Coalition Seeking Diversity Leads Afternoon Rally

One of the things pre-frosh students heard about this weekend on their countless tours, panels and information sessions is the incredible diversity they will find at Harvard.

Yesterday afternoon, however, as many as 75 students gathered to tell them that widespread diversity is just another Harvard myth.

In a rally in front of University Hall, members of the coalition for diversity--an informal alliance of 15 student groups on campus--voiced their concerns about the lack of diversity in Harvard's faculty and curriculum.

The picketers handed out information, garnered students' signatures for a petition to send to President Neil L. Rudenstine and chanted in unison.

"What do we want? Diversity! When do we want it? Now!" some students chanted. Others yelled out, "Neil! Neil! Tell us why you will not diversify!"

Protesters also marched to Mass. Hall with a giant check made out to Rudenstine for $0, in recognition of Harvard's "unacceptable slowness" in increasing the diversity of its faculty and curriculum.

The check was received by an unidentified employee of the President's office. Nearly 900 more checks from students will be delivered this week.

According to Megan L. Peimer '97, one of the organizers of the coalition, the protest was not directly linked to the Alternative Senior Gift Fund, which also targets the diversity of Harvard's faculty, but is "related in spirit."

The goal of the protest, according to rallier Jessy J. Fernandez '99, was to let pre-frosh, undergraduates and the entire Harvard community know that "Harvard is really failing" in its attempts to diversify its faculty and curriculum.

Students involved stressed the importance of their cause and the need for Harvard to change.

"Harvard, as a leading institution, has the power to significantly change the national scene," said Daniel R. Morgan '99, a member of the Progressive Student Labor Movement. "[It should] fulfill the leadership role it proclaims to have."

Peimer cited the low percentages of women and minority faculty members at the College and the lack of diversity in the undergraduate curriculum as reasons increased action is needed.

Alex-Handrah R.-E. Aime '98, who is affiliated with Diversity and Distinction and the Women's Leadership Project, cited the lack of Hispanic faculty or courses as one of the College's failures to diversify. She also pointed out that because Women's Studies is a only committee and not a department, it can be removed by the Faculty at any time.

However, Peimer said the protest was mainly directed toward changing the make-up of the Faculty, not necessarily courses.

"Diversity of curriculum follows diversity of faculty," she said.

Increasing the number of women and minority faculty members has been a goal of the University for 26 years, Peimer said, but the College has been slow to meet the goals.

"The numbers are still below the availability statistics," she said. "[Diversifying the faculty] is a goal that Harvard itself accepts but hasn't worked on enough."

The check to Rudenstine, she added, is a "symbolic statement of our dissatisfaction with Harvard and the fact that we don't feel that they are spending the money from our tuition correctly."

The coalition currently includes groups ranging from the Undergraduate Council to the Black Students Association to Hillel.

It is an unofficial coalition, Peimer said, because increasing diversity "is an issue that so many people are working on already on different fronts."

Peimer said she hopes a meeting on Thursday will help the coalition form long-term goals.

"We realize that Harvard won't meet these goals overnight," she said.

In the future, coalition members said, the group hopes to put more pressure on the administration and meet with department heads.

--Sadie H. Sanchez contributed to the reporting of this story.

The coalition currently includes groups ranging from the Undergraduate Council to the Black Students Association to Hillel.

It is an unofficial coalition, Peimer said, because increasing diversity "is an issue that so many people are working on already on different fronts."

Peimer said she hopes a meeting on Thursday will help the coalition form long-term goals.

"We realize that Harvard won't meet these goals overnight," she said.

In the future, coalition members said, the group hopes to put more pressure on the administration and meet with department heads.

--Sadie H. Sanchez contributed to the reporting of this story.