had the question-and-answer session," but adds that there is "a strong feeling that she didn't answer some of the questions that were asked."

Implementation

Wilson says Radcliffe will implement the new structure slowly over the next four years, with preparations to recruit new staff taking up the bulk of the first year.

Wilson says she anticipates that the first concrete results of the new plan will appear next fall.

Wilson cast the restructuring as a vehicle to take Radcliffe into the 21st century.

"Over time, programs for students must evolve," she says.

Wilson says Radcliffe officials hope the restructuring and additional undergraduate funding will help the college meet the demand for its undergraduate services.

"A major impetus was to respond to the growing need from students for what we are doing," she says.

Wilson says the changes in Radcliffe's postbaccalaureate and graduate structures will serve the goal of "positioning the institution for the changing higher educational scene."

But undergraduates are not so sure whether the restructuring will put Radcliffe on the right track for the future.

Lieberman applauds what she perceives to be the College's decision to advance on all educational fronts.

"It's clarifying its work with undergraduates, but not at the expense of the other things it does," she says.

Other students see things quite differently. In fact, the process and nature of the reorganization have led some students to question Radcliffe's commitment to undergraduates.

Peimer says she sees the restructuring as "a loss of attention to undergraduates" and the beginning of Radcliffe's evolution into a think tank or public policy center.

"I think it will be a shame if future generations of undergraduate women lose the Radcliffe part of Harvard-Radcliffe," she says.