Officials: Student Impact Unclear

Assistant Dean of the College Karen E. Avery '87 thought she would be receiving just one more woman in her life this week a baby girl that she delivered on schedule Monday.

But with the end of Radcliffe's days as a college, Avery, who is responsible for co-educational issues at Harvard, ended up with more than 3,000 new charges.

Along with other administrators in University Hall, Avery must ensure that Harvard's decision to acquire the 120-year-old institution will not adversely affect undergraduate women who have come to rely on Radcliffe for spring break externships, summer traveling fellowships and a seal on their diploma.

But while pledging to continue to serve the needs of females on campus, Harvard and Radcliffe officials said these and other single-sex traditions on campus are likely to change. Administrators stressed that many implications for undergraduate life were not fully thought out in yesterday's agreement.

"Some things are not at all decided or discussed, especially about under- graduates," said Mary Maples Dunn, who wasnamed the interim head of Radcliffe yesterday.

All Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles couldpromise yesterday was that the undergraduateprograms Radcliffe has offered will remainunchanged next year.

But according to Dean of the College Harry R.Lewis '68, Harvard will not make an exception toits non-discrimination policy for the single-sexprograms.

"Whatever happens, the College will maintainits principle that all Harvard programs should beopen to all Harvard students without regard totheir gender," he said.

"I'm sure there will be a transition periodwhere the implications of this agreement withRadcliffe will have to be worked out," he added.

Harvard and Radcliffe officials expresseddiffering opinions yesterday about whetherHarvard, which receives money from the government,would be legally permitted to administersingle-sex programs under federal law.

While the law exempts traditionally single-sexcolleges such as Radcliffe, this exemption may notapply to Harvard.

"If it's okay to have women's sports, is itokay to have a women's student union?" Dunn said."I don't know. I'd have to ask a lawyer, and wewill, I'm sure."

Entrances and Exits

Programs aside, yesterday's agreement willchange the way women enter and exit the College.

Until yesterday, women were officially admittedto Radcliffe College and then immediately enrolledat Harvard, while men were admitted directly toHarvard.

Future classes will be admitted to Harvarddirectly and will no longer have "dualcitizenship" at two colleges.

Director of Admissions Marlyn McGrath Lewis'70-'73 says this change makes things easier forher office.

"It makes it unmistakably clear that women donot enter this institution through the side door,"McGrath Lewis said. "This will clarify theimpression that prospective students have aboutthe place of women in this place."

And while Wilson's signature will still have aspot on the diplomas given to the women in theClass of 1999, future classes of Harvard women andmen are likely to graduate with matching,Harvard-only diplomas, Lewis said.

"[The diploma question] was the first questionI was asked by an undergraduate, and I couldn'tanswer it," Dunn said. "My first thought was thatmaybe people should be allowed choice, but then Ithought, my God, this is 6,000 pieces of paperwe're talking about."

Leaving a Gap

But many undergraduate women leaders saidyesterday that the loss of Radcliffe would be mostobvious in terms of diminished resources.

The Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) is atleast one organization whose existence is nowthreatened with the loss of its parentinstitution.

Tamar March, dean of Radcliffe's educationalprograms, said the fate of RUS "hasn't beenconsidered."

"I see no particular function for such a thing.What would Radcliffe be for them?" said March, whois also director of undergraduate programs atRadcliffe. "But maybe we can think of somethingclever."

RUS Co-Presidents Courtney E. Ellis '00 andKathryn B. Clancy '00 said yesterday that theyhave not been told how the merger will affect RUS.They defended the purpose of their studentgovernment.

"We think we play a very important role forwomen on Harvard's campus...We don't reallybelieve Harvard would pick that up very well,"Ellis said.

Radcliffe officials said they were confidentthey would be able to defend women's interestsfrom within the University.

"Radcliffe will by no means be the smallest'tub' at Harvard. We might have some clout,"Clendenning said. "Many people think we might bebetter able to affect change within theinstitution."

Full Citizenship

In Harvard Yard yesterday, administrators saidthe merger would now allow Harvard to fullyincorporate women into the College.

"It...will achieve for the first time equalstatus for women at Harvard," said outgoing Deanof Students Archie C. Epps III.

"It's very hard to fulfill a mission if youhaven't been fully given it," said UniversityPresident Neil L. Rudenstine.

But others said the University has beenprotecting the interests of undergraduatewomen-along with those of all itsundergraduates-for some time now.

"Several years ago, we realized that we mustnever again say, 'Oh, Radcliffe can take care ofthat,"' Knowles said. "We must simply stop sayingthat.

All Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles couldpromise yesterday was that the undergraduateprograms Radcliffe has offered will remainunchanged next year.

But according to Dean of the College Harry R.Lewis '68, Harvard will not make an exception toits non-discrimination policy for the single-sexprograms.

"Whatever happens, the College will maintainits principle that all Harvard programs should beopen to all Harvard students without regard totheir gender," he said.

"I'm sure there will be a transition periodwhere the implications of this agreement withRadcliffe will have to be worked out," he added.

Harvard and Radcliffe officials expresseddiffering opinions yesterday about whetherHarvard, which receives money from the government,would be legally permitted to administersingle-sex programs under federal law.

While the law exempts traditionally single-sexcolleges such as Radcliffe, this exemption may notapply to Harvard.

"If it's okay to have women's sports, is itokay to have a women's student union?" Dunn said."I don't know. I'd have to ask a lawyer, and wewill, I'm sure."

Entrances and Exits

Programs aside, yesterday's agreement willchange the way women enter and exit the College.

Until yesterday, women were officially admittedto Radcliffe College and then immediately enrolledat Harvard, while men were admitted directly toHarvard.

Future classes will be admitted to Harvarddirectly and will no longer have "dualcitizenship" at two colleges.

Director of Admissions Marlyn McGrath Lewis'70-'73 says this change makes things easier forher office.

"It makes it unmistakably clear that women donot enter this institution through the side door,"McGrath Lewis said. "This will clarify theimpression that prospective students have aboutthe place of women in this place."

And while Wilson's signature will still have aspot on the diplomas given to the women in theClass of 1999, future classes of Harvard women andmen are likely to graduate with matching,Harvard-only diplomas, Lewis said.

"[The diploma question] was the first questionI was asked by an undergraduate, and I couldn'tanswer it," Dunn said. "My first thought was thatmaybe people should be allowed choice, but then Ithought, my God, this is 6,000 pieces of paperwe're talking about."

Leaving a Gap

But many undergraduate women leaders saidyesterday that the loss of Radcliffe would be mostobvious in terms of diminished resources.

The Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) is atleast one organization whose existence is nowthreatened with the loss of its parentinstitution.

Tamar March, dean of Radcliffe's educationalprograms, said the fate of RUS "hasn't beenconsidered."

"I see no particular function for such a thing.What would Radcliffe be for them?" said March, whois also director of undergraduate programs atRadcliffe. "But maybe we can think of somethingclever."

RUS Co-Presidents Courtney E. Ellis '00 andKathryn B. Clancy '00 said yesterday that theyhave not been told how the merger will affect RUS.They defended the purpose of their studentgovernment.

"We think we play a very important role forwomen on Harvard's campus...We don't reallybelieve Harvard would pick that up very well,"Ellis said.

Radcliffe officials said they were confidentthey would be able to defend women's interestsfrom within the University.

"Radcliffe will by no means be the smallest'tub' at Harvard. We might have some clout,"Clendenning said. "Many people think we might bebetter able to affect change within theinstitution."

Full Citizenship

In Harvard Yard yesterday, administrators saidthe merger would now allow Harvard to fullyincorporate women into the College.

"It...will achieve for the first time equalstatus for women at Harvard," said outgoing Deanof Students Archie C. Epps III.

"It's very hard to fulfill a mission if youhaven't been fully given it," said UniversityPresident Neil L. Rudenstine.

But others said the University has beenprotecting the interests of undergraduatewomen-along with those of all itsundergraduates-for some time now.

"Several years ago, we realized that we mustnever again say, 'Oh, Radcliffe can take care ofthat,"' Knowles said. "We must simply stop sayingthat.