Ad Board to Consider Date Rape Policy

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said in an interview yesterday that he expects the Administrative Board to adopt the majority of the recommendations made this week by The Date Rape Task Force.

But Jewett added that provisions suggesting student participation on Ad Board committees may be controversial.

"If there are any [recommendations] to be debated, we'd talk further with the task force people," said Jewett, who chairs the Ad Board. "If there's more debate, the Faculty Council...would be the final arbiters."

The council is an 18-member advisory and policy-making board for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

In a report released Monday, the task force called for the adoption of a clear policy on Harvard's part as to what constitutes sexual misconduct and how it will be treated by the administration. The body also recommended increasing education about such offenses.

The task force, composed of faculty, students and administrators, began meeting in fall 1990 to consider how the College could best handle cases of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment.

But in a move that may prove controversial, the task force also proposed that undergraduates be included on the Ad Board sub-committees that examine all student complaints. Students currently do not serve on the Ad Board or its committees.

The Ad Board meets Tuesdays to rule on academic and disciplinary matters concerning students in the College. Administrators, house tutors and faculty members sit on the board.

The dean said that while he has no personal objection to having students sit on disciplinary committees, "I'd want to be certain that students in the community would want to have students on the committee."

Jewett said that many of the report's recommendations have already been integrated into the Ad Board's procedures, although he declined to name specific provisions. Jewett added that he expected such recommendations as increasing education programs to be approved easily.

Leaders of several students groups said this week that they believe student participation is one of the most important parts of the plan.

"I think it would be very important to have students [on the sub-committees]," said Minna M. Jarvenpaa '93, president of the Radcliffe Union of Students.

"A lot of people on the Ad Board aren't clear on the issues involved," she said.

Although they favor a number of the task force's recommendations, both Jarvenpaa and Elizabeth B. Clark, co-director of Response, said their groups have yet to endorse the plan.

"I haven't read the entire report yet," Jarvenpaa said.

Members of the task force said they hope administrators will consider and ultimately accept all parts of the plan.

"This report breaks some new ground," saidAssistant Dean for Co-Education Janet A. Viggiani,who co-chaired the task force. "My hope isthere'll be enough interest so that thosereluctant will be persuaded."

Helen L. Limm and D. Richard deSilvacontributed to the reporting of this article.

"This report breaks some new ground," saidAssistant Dean for Co-Education Janet A. Viggiani,who co-chaired the task force. "My hope isthere'll be enough interest so that thosereluctant will be persuaded."

Helen L. Limm and D. Richard deSilvacontributed to the reporting of this article.