Radcliffe Tour Shares, Learns Little in D.C.

WASHINGTON--The Hat-fields have declared a truce with the McCoys.

Whatever shape Radcliffe takes once its "strategic planning process" is complete, the new Radcliffe is looking to be more collaborative with Harvard, Radcliffe President Linda S. Wilson told the "gathering of the clan" last night at the National Press Club.

The shift will also be reflected in Radcliffe's mission--from studying women to studying gender more broadly.

But for an audience of largely Radcliffe alumnae who graduated before the 1977 agreement with Harvard--who recalled spending their days in Cambridge barred from libraries and dining halls--the feud is still on.

Many alumnae who spoke at yesterday's meeting recalled the Radcliffe of yesteryear, expressing concern that the community of women they remember as under- graduates is in jeopardy of being subsumed byHarvard.

One alumna told Wilson she wishes Radcliffecould reclaim its responsibility for educatingfemale undergraduates; another suggested creatinga separate dormitory on campus for women.

A third said she hoped Radcliffe would serve asthe "gender discrimination police of Cambridge,"forcing Harvard to address the needs of andinjustices against women.

The general consensus among the participants:Radcliffe needs to serve as a resource andadvocate for women within a community thatneglects them. But the two alumnae from 1991 whoattended the event said they did not notice genderinequities while at Harvard.

In general, the audience did not seemwell-informed about Radcliffe's current programsand activities, or its role in the Universitypower balance.

Wilson said alumnae need to learn more aboutthe college's current functions. While Radcliffecan do a better job of providing information tothe public, Wilson said "it takes an attentiveaudience" to create total understanding.

Wilson pointed out that there are manyopportunities for female undergraduates, but manystudents simply choose not to take advantage ofresources like the Lyman Common Room and Radclifferesearch partnerships.

Wilson also defended Harvard, and said alumnaecan "trust" University President Neil L.Rudenstine.

"He is very interested in advancing women bothat Harvard and in the world," Wilson said."There's every indication that his interest isgenuine. A number of parts of Harvard arebeginning to focus on women substantively."

Wilson cited the office of Associate Dean ofCo-education at Harvard College Karen E. Avery '87as a place where Harvard is "trying to build acommunity of women." She also pointed to thedepartments of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences,where several "committees on the status of women"exist.

Wilson could have drawn upon plenty of otherexamples where Harvard College has catered to theneeds of its women: the Women's Initiative fundedby a $1.25 million gift from James R. Houghton '58and Maisie K. Houghton '62, a new women'sleadership award funded by the $50,000 TerrieFried Bloom '75 endowment, the celebration ofco-residency in the Yard last fall and a recentgift from Amy Smith Berylson '75 to sponsor anannual lecture featuring women professionals.

But these efforts--perhaps epitomized by theCollege's glossy brochure profiling prominentfemale undergraduates, alumnae and faculty--do notcut deep enough for some, including Mia Bagneris'99, co-president of the Radcliffe Union ofStudents.

"I think the pomp and circumstance about the 25years of women at Harvard has been a tremendouscover-up for what Harvard doesn't do for women,"Bagneris told The Crimson in June. "They'vecelebrated not hiring and tenuring women, activelyignoring on-campus rape and undervaluing andunderpaying women such as the secretaries anddining hall workers that really make Harvardwork."

For all of the work still to accomplish, it isironic to see someone who has been repeatedlyslighted by Harvard--Wilson was virtually excludedfrom the Yard celebration last October--to rallyaround the Veritas.

But it is a smart card to play. Rather thanappear subsumed by Harvard, Radcliffe can convinceits alumnae that the two parties are partners.

And considering all of the publicsquabbles--Radcliffe charging Harvard for rent touse Byerly Hall, Harvard claiming Radcliffe shouldnot insist upon an official role in the lives ofundergraduate women--a united Harvard-Radcliffeis, frankly, novel.

Wilson and Radcliffe Board of Trustees ChairmanNancy-Beth G. Sheerr '71 used collaboration as amantra in last night's meeting.

"Harvard has really moved forward; there aretremendous opportunities to work together," Sheerrsaid

One alumna told Wilson she wishes Radcliffecould reclaim its responsibility for educatingfemale undergraduates; another suggested creatinga separate dormitory on campus for women.

A third said she hoped Radcliffe would serve asthe "gender discrimination police of Cambridge,"forcing Harvard to address the needs of andinjustices against women.

The general consensus among the participants:Radcliffe needs to serve as a resource andadvocate for women within a community thatneglects them. But the two alumnae from 1991 whoattended the event said they did not notice genderinequities while at Harvard.

In general, the audience did not seemwell-informed about Radcliffe's current programsand activities, or its role in the Universitypower balance.

Wilson said alumnae need to learn more aboutthe college's current functions. While Radcliffecan do a better job of providing information tothe public, Wilson said "it takes an attentiveaudience" to create total understanding.

Wilson pointed out that there are manyopportunities for female undergraduates, but manystudents simply choose not to take advantage ofresources like the Lyman Common Room and Radclifferesearch partnerships.

Wilson also defended Harvard, and said alumnaecan "trust" University President Neil L.Rudenstine.

"He is very interested in advancing women bothat Harvard and in the world," Wilson said."There's every indication that his interest isgenuine. A number of parts of Harvard arebeginning to focus on women substantively."

Wilson cited the office of Associate Dean ofCo-education at Harvard College Karen E. Avery '87as a place where Harvard is "trying to build acommunity of women." She also pointed to thedepartments of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences,where several "committees on the status of women"exist.

Wilson could have drawn upon plenty of otherexamples where Harvard College has catered to theneeds of its women: the Women's Initiative fundedby a $1.25 million gift from James R. Houghton '58and Maisie K. Houghton '62, a new women'sleadership award funded by the $50,000 TerrieFried Bloom '75 endowment, the celebration ofco-residency in the Yard last fall and a recentgift from Amy Smith Berylson '75 to sponsor anannual lecture featuring women professionals.

But these efforts--perhaps epitomized by theCollege's glossy brochure profiling prominentfemale undergraduates, alumnae and faculty--do notcut deep enough for some, including Mia Bagneris'99, co-president of the Radcliffe Union ofStudents.

"I think the pomp and circumstance about the 25years of women at Harvard has been a tremendouscover-up for what Harvard doesn't do for women,"Bagneris told The Crimson in June. "They'vecelebrated not hiring and tenuring women, activelyignoring on-campus rape and undervaluing andunderpaying women such as the secretaries anddining hall workers that really make Harvardwork."

For all of the work still to accomplish, it isironic to see someone who has been repeatedlyslighted by Harvard--Wilson was virtually excludedfrom the Yard celebration last October--to rallyaround the Veritas.

But it is a smart card to play. Rather thanappear subsumed by Harvard, Radcliffe can convinceits alumnae that the two parties are partners.

And considering all of the publicsquabbles--Radcliffe charging Harvard for rent touse Byerly Hall, Harvard claiming Radcliffe shouldnot insist upon an official role in the lives ofundergraduate women--a united Harvard-Radcliffeis, frankly, novel.

Wilson and Radcliffe Board of Trustees ChairmanNancy-Beth G. Sheerr '71 used collaboration as amantra in last night's meeting.

"Harvard has really moved forward; there aretremendous opportunities to work together," Sheerrsaid