No Decision Is Imminent On RUS Funding Change

Administrators apparently will make no decision in the near future on last spring's recommendation by the Committee on Houses and Undergraduate Life (CHUL) to phase-out the $5 term bill fee undergraduate women pay to the Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS).

After CHUL's 17-9 vote in favor of the recommendation last spring, Dean Rosovsky referred it by letter to Presidents Bok and Horner. Rosovsky's letter suggested the issue should be resolved by the Harvard-Radcliffe Joint Policy Committee.

The committee exists to consider broad policy issues, and has not met since 1977, when Harvard and Radcliffe agreed to delegate Radcliffe's day-to-day administration to Harvard.

President Horner said yesterday there are no meetings of the Joint Policy Committee currently scheduled. When the committee has sufficient issues to necessitate a meeting, the RUS term-bill funding question will be considered, she said.

"Fundamentally, it is not a pressing issue," Horner added.

RUS collects approximately $12,000 yearly from the term-bill fee. All undergraduate women pay this fee unless they write a letter requesting an exemption. RUS then allocates the money to various women's groups, and to its own programs.

Historically, Radcliffe Student Government was funded to provide women the opportunity to make "hard choices about assets," Horner said.

In a 1971 agreement between Harvard and Radcliffe, the Radcliffe Trustees asked Harvard to continue the term-bill charge for Radcliffe Student Government.

CHUL felt it was unfair for RUS to receive term-bill funding as it is the only undergraduate organization which obtains money in this way, Barbara A. Mullen '79, a member of the CHUL sub committee which drew up the RUS recommendation, said yesterday.

Mullen said the subcommittee meant the recommendation to be neither "supportive nor derogatory" of RUS.

CHUL was aware last spring that a decision on the funding recommendation would be a "long, drawn-out process," William G. Mayer '79, a CHUL representative, said recently.

Mullen said the length of time administrators are taking to make the decision is not a reflection on CHUL's power. Whether CHUL or Rosovsky himself made the recommendation, it would still have to go through the Joint Policy Committee and would still be a lengthy process, Mullen said.

Jennifer A. Levin '80, president of RUS, said yesterday finding other sources of funding for the organization would be difficult. Levin said RUS is currently working on its programs for this year, and is not currently concerning itself with the funding issue, as its funds for this year are secure