Knowles Defends Note To Latino Undergrads

Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles yesterday defended a letter in which he declined to meet with Latino students and referred their concerns to race relations authorities.

Knowles said he did not mean to downplay the importance of the students' complaints that the University lacks enough ethnic studies courses and Latino faculty.

Citing his busy schedule, Knowles said he merely wanted the students, leaders of two campus Latino groups, to see an administrator as quickly as possible.

"Seeing how heavily booked my calendar was, I tried to ensure that they would have some discussion in University Hall immediately," he said.

Members of Raza, the Mexican-American student group, and La O, the Puerto Rican student group, had requested a meeting with Knowles last week.

In his response, Knowles suggested the groups speak to race relations officals, including Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III, Professor of Afro-American Studies K. Anthony Appiah andthe Harvard Foundation's academic affairscommittee.

Epps was tapped this summer to coordinateefforts to improve race relations, and Appiahchairs a new student-faculty committee on racerelations.

La O President Efrain Cortes '94 said he wasupset that Knowles seemed to classify thestudents' requests as an issue of race relations,not of faculty hiring. Raza President LiliaFernandez '95 said she was "kind of disappointed"by Knowles' answer.

In an interview yesterday, Knowles said hewants to talk to Raza and La O members.

"I shall hope to meet them and other groups,"Knowles said.

He said that while he directed the students torace relations officials, he did not mean toexclude other options, "In recommending X, I don'teliminate Y," he said.

Knowles called Associate Dean for UndergraduateEducation Lawrence Buell a good point person forcurricular concerns, and said Associate Dean forAffirmative Action Marjorie Garber "has theprimary responsibility for effecting policies" inminority hiring issues.

Collaboration Possible

Cortes has said that he and Fernandez plan todo all they can through official channels. But hedoes not rule out the possibility of a protest incollaboration with other minority organizations.

In the past, similar issues have led tovehement protests.

Disgruntled Afro-American Studies concentratorsorganized demonstrations and sit-ins in 1990 whenthey felt the University wasn't doing enough fortheir department. And Law School students haveheld numerous demonstrations to protest the lackof minority and women faculty there.

Knowles said he thinks there are better ways toaddress students' concerns.

"I have never believed that the best way tohave someone listen to you is to shout at them,"he said

Epps was tapped this summer to coordinateefforts to improve race relations, and Appiahchairs a new student-faculty committee on racerelations.

La O President Efrain Cortes '94 said he wasupset that Knowles seemed to classify thestudents' requests as an issue of race relations,not of faculty hiring. Raza President LiliaFernandez '95 said she was "kind of disappointed"by Knowles' answer.

In an interview yesterday, Knowles said hewants to talk to Raza and La O members.

"I shall hope to meet them and other groups,"Knowles said.

He said that while he directed the students torace relations officials, he did not mean toexclude other options, "In recommending X, I don'teliminate Y," he said.

Knowles called Associate Dean for UndergraduateEducation Lawrence Buell a good point person forcurricular concerns, and said Associate Dean forAffirmative Action Marjorie Garber "has theprimary responsibility for effecting policies" inminority hiring issues.

Collaboration Possible

Cortes has said that he and Fernandez plan todo all they can through official channels. But hedoes not rule out the possibility of a protest incollaboration with other minority organizations.

In the past, similar issues have led tovehement protests.

Disgruntled Afro-American Studies concentratorsorganized demonstrations and sit-ins in 1990 whenthey felt the University wasn't doing enough fortheir department. And Law School students haveheld numerous demonstrations to protest the lackof minority and women faculty there.

Knowles said he thinks there are better ways toaddress students' concerns.

"I have never believed that the best way tohave someone listen to you is to shout at them,"he said