Bell Argues For Leave Extension

For nearly three hours on Wednesday, former Weld Professor of Law Derrick A. Bell Jr.. tried to convince a special committee of Harvard's governing boards to allow him to continue his unpaid leave of absence from the Law School.

The appeal was heard by the Joint Committee on Appointments, which consists of representatives from both the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers.

The committee is expected to present a recommendation to the Corporation after the first week of August, University spokesperson Peter Costa said.

"Our group was...engaging in a review and making a report to the Corporation," said committee member Arthur A. Hartman '47, who is also chair of the Board of Overseers.

The appeal meeting was unprecedented for the University. Earlier this month, Provost Jerry R. Green announced that Bell's refusal to return after a second year would be considered a resighnation of his tenured post.

Bell took an unpaid leave of absence beginning in April 1990 to protest the lack of women and racial minorities on the Law School faculty.

Bell was unavailable for comment yesterday. He has said in the past that because his leave is based on conscience, it should be extended.

Rudenstine, who chairs the Joint Committee on Appointments, said in an interview last week that he would not be present at Bell's hearing.

"In some sense it's my judgment that he's appealing," he said. "I shouldn't be there. It's his chance to talk to people who are the appeals group without my intervention."

Rudenstine added that he still supports the longstanding Corporation policy of limiting professors' leaves of absence to two years.

"I do think it's a good rule," he said.

In addition to Rudenstine and Hartman, the mem- bers of the Joint Committee on Appointmentsare: University Treasurer D. Ronald Daniel,Corporation Members Charles P. Slichter '45 andRichard A. Smith '46 and Overseer Renee M. Landers'77