Study Abroad Program Opposed

Members of the Faculty Council last week discussed the University's decision against formally participating in a new federal program which would support undergraduate study abroad.

Faculty and administrators have expressed concern that the National Security Education Program, which was recently passed by Congress, might be unsafe because of ties to the Department of Defense.

Jeffrey Wolcowitz '76, assistant dean for undergraduate education, said yesterday there have been "a number of concerns" among faculty members because the program is under the Defense Department's budget and because the governing board of the program has reserved a seat for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Were Harvard to formally participate in the program, there would be a campus representative and a committee to review applications and to rank students. Because the college has not chosen this formal affiliation, students who apply will do so on an individual basis and will not be ranked.

According to Wolcowitz, officials of the program have said that Harvard students who apply on their own will not be discriminated against.

Members of the Council said that students should be encouraged to apply to the program with a cautious eye.

"The general feeling," said Baird Professor of Science and Council Member Gary J. Feldman, "is that students should be warned about the dangers but free to choose [to participate in the program]."

Wolcowitz also advised caution. "It would be a mistake not to explore concerns about safety," he said.

The program, which divides funding between undergraduate and graduate work, would enable students to pursue studies in the languages and cultures of countries other than the United States and Western Europe.

Wolcowitz said that Harvard will continue to consider the possibility of participating in the program in the future.

Among other topics discussed at the meeting was a newly-implemented program which provides grants for research workshops for graduate students and faculty.

Seventeen of 35 workshops were accepted and will be funded by the Ford Foundation and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences beginning next month or in September.

Research topics which have received funding to date cover topics such as early English literature and East Asian archaeology.