Relocation Will Still Go On, Says Illingworth

Following his decision to force 12 student groups to move their offices, Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth ’71 met with the president of the International Relations Council (IRC) yesterday to discuss the group’s relocation options.

The 10 a.m. meeting between IRC President Michael J. Gilbert ’02 and Illingworth came after Illingworth’s Tuesday announcement that the IRC, Harvard Model Congress (HMC) and Harvard Model Congress Europe (HMCE) must move to allow the expansion of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.

Refusing to comment about the meeting, Illingworth stated in an e-mail that “there really is nothing new to report.”

During what Gilbert called a “very friendly” meeting, Illingworth did not finalize any plans regarding the relocations.

“He said he would look into alternative moves for the IRC, but he didn’t suggest that the Foundation would be moving to a different place,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert said Illingworth did not provide any specific alternatives to relocating the Foundation to the basement of Thayer Hall, which would decrease IRC office space from 1,200 to 800 square feet.

Gilbert also said Illingworth did not answer questions about why the Foundation needs an office nearly three times its current space.

Illingworth refused to comment on any aspect of the meeting.

Ada J. Maxwell, a senior intern at the Harvard Foundation, explained that the Foundation office oversees 40 to 50 student groups, involving “hundreds of students.”

“I don’t think anyone can say that the IRC is larger than the Foundation when one considers all of the [Student Advisory Committee] members who are associated with the Foundation,” she said. “It’s not just 15 people working in an office. We need more space to accommodate these groups.”

Gilbert said he understands the Foundation’s concerns about space.

“We can certainly empathize with the needs of the Foundation for space, because we have those same needs ourselves,” Gilbert said.

IRC members expressed frustration about a forced relocation.

Taryn A. Arthur ’02, secretary general of Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN), a branch of IRC, explained that “the office space issue has made work a little difficult” at a time HMUN must plan the group’s December conference.

The current IRC office, Arthur said, has sentimental value to her.

“I’m hoping that if [a relocation] does happen, it doesn’t happen before the end of the year,” she said. “I’ve lived in this office for the past three years, and I don’t want to see my home gone before I’m gone.”

Gilbert said he has received support from alumni who are concerned about the possible downsizing of the IRC, and said he is encouraging students to show their support.

“I’m certainly hoping that people will write letters to the administration recommending that alternatives be found that allow IRC to maintain its current space,” Gilbert said.

Over the weekend, Gilbert plans to meet with IRC heads to “draft a formal report on the impact the proposal will have on the IRC if approved.”

He will present this proposal to Illingworth when they meet again next Tuesday.

“I sincerely hope Dean Illingworth can come up with an alternative plan. I trust that he has the best interest of IRC in mind,” Gilbert said.

Members of HMC and HMCE have not yet met with Illingworth to discuss their probable relocations.

“We’re still in the process of working with Dean Illingworth to maintain the current status of our operations,” said Helen C. Gilbert ’02, co-president of HMC.