In fact, the RCAA board of management mighthave to consider just that possibility-a mergerwith HAA which would end RCAA's independentstatus.

However RCAA leaders say that they're notconvinced that the two organizations would be agood fit. RCAA leaders envision a future role fortheir organization advocating for opportunitiesfor women at Harvard.

"I think [HAA] has carved out a differentpurpose for itself [than RCAA]," Bundles says."The HAA is really there to support whatever theUniversity asks it to do. It's not there takingany positions on issues."

On the other hand, Post says an RCAA of thefuture might choose to broaden its membership baseto include female alumnae of Harvard's graduateschools as well as of Harvard College, and perhapseven women Faculty members.

Such a membership arrangement would needHarvard's stamp of approval, possibly as part of apotential merger agreement itself.

In the absence of more details from the boardof trustees meeting down the hall, Tewksbury saysher association can't plan too specifically.

"We've tried to do that, but there's so manypermutations of the 'if-then' that we've beenfocusing more on a statement of principles, thingsthat are valuable to the RCAA and the alumsgenerally," Tewksbury says.

RCAA leaders say that while they hope thenegotiations end soon, the past year has not beenspent in vain.

"It's really forced people to think about whatthey value about Radcliffe and about RCAA," saysRCAA Secretary Susan C. Eaton '79. "I'm not sayingit's been easy, but it has encouraged us all to re-examinethe value of Radcliff.”

Following the Money

What remains unclear is if alumnae confusionabout the future has affected donations toRadcliffe.

Fay House officials say they have no evidencethat giving has slowed in the past year. But asRadcliffe enters the last year of its $100 millioncampaign, any slowdown could threaten the 2000goal.

Last fiscal year's fundraising set a new recordfor giving to Radcliffe-$16 million, with thetotal now standing at over $72 million. Radcliffeneeds to match that figure in order to stay ontrack, but through the first three quarters ofthis fiscal year, only $4 million has come inaccording to Radcliffe.

A drop-off in giving could paralyze Radcliffe'sdaily operations-campaign income makes up 32percent of Radcliffe's income for 1999, accordingto the Radcliffe Web site.

But Armini says he is still certain thatRadcliffe can raise $27 million by the end of2000.