GSE Dean Responds to Demands From Students

Six weeks after students first demanded a greater attention to diversity at the Graduate School of Education (GSE), Dean Jerome T. Murphy announced he will implement 21 "concrete" changes either immediately or in the fall.

At a meeting with about 100 faculty members, administrators and students yesterday morning, Murphy presented changes ranging from making more use of class evaluations to putting out an annual report on diversity to funding a student retreat to discuss diversity.

Murphy said the meeting provided students with an update on the status of recommendations that came out of a May 26 meeting of the GSE's Standing Committee on Diversity. The meeting was prompted by a letter of demands that students presented to the administration on April 25, which was followed by a May 3 rally.

At the May 26 meeting, students and faculty split into small groups to discuss various issues related to diversity, including faculty recruitment, curriculum and student services.

Most of the changes announced yesterday came out of the May 26 discussion.

"We're either going to start doing them now or at the beginning of next year," Murphy said.

The changes have already begun, he added.

Two days ago, one department revised to its advising system in response to student complaints.

Beyond the items to which Murphy made a "commitment to action," he listed a number of items, such as student involvement in faculty searches, to which he made a "commitment to consider."

Student leader Harold F. Smith, a doctoral student, said students have demanded more power in the school's governance.

"The biggest issue was the role of students in governing, decision making," Smith said. "But that's something up for discussion."

The role of GREs in the admissions process is also on the list of policies to be reviewed.

Murphy's consideration of the GRE policy represents a 180-degree turn from his original position.

On May 6, Murphy released a memorandum addressing the demands that Students for Diversity sent him in the April 25 letter.

Abandoning the GRE in the application process was one of the requests he was most strongly against.

"[Getting rid of the GRE] wouldn't be in my view appropriate," he said at the time.

"You need multiple measures in students' portfolios," he said.

Murphy said he was more willing to change his position after the May 26 meeting with students, than after he received their April 25 letter of demands.

"I think the nice thing about this meeting in May was the face-to-face discussions with students who really care about the place," Murphy said.

Smith said yesterday's meeting was what he had expected, and he was pleased with what he viewed as "an important step."

"Essentially, [Murphy] outlined what is possible right now," Smith said, adding that it was gratifying to see the results of student-administrator discussions being implemented.

GSE students have been pushing for rapid changes because a large percentage of the student body is master's students who graduate in one year.

Throughout the process, students have said they want to see that they have madeprogress before they leave.

"What we did was create a list of promises ofthings we're going to do," Murphy said.

"Even after [the master's students] are gone,we're committed to doing these things," he said.

Smith, who will be at Harvard for one moresemester, said his next step is watching Murphyand the rest of the administration's actions.

"I will see how [the promises] are carried outand if they're carried out," he said. "It's sodependent on the students that are here, I have noexpectations.

"What we did was create a list of promises ofthings we're going to do," Murphy said.

"Even after [the master's students] are gone,we're committed to doing these things," he said.

Smith, who will be at Harvard for one moresemester, said his next step is watching Murphyand the rest of the administration's actions.

"I will see how [the promises] are carried outand if they're carried out," he said. "It's sodependent on the students that are here, I have noexpectations.