RUS Files Complaint On Tenuring

The Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) vesterday filed a complaint with the federal Department of Labor charging that Harvard's affirmative action program in tenuring is inadequate.

The complaint claims the University has not complied with a federal statute requiring "good faith efforts" to find and correct deficiencies in hiring of minorities and women.

The Labor Department will complete an investigation into the charges within a month, Leonard J. Biermann, assistant regional administrator for the federal contract compliance program, said yesterday.

Trial Possible

If the investigation determines that the University has not complied with affirmative action guidelines, a trial could result and the University could lose federal funds, he added.

RUS's complaint alleges that:

* Harvard has underestimated the number of minorities and women eligible for tenure;

* Many departments have made inadequate projections for hiring of minorities and women; and,

* A lack of women and minorities in tenured positions shows Harvard's "flawed (affirmative action) procedures."

The complaint also states that "the present affirmative action program appears to facilitate the evasion of responsibility."

Alison Dundes '81, president of RUS, said yesterday departmental autonomy on tenure decisions makes enforcement of affirmative action procedures difficult. "We can't leave serious matters to departmental whim," she added.

"The fact that there are practically no women or minorities on the Faculty, that the administration is reluctant to discuss Third World or women's center issues and that President Bok and the administration are wondering whether they even should have minorities and women at the undergraduate level re-enforces our belief that we are taking the right steps," Dundes said.

Thomas E. Crooks special assistant to the dean of the Faculty, said yesterday, "The departments need more women, but RUS is filing under a technical burden." The number of minorities and women eligible for tenured positions is exaggerated because "the quality of their PhD's is not taken into account," he added