Director of Admissions Marlyn McGrath Lewis'70-'73 says this change makes things easier forher office.
"It makes it unmistakably clear that women donot enter this institution through the side door,"McGrath Lewis said. "This will clarify theimpression that prospective students have aboutthe place of women in this place."
And while Wilson's signature will still have aspot on the diplomas given to the women in theClass of 1999, future classes of Harvard women andmen are likely to graduate with matching,Harvard-only diplomas, Lewis said.
"[The diploma question] was the first questionI was asked by an undergraduate, and I couldn'tanswer it," Dunn said. "My first thought was thatmaybe people should be allowed choice, but then Ithought, my God, this is 6,000 pieces of paperwe're talking about."
Leaving a Gap
But many undergraduate women leaders saidyesterday that the loss of Radcliffe would be mostobvious in terms of diminished resources.
The Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) is atleast one organization whose existence is nowthreatened with the loss of its parentinstitution.
Tamar March, dean of Radcliffe's educationalprograms, said the fate of RUS "hasn't beenconsidered."
"I see no particular function for such a thing.What would Radcliffe be for them?" said March, whois also director of undergraduate programs atRadcliffe. "But maybe we can think of somethingclever."
RUS Co-Presidents Courtney E. Ellis '00 andKathryn B. Clancy '00 said yesterday that theyhave not been told how the merger will affect RUS.They defended the purpose of their studentgovernment.
"We think we play a very important role forwomen on Harvard's campus...We don't reallybelieve Harvard would pick that up very well,"Ellis said.
Radcliffe officials said they were confidentthey would be able to defend women's interestsfrom within the University.
"Radcliffe will by no means be the smallest'tub' at Harvard. We might have some clout,"Clendenning said. "Many people think we might bebetter able to affect change within theinstitution."
Full Citizenship
In Harvard Yard yesterday, administrators saidthe merger would now allow Harvard to fullyincorporate women into the College.
"It...will achieve for the first time equalstatus for women at Harvard," said outgoing Deanof Students Archie C. Epps III.
"It's very hard to fulfill a mission if youhaven't been fully given it," said UniversityPresident Neil L. Rudenstine.
But others said the University has beenprotecting the interests of undergraduatewomen-along with those of all itsundergraduates-for some time now.
"Several years ago, we realized that we mustnever again say, 'Oh, Radcliffe can take care ofthat,"' Knowles said. "We must simply stop sayingthat.