On From Radcliffe

The confusing and often tense relationship between Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges was challenged with new vigor last spring during competing capital campaigns and came to a head in the past several months, leaving many questioning Radcliffe's status as an undergraduate college. The administrations of the two schools have had semi-public battles over issues ranging from programmatic offerings to the lease agreement of Byerly Hall. The Undergraduate Council even entered the mix, passing a bill (which was not approved by the administration) requesting that the signature of Dean of Harvard College Harry R. Lewis '68 be added to women's diplomas, which still bear the seal of Radcliffe and the signature of Radcliffe president Linda S. Wilson.

Meanwhile, top-level officials from the two institutions have secretly discussed the redefinition of the 119-year-old college, though Radcliffe officials only publicly report that they are engaged in a "comprehensive strategic planning process." The changes would reportedly remove Radcliffe's "college" title. These secret meetings have provoked unnecessary rumor and confusion; the continuing discussions should be open and inclusive of both alumni/ae and students.

A redefinition of Radcliffe is both necessary and long overdue--Radcliffe is many wonderful things, but it is not an undergraduate educational facility. To make it an allied institution of Harvard would be beneficial to both undergraduates and Radcliffe itself. But Harvard College must also recognize its own changing role in this transition.

Removing the "college" tagline from Radcliffe's name would put an end to the schizophrenic system of admitting female undergraduates to both Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and having Radcliffe collect tuition dollars then immediately transferred to Harvard. The current system, confusing and time-wasting, is a symbol of all that is wrong with the Harvard-Radcliffe relationship. Undergraduates deserve a clearly-defined identity as students of Harvard College, and Radcliffe deserves to be more than just a vestigial gateway for female students.

Today Radcliffe is misunderstood because of its appellation as a college. It does not employ a full-time faculty; it does not offer courses for credit to undergraduates. By calling itself what it is--a research and support institution allied with Harvard University--Radcliffe can devote all its energy to its continued excellence as a center for the study of the way society is affected by gender.

A change in focus would be an acknowledgment of all Radcliffe has achieved for women at Harvard. It was once necessary as a college to provide education and support for females not allowed to attend an all-male Harvard. Now that Harvard College is fully coeducational and coresidential (and has been for more than 20 years), Radcliffe College is little more than a name. But Radcliffe as an institution is vital and necessary for the University community and the larger world.

If and when this transition takes place, however, Harvard College must make a public commitment to continue to support and fund the undergraduate programs currently affiliated with Radcliffe, such as the Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) and Education for Action. Bringing these activities under the umbrella of Harvard will be unifying for the campus. For example, this spring's Take Back The Night (TBTN) programs were organized by RUS and sponsored by Radcliffe, a patronage that might have had the unintended effect of distancing male undergraduates from involvement. We need one college for all students, one which actively supports and promotes women's issues on campus.

Although Harvard is beginning to make an effort to provide support networks and discussion for undergraduates through the Women's Initiative Project, funded by a $1.25 million gift by Jamie Houghton '58 and Maisie Houghton '62, undergraduate women have been short-changed for years by the tenuous division of duties between Harvard and Radcliffe. With Radcliffe as an excuse, Harvard has too often ignored its responsibilities to female undergraduates. It must now address specific shortcomings in its institutional attitude.

The College needs to improve its rape and sexual assault counseling and clarify its procedure for the reporting of such incidents. In the aftermath of an alleged rape by a sophomore last winter, Harvard's response was inadequate--Harvard's administrators seem to prefer to believe that rape and sexual assault do not happen here. The College needs to confront date rape openly and publicize resources for victims. Harvard must go beyond the good work done by student groups and make itself an official source of support and guidance.

Most importantly, the College must take steps to change the persistently male-dominated culture at Harvard. While the College has made great strides since co-residency began in the '70s, the College is still rife with subtle and not-so-subtle sexual discrimination. Too many female undergraduates can describe sections run by teaching fellows who didn't welcome their contributions or even notice their raised hands.

The proof of this academic inequality is in the grades: Phi Beta Kappa--which honors Harvard's men and women with the highest academic grades--year after year is made up of a disproportionate number of men. Harvard's extracurriculars make the point as well: substantially less than half of the Undergraduate Council is female, only about one-third of the members of the 24-person Institute of Politics' Student Advisory Committee are women, and Philips Brooks House Association only this year had its first woman president. Additionally, the notorious Final Clubs (though their independent status makes it difficult for the College to take action) continue to give Harvard's social scene a sexist twist.

The College should view the changing role of Radcliffe as an opportunity to improve its own role in the lives of female undergraduates. In relinquishing its college title, Radcliffe will renew its credibility by realigning its goals and its name. And only then will Harvard College become a truly coeducational institution.