Rudenstine Addresses BSA Meeting

President Neil L. Rudenstine fielded questions about campus diversity, the Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM) and his own legacy at a special meeting of the Black Students Association (BSA) yesterday.

Rudenstine originally suggested the meeting to address concerns over the recent comments made by Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield `53-well-publicized remarks in which Mansfield linked grade inflation at Harvard with a mid-1970s influx of black students.

As the PSLM sit-in was not an issue at the time of the meeting's scheduling, BSA President Brandon A. Gayle `03 deferred questions on the topic until the end of the meeting.

One student posed a question to Rudenstine regarding Harvard's duty to speak out regarding problems at other institutions.

Rudenstine responded that he works both publicly and behind the scenes to ensure greatest effectiveness at dealing with difficult issues.

"It's better to learn and negotiate than to presume Harvard has some special wisdom," he said.

While he emphasized caution at not commenting publicly on matters he does not have full knowledge of, he said he is a proponent of diversity in all areas and that he will continue to support the consideration of race and ethnicity in admissions.

"Most people would say I've been a major spokesperson for that issue," he said.

Rudenstine also responded to concerns over Faculty diversity. He admitted a lack of satisfaction with the diversity on staff, promising it was "not for lack of effort" and avowing that a "major initiative to reach out" was being undertaken, the result of which has so far been the hiring of more minorities on a managerial level than in any other year of which he is aware.

Only once did a student invoke Mansfield and the relationship between race and grade inflation. Rudenstine said, "the quality of all students is up" and that the increase in grades could be explained by the fact that students are "brighter and more intellectual than 20 or 50 years ago."

Rudenstine acknowledged that during the mid-1970s, universities had to adjust to admitting students from unfamiliar high schools, and that those students in turn had to adjust to different surroundings. He maintained, however, that those problems have been overcome.

"The kids coming in now are tremendously well tested-not in terms of SATs, but experience," he said.

The conversation turned more heated when a student questioned Rudenstine about a previous comment in which he had dubbed PSLM's sit-in "coercive."

Rudenstine defended his statement, saying that the current student action differs from those taken by students in the 1960s in response to the exclusion of people of color from eating establishments.

Whereas those efforts were in response to laws that curtailed freedom and a system that allowed no outlet, he said, students today have ample opportunity to voice their concerns and persuade others to their cause.

"Then there were laws that made it impossible to exercise rights... No opening for debate. No chance to get a good hearing," he said.

Rudenstine emphasized the openness of the community and his own office, adding that the other side of his openness is students' responsibility not to abuse trust and resort to coercive measures when they are unable to convince people of their causes.

"This is a community where all buildings are open and you can blitz with e-mail.... It's an open forum for debate," he said, adding that debate at Harvard has caused change.

In the end, he professed his willingness to revisit the topic and reopen debate, but remained firm that students must be willing to play fairly and risk the possibility that they might ultimately not persuade their audience.

"If your arguments are persuasive, you'll win," he said. "If they're not, we'll debate, and what happens happens."

BSA Political Action Chair Fred O. Smith '04 said he was pleased with the event.

"I learned about the complexities of these issues and the difficulties of running a university," Smith said.

Smith-who said he supports a living wage-added that he was "more sympathetic" regarding Rudenstine and his PSLM stance following the meeting.

Gayle also said he thought it was informative for the 30 students in attendance to hear the other side of many issues.

He also said he agreed with Rudenstine's earlier statement regarding his own legacy, noting that right or wrong, Rudenstine has always been available-"his door has been open."