Group Charges Ad Board With Rights Violations

Accounts from students with first-hand dealings with the College's Administrative Board suggest that some of the Board's policies discourage students from voicing complaints and may violate their First Amendment rights, members of the Civil Liberties Union of Harvard (CLUH) said.

According to CLUH Director James F. Ryan '91, the group will focus its unprecedented inquiry upon reform of the Board's confidentiality policies.

"Speaking with students this week has given me a sense of just how bad some students feel they have been treated by the Ad Board," Ryan said. "I think if the members of the Board knew students think the Board is failing them in one way or another, the Ad Board would be enthusiastic about trying to reform its procedures."

The 25-member Ad Board sets academic and disciplinary rules and judges violations. It is composed of faculty, administrators and senior tutors.

Alleging a longstanding "mystique" surrounding the Ad Board among students, CLUH announced early last week it would review the body to give undergraduates a broader understanding of its practices. There are no students on the Board.

Ryan said a primary concern raised by students this week were aspects of the Board's operation seemingly aimed at "keeping students quiet" about its proceedings.

Several disciplined students said they felt inhibited from criticizing the Board because of a policy requiring senior tutors to summarize the hearings for a student's permanent record, Ryan said. These students feared tutors would present their case unfavorably if criticized.

Two students were so concerned about going public with their complaints that they refused to attend a CLUH-sponsored forum on the Ad Board scheduled for Tuesday, Ryan said.

Another concern raised was that in extreme cases, students who file complaints are never told what action is taken against defendants, Ryan said.

According to one female student, after accusinganother student of sexual harassment, she wasnever informed that the defendant had been askedto withdraw for one year, Ryan said.

But Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 saidin an interview earlier this week that while theAd Board could be flexible in meeting some studentconcerns, strict confidentiality as required bylaw makes major reform impossible.

Last week, CLUH members also focused on theability of senior advisors, who act as students'advocates in Ad Board hearings, to vote onstudents they represent.

While Jewett said the Ad Board would likely beable to meet a request to bar a senior tutor fromvoting, some Ad Board members said such a changemay not be in students' best interest.

"The senior tutors are really interested inbeing even-handed," said Ad Board member RobinWorth, a senior advisor in the Yard. "Theiroverriding concern is really to get to the bottomof it."

"It's not like hiring a good defense attorneywho is going to get you off," said added,responding to student concerns. "The checks andbalances of the system really don't allow oneperson to be that directive with the case.