Clarification and Update to the Report on Pluralism

In the October 5 Almanac Supplement, on page S-11 of the Council Year End Reports, the Pluralism Committee's report has parenthetical references to two attachments which were not forwarded for publication. Although the 1998-99 chairman, Dr. Eric Cheyfitz, notes that the attachments "are not essential to an understanding of the report, since the substance of what they contain is in the report itself," Almanac should have footnoted this, and we regret the error.

Dr. Cheyfitz adds, "The report refers to a letter from Pluralism to Provost Barchi (cited as attachment B), written on February 20, 1999 (the letter was actually sent on March 5th). The report also says that as of the time the report was submitted (May 26,1999), the Committee had received no response from the Provost. A response did finally come to me on June 9, 1999. While the response points to the autonomy of the departments and schools in the hiring process (something the report and the Committee's letter to the Provost addressed), the letter does acknowledge the part the Provost can play to 'focus attention on the need for greater minority recruitment and to encourage schools to make such hiring a priority'; and the final paragraph does express the Provost's interest in minority faculty recruitment and expresses an interest in hearing from the Pluralism Committee on ways this recruitment, including that of Asian American faculty, might be implemented."

Almanac, Vol. 46, No. 7, October 12, 1999

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