"The merger agreement is not yet complete," Wilson said. "It's a good time to arrange visits to anyone who will listen."

Those who attended the meeting decided to follow Wilson's advice, organizing a lobbying group on the spot to try to influence the final agreement and to e-mail Knowles and Lewis in hopes of arranging a group meeting.

Members who will be in Cambridge for the summer said they hope to become more involved in the final merger negotiations over the next few months.

"I hope to see the final wording of the merger include specific plans for the future of Radcliffe programs and commitments from Harvard to investigate and address the status of women undergraduates at the College," participant Emily B. Wong '00 said in an e-mail message following the meeting.

Despite the participants' enthusiasm, Wilson and Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine have both said in the past that the major terms of the agreement have already been worked out.

"It's really just a technical matter from here," Rudenstine said on the day of the announcement.

Wilson repeatedly stressed yesterday that the new Institute will not take away opportunities from undergraduates and will bring more scholars focusing on women and gender to Cambridge. Yet she acknowledged that the former college will have no formal role in advocating for women at Harvard.