New Committee May Monitor FAS Budget

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is scheduled to discuss a proposal at next week's faculty meeting to create a committee charged with monitoring the University's large budget projects, a faculty council member said yesterday.

The committee would address the complicated relationship between FAS and the University, one that has traditionally been monitored only from the central administration's side.

Some members of the faculty angry over what they call a series of bad financial decisions by the central administration have said in recent weeks that the University subjects FAS to "taxation without representation."

FAS pays one-half of the central administration's costs, yet has no say in how this money is spent, these professors said.

The Faculty Council has fashioned the proposed committee to be less the confrontational than was originally proposed, council member Baird Professor of Science Gary J. Feldman said yesterday.

"The function of this committee is to provide some faculty oversight over the large projects that will be occurring in FAS and in the University and central administration as a whole, so that faculty can be alerted and can give input in a timely way," Feldman said.

Prompted by the faculty's outrage at the central administration's recommendation to reduce professors' retirement benefits last fall, Coolidge Professor of History and Economics David S. Landes voiced his concern that the central administration is not accountable to FAS at the February faculty meeting.

He cited the University's decision two decades ago to build the Medical Area Total Energy Plant--which he said has cost FAS approximately $500 million in today's terms--as an example of FAS's contribution to projects without its consent.

In addition to financial considerations, Landes said the University's decision to build the Inn at Harvard over the objections of Professors who wanted a library on the Mass. Ave. site also demonstrated that the University does not adequately listen to professors' concerns.

"In the past, there have been projects that the Faculty have found out too late about to have a voice in the issue," Feldman said.

Since Landes' February presentation, the Faculty Council has dis- cussed his concerns three times, with an eye towhat FAS can do to increase its involvement inUniversity matters.

But professors trying to establish a formalmechanism to monitor how the University uses FAS'sfunds have been working in largely uncharteredterritory.

Because only the Corporation controls thecentral administration's budget, FAS cannot simplygive itself the authority to control the budget.

Two possibilities are creating temporarycommittee or a standing committee which wouldmonitor how the central administration spendsFAS's money.

According to the preliminary agenda for nextweek's faculty meeting, the Faculty will discussthe establishment of a temporary committee thatwould be appointed by Dean of the Faculty JeremyR. Knowles.

Knowles yesterday declined to discuss theproposed committee, stating that its charge hasnot been precisely determined.

An update describing the proposed committee'scharge should be mailed to faculty members laterthis week, Knowles said.

Feldman said the Landes and the council haddecided that a confrontational committee would notbe effective and that the proposedcommittee--although a compromise--would be moreworkable.

Landes could not be reached for commentyesterday evening.

Currently, the faculty considers the centraladministration and Corporation's actions on an adhoc basis.

FAS created a standing committee this Januaryto review the central administration's decision tochange fringe benefits, which concluded that theCorporation rescind one of its decisions and delayanother.

Knowles submitted the report to the Corporationfor its consideration late last month, butCorporation members and University officials haverefused to comment on what the Corporation hasdone or will do with regards to the matter.

Knowles said yesterday he does not know wherethe Corporation stands on the benefitsrecommendations.

Feldman said that the proposed committee is notdesigned to monitor decisions on benefits orsimilar maters

But professors trying to establish a formalmechanism to monitor how the University uses FAS'sfunds have been working in largely uncharteredterritory.

Because only the Corporation controls thecentral administration's budget, FAS cannot simplygive itself the authority to control the budget.

Two possibilities are creating temporarycommittee or a standing committee which wouldmonitor how the central administration spendsFAS's money.

According to the preliminary agenda for nextweek's faculty meeting, the Faculty will discussthe establishment of a temporary committee thatwould be appointed by Dean of the Faculty JeremyR. Knowles.

Knowles yesterday declined to discuss theproposed committee, stating that its charge hasnot been precisely determined.

An update describing the proposed committee'scharge should be mailed to faculty members laterthis week, Knowles said.

Feldman said the Landes and the council haddecided that a confrontational committee would notbe effective and that the proposedcommittee--although a compromise--would be moreworkable.

Landes could not be reached for commentyesterday evening.

Currently, the faculty considers the centraladministration and Corporation's actions on an adhoc basis.

FAS created a standing committee this Januaryto review the central administration's decision tochange fringe benefits, which concluded that theCorporation rescind one of its decisions and delayanother.

Knowles submitted the report to the Corporationfor its consideration late last month, butCorporation members and University officials haverefused to comment on what the Corporation hasdone or will do with regards to the matter.

Knowles said yesterday he does not know wherethe Corporation stands on the benefitsrecommendations.

Feldman said that the proposed committee is notdesigned to monitor decisions on benefits orsimilar maters