RUS President Hopes to End Reliance on Term Bill Charge

In the wake of widespread complaints, the Radcliffe Union of Students will attempt to remove by next Fall compulsory charges on Radcliffe term bills used for its funding, Constance M. Cervilla '74, newly-elected RUS president, said yesterday.

Many women have protested the $5 charge, claiming that funding an organization from the term bill is unjust, and challenging the usefulness of RUS.

"I don't see any justification at all for RUS dues being on the term bill," Cervilla said yesterday. "If we're going to turn out to do anything useful, we've got to do something soon," she said.

RUS is the only student organization funded by term bill revenues.

Cervilla said that RUS is trying to work out a system of reimbusing out of its own funds students who have expressed particular dissatisfaction with the charge.

She said that although the problem must be solved on a University-wide scale, the reimbursement plan seems to be the only workable one at this time.

If the term bill charge is dropped, funding for next year would have to come from either the Administration or alumnae, but no overtures have yet been made to either of these groups, Cervilla said.

To try to combat apathy RUS will begin to publish a newsletter on a twice-a-month basis, to inform students and to stimulate feedback about projects that students want the RUS to undertake, Cervilla said.

This becomes a dilemma because it cannot provide the communication needed to stimulate interest without the term bill funds, she added.

RUS presently operates a loan grant fund for projects originated by or directed at Radcliffe students, and operates the Women's Center--a library and meeting place for Radcliffe women, located in the basement of North House.