Bowles, Gintis Head West

In a move designed to give added weight to the radical perspective of its Economics Department, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst this week took the final step in approving tenure for four new faculty members. The additions include Samuel S. Bowles, associate professor of Economics, and Herbert M. Gintis, lecturer in Education, both of whom have not been given tenure at Harvard.

The UMass Board of Trustees, in a unanimous decision, also granted tenure to two radical economists currently teaching at the City College of New York. The four economists, who indicated earlier this year that they are "committed to working as a group," have accepted the offer.

"Working together will have a great effect on our ability to develop a coherent program of teaching and research," Gintis said.

In line with its moves toward faculty balance, the UMass Board of Trustees also approved a policy that would give students significant responsibility in university decision-making.

The policy assures that students will participate in the "evaluation of faculty effectiveness," although it gives no specific outline of the procedure to be followed to this end.