Rudenstine Defends Powell Choice to Faculty

President Neil L. Rudenstine yesterday addressed the concerns of Faculty members about the choice of Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin L. Powell as Commencement speaker, affirming that Powell's speech would probably not address the issue of gays in the military.

At the Faculty meeting, Rudenstine said the invitation to Powell represents no change in the University's "fundamental, clear and unequivocal policy" against discrimination.

The decision to invite Powell "had something to do with the particular demands of helping to shape foreign policy in the post-Cold War period," Rudenstine said. "He was certainly not invited to speak about the question of sexual orientation and military service."

Powell had assured Harvard officials the Cold War issue was "precisely the kind of thing he wanted to talk about," Rudenstine said.

Rudenstine also said a possible symposium on the question of homosexuals in the armed forces was under consideration.

Faculty members yesterday expressed mixed opinions on the choice of Powell as a Commencement speaker.

Lee Professor of Economics Hendrik S. Houthakker said the choice of Powell "pleased" him.

"I believe he has been a most distinguished chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," he said. He said he believes it is wrong to attribute to Powell views on a matter on which he only expressed an institutional opinion.

Professor of English and Comparative Literature Barbara E. Johnson said she was concerned about the coincidence of Powell's invitation and his prominent role in defending the military's ban on gays. She also proposed to reopen discussion of the 1992 Report on the Status of ROTC at the next Faculty meeting.

"That way we would at least have a vote that would stand as a counterposition to the Powell position," she said. Several other faculty members expressed agreement with Johnson's suggestion and said they had mixed views on the invitation.

Professor of Afro-American Studies K. Anthony Appiah said he cannot approve of Powell's conduct on the issue of gays in the military.

"I feel it is simply incorrect to describe the behavior of the general in this matter as honorable," he said.

In other business, the Faculty approved two non-financial benefits for emeritus professors. Retired professors will offer courses at the invitation of the Committee on the Corre Curriculum or of the Committee on Non-Departmental Instruction.

Emeriti will also be able to teach selected departmental classes "if a department makes a case that there is no active faculty member available to teach a course."

There was some debate about what conditions would permit an emeritus faculty member to teach departmental courses. And amendment to make it less difficult for retired professors to teach departmental classes failed.

The Faculty also voted to allow retired professors to remain involved in certain Faculty activities, including Faculty meetings.

Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Christoph J. Wolff yesterday presented a report on the administration of doctorate degrees in inter faculty programs at Harvard.

The report suggests that an academic council on inter-faculty Ph.D. programs be established with members from all faculties to examine proposals for new Ph.D. programs.

It also suggests that inter-faculty Ph.D. programs should be organized and supervised by committees whose membership would come from members of the participating faculties.

Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies Diana I. Eck, who chairs the committee on the Study of Religion, said the report raised questions about the possibility of a "review process" for existing inter-faculty Ph.D. programs such as the one in her department.

She said the prospect of the inter-faculty academic council reviewing what is essentially a graduate program in the humanities made her "Increasingly uncomfortable."

Wolf said the report's recommendations would apply to the formation of new programs, not existing ones

The Faculty also voted to allow retired professors to remain involved in certain Faculty activities, including Faculty meetings.

Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Christoph J. Wolff yesterday presented a report on the administration of doctorate degrees in inter faculty programs at Harvard.

The report suggests that an academic council on inter-faculty Ph.D. programs be established with members from all faculties to examine proposals for new Ph.D. programs.

It also suggests that inter-faculty Ph.D. programs should be organized and supervised by committees whose membership would come from members of the participating faculties.

Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies Diana I. Eck, who chairs the committee on the Study of Religion, said the report raised questions about the possibility of a "review process" for existing inter-faculty Ph.D. programs such as the one in her department.

She said the prospect of the inter-faculty academic council reviewing what is essentially a graduate program in the humanities made her "Increasingly uncomfortable."

Wolf said the report's recommendations would apply to the formation of new programs, not existing ones