HEW Says Harvard Hiring Shows 'Some Improvement'

A spokesman for the New England Regional Office of Health Education and Welfare (HEW) said yesterday that the University's latest figures on the hiring of women and minorities show "Harvard has made some improvement."

Quarterly reports on hiring, as well as an annual Affirmative Action Plan aimed at ending discriminators are required by HEW of all institutions Federal aid.

Harvard's complete Affirmative Action Plan has not yet been accepted by the HEW regional office. Harvard has not yet submitted a required part of the plan stating goals and timetables for minority hiring. This part of the plan is due April 1.

HEW is "not in a position to say" whether the latest figures show "acceptable improvement" in hiring without the goals and timetables. Robert Randolph, head of the Contract Compliance Division said yesterday.

However, the quarterly report should "indicate movement." Randolph said. "If the figures showed no increase in women and minority group members on the Faculty while there was increase in the total number of Faculty members, we would be able to say to Harvard, 'you have failed'." He added that Harvard had not failed in the respect.