Student's Recruiting Activities May Violate University Rules

A Harvard undergraduate recruiting students to sell books door to door this summer for a Tennessee publisher may be violating University rules.

Ira B. Wilson '79, a student manager for the Southwestern Publishing Company, said he has been asking students in the past few weeks to work with the company this summer.

Archie C. Epps III, dean of students, said University rules prohibit a student from acting "as an agent or representative of a private enterprise on campus." He declined to comment, however, on this specific case.

In the spring of 1977, Epps said student representatives for Southwestern were not allowed to solicit students on campus.

Wilson '79, said yesterday that he has made it a point to examine "every possible rule."

"Only by a very broad stretching of the rules can I be found guilty of violating any of them," he said.

Wilson said he is not a dealer or agent of the company and does not actively recruit students.

"I like to share a valuable program with all of my friends so I ask them to sell with me in the summer," he said.

Wilson said student managers receive between one and ten per cent of the sales revenues of students who they recruit.

Wilson said he "cared so little" for the money he made recruiting students that "I couldn't tell you" how much it has amounted to in past years.

Students had mixed reactions to Wilson's recruiting, with many students saying that the presentation is "high pressured."

Clockwork Crimson

Wilson said he does not use psychological pressure to get other students to work for the company.

"I definitely try to sell them on the program. But they have to persuade me that they're willing to do the hard work," he said.

The average student salesman works 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 hours a day, and six days a week, clearing approximately $1000 profit in his first summer of work, Wilson said.