BSA Meets With Rudenstine Over Mansfield Comments

Officers of the Black Students Association (BSA) met with University President Neil L. Rudenstine yesterday to discuss their concerns about Professor Harvey C. Mansfield '53, who has recently said grade inflation is connected to the increase of black students at Harvard in the 1970s.

BSA Treasurer Brandon A. Gayle '03 said the group's officers met with Rudenstine yesterday to explore what actions could be taken in matter, and to ask why Rudenstine had not yet issued a public statement about Mansfield's comments.

BSA's leadership has called for an official censure of Mansfield and a public statement from Rudenstine several times in the past week.

The meeting with Rudenstine is only one of several steps the BSA has taken to confront Mansfield. The group has also submitted an editorial to the Crimson, staged a sit-in during one of Mansfield's classes and scheduled meetings with other Harvard administrators.

BSA officers are scheduled to meet with Dean of Undergraduate Education Susan G. Pedersen '81-'82 and Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 tomorrow, and with Mansfield on Monday.

In addition, Gayle said Rudenstine expressed interest in attending a general BSA meeting to discuss issues of diversity that affect the campus as a whole, matters ranging from the presidential search to the racial diversity of tenured professors.

"Rudenstine seemed very genuine in his statements and was more than willing to sit down with [BSA]," Gayle said.