Minorities

To the Editors of The Crimson:

On the issue of minority and women faculty recruitment, Dean Spence, Associate Dean Mas-Collel, the Faculty Council and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) confirm their satisfaction with the status quo. By rejecting the establishment of Affirmative Action Departmental Representatives and the Standing Committee of Affirmative Action Representatives, FAS is telling department chairpersons to keep up the good work.

As a Minority Students Alliance (MSA) report documents, however, these chairpersons are often hostile to the active recruitment of women and minority scholars

For efforts to increase the pool of minority and women scholars, Dean Spence earns an I for incomplete. While we should laud the university administration for successfully applying for the Mellon Foundation Grant, they have made no effort to use it. While this fund could have supported the term-time research of Black, Hispanic and Native American juniors and seniors this semester, FAS has yet to create an application for the grant. Meanwhile, the $350,000 languishes in FAS accounts.

The student body should also be wary of the appointment of Mas-Collel as the Affirmative Action Associate Dean. In light of Professor Mas-Collel's absence at the meeting with MSA and his statement that in his position he intends "to make as little noise as possible," I can only hope that Professor Mas-Collel will demonstrate more vigor in the future.

Certainly now is not the time for complacency. According to Mr. Ronald Quincy, director of Harvard's Affirmative Action Office, compared with a pool of eight prestigious universities, Harvard ranks eighth in numbers of tenured women faculty, fifth in minority tenured faculty, sixth in nontenured women faculty, and sixth in nontenured minority faculty. Harvard's own Affirmative Action Plan for 1989 states that "On the basis of the university's formula to determine underutilization of women and minorities, FAS currently shows a shortfall of 17 senior and 11 (tenure) ladder female faculty."

"Underutilization means that the University employs fewer women or minorities in a particular job classification than would be reasonably expected given the proportion of these minorities in the pool of qualified candidates. Harvard's worsening faculty representation is inexcusable.

Harvard should aim for progress, not regress. FAS could make the first progressive step by acting swiftly to create the administrative infrastructure to utilize the Mellon Grant. In addition, Dr. Mas-Collel should delineate his objectives as Dean in a written plan with goals and timetables. Lucy Haeran Koh '90   Chairperson   Undergraduate Council Committee   on Minority and Women Faculty   Recruitment