Presidents, Minortities To Discuss Race Issues

President Neil I. Rudenstine is set to discuss campus race relations today at an unprecedented high-level meeting with Black an Jewish student leaders.

Scheduled in response to recent campus racial tensions, the summit campus racial tensions, the summit meeting may result in new initiatives aimed at easing those tensions.

"I could imagine some concrete things coming out," Rudenstine said in an interview last week.

Rudenstine said the administration is "working through a pretty complicated set of issues." Those issues include the sensitivity of the Harvard police, offensive campus speakers, racist posters and the sensitivity of S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.

Rudenstine said "some vehicle" to deal with these issues may emerge from today's meeting. He said the meeting would discuss the "vehicle," the issues and a way for other interested groups to become involved.

The meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the Faculty Club. In addition to Rudenstine, expected participants include Counter, Dean of the Faculty of arts and Sciences Jeremy R. Knowles, Hillel Acting Director Rabbi Sally Finestone, six Black Students Association leaders and six Hillel leaders.

Initial speculation was that Rudenstine's "vehicle" would be a committee to examine campus race relations. Such a step, while possible, is by no means the only options, officials said.

Provost-designate Jerry R. Green said Wednesday that he and Rudenstine had been thinking about the matter" in more specific terms."

Green said that, "rather than having a grandcommittee that would consider all race relationproblems," it might be more sensible "to focus onspecific issues, for example, hate speech or thechoice of outside speakers."

Student Opinion

Still both Green and Rudenstine emphasized thatstudent opinion, not administrator'spreconceptions should influence whatever steps aretaken.

"The people at the meeting will havesuggestions and I'd like to hear them," Rudenstinesaid.

Similar Agendas

For their part, at least two student leaderswho will attend the meeting seem to have similaragendas.

Hillel Coordinating Council Chair Shai A. Held'94 said yesterday he hopes "some productivedialogue and serious commitment on both sides tocontinue working together" will come out oftoday's meeting.

And Black Student Association President ZaheerR. Ali '94 said yesterday he is looking for tworesults from the summit: "To have a dialogue sothat we can understand each other's perspectives,"and "some type of programs...to improve relationsbe tween our two communities."

Joe M. Mathews contributed to the reportingof this article.

Green said that, "rather than having a grandcommittee that would consider all race relationproblems," it might be more sensible "to focus onspecific issues, for example, hate speech or thechoice of outside speakers."

Student Opinion

Still both Green and Rudenstine emphasized thatstudent opinion, not administrator'spreconceptions should influence whatever steps aretaken.

"The people at the meeting will havesuggestions and I'd like to hear them," Rudenstinesaid.

Similar Agendas

For their part, at least two student leaderswho will attend the meeting seem to have similaragendas.

Hillel Coordinating Council Chair Shai A. Held'94 said yesterday he hopes "some productivedialogue and serious commitment on both sides tocontinue working together" will come out oftoday's meeting.

And Black Student Association President ZaheerR. Ali '94 said yesterday he is looking for tworesults from the summit: "To have a dialogue sothat we can understand each other's perspectives,"and "some type of programs...to improve relationsbe tween our two communities."

Joe M. Mathews contributed to the reportingof this article.