Students Call for End Of Radcliffe College

A panel of student leaders last night called for the abolition of Radcliffe's administration and the integration of its programs into Harvard's domain.

Speaking to about 80 people at the ARCO Forum, the group discussed Radcliffe's importance in tackling the question, "What is Radcliffe's Relation to Harvard?"

"To keep Radcliffe in the picture is to say that we're not full fledged Harvard students," said Kelly A. Bowdren '94, a council member of Peninsula.

The lone dissenter on the panel was Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) Co-President Deborah J. Wexler '95, who said she feared that if Radcliffe's programs were administered by Harvard, they would not receive the same priority.

But Curtis E. Gannon '94, editor of the Harvard Salient, said the existence of Radcliffe is "patronizing and demeaning" to women.

"To say that women need an intermediary is to say they aren't capable of looking out for themselves," Gannon said.

Wexler said she did not believe that Radcliffe's programs are condescending to women.

"We don't live in an ideal world," she said. "Radcliffe is fulfilling a role that needs to be filled."

While Perspective President Jesse M. Furman '94 said he supports the existence of "advocacy groups" like Radcliffe's programs, he argued that Radcliffe College is "an obstacle to women's full equality" on campus.

"As long as Radcliffe exists, Harvard can say it is the institution to deal with women," he said.

Instead, Gannon and Furman said Radcliffe's programs should be overseen by Harvard and its administrators.

Gannon also said Radcliffe does not deserve its title as a college.

"Radcliffe's role is relatively trivial. It doesn't do anything to ensure that you're getting an education. It doesn't have anything to do with daily life," he said.

Panelists cited the under-representation of women among Harvard's top administrators as one example of how Harvard can shunt responsibility for women's equality off to Radcliffe.

"Harvard can point to Radcliffe administrators and say that there are women inits top administration," Furman said.

Bowdren said she felt that the existence ofRadcliffe detracted from her experience as astudent of Harvard.

"I feel that as a woman, I should be able to dothese things through Harvard. I can compete withmen. I don't need extra help," Bowdren said. "Tohave these extra programs is to say that womencan't hack it at Harvard."

The forum was co-sponsored by the HarvardSalient, Peninsula, Perspective and the RUS

Bowdren said she felt that the existence ofRadcliffe detracted from her experience as astudent of Harvard.

"I feel that as a woman, I should be able to dothese things through Harvard. I can compete withmen. I don't need extra help," Bowdren said. "Tohave these extra programs is to say that womencan't hack it at Harvard."

The forum was co-sponsored by the HarvardSalient, Peninsula, Perspective and the RUS