Wrap It Up

After almost a year of speculation, it seems as if the long-awaited announcement of Radcliffe's fate--probably that the college will assume a new role as an allied institution of Harvard--is coming. Maybe.

It is important to note again the shadiness and secrecy of the decision-making process. We have already denounced the lack of student participation in the decision, the pointlessness of Radcliffe President Linda S. Wilson's forays to alumnae without specific facts or proposals and the general lack of candor about the proceedings. But since Radcliffe seems determined to do this alone, we wish they would just get it wrapped up.

Despite the frustrating secrecy and length of the process, though, there seems reason to hope that the outcome will be a good one. Radcliffe looks to be on the verge of becoming an affiliated institution, focusing on its world-renowned research into women's issues and officially ceding all responsibility for undergraduates to Harvard. The nitty-gritty details over the fate of Radcliffe's endowment and valuable Cambridge property seem to be the final but significant sticking points in the negotiations.

If this proposal is accepted by both sides (and we believe it should), Radcliffe could at last focus on doing what it does best--supporting and funding gender research on a national scale--instead of hanging onto its no-longer accurate title and image of an undergraduate college. Harvard could take the opportunity to strengthen its support of female students now that Radcliffe would no longer be the fall-back on Garden Street.

But when the decision comes, both Harvard and Radcliffe should not continue to ignore those who it effects most--the students. Some students see Radcliffe as an oasis, a place of varied resources, comfort and community that they cannot find at Harvard.

Harvard should take care that the programs and people who serve these students are not lost in the shuffle of reorganization. Both colleges would do well to depart from the closed-mouth tactics of the last year and present Radcliffe's new status in a public forum, answering questions from students and alumnae about the fate of individual programs.

It's not too late for both Harvard and Radcliffe to discuss the effects of any proposed changes with the students and alumnae. Students deserve the support of their University--regardless of name.