President Pusey has indicated a strong interest in creating a new post specifically concerned with Harvard's relations with the federal government.
At present, the University relies on three deans to keep informed about the Federal programs, but Pusey said Wednesday he felt "we have to have a focal point for gathering and disseminating information."
Pusey said he envisioned the new officer "as a member of the President's office who would be responsible for keeping informed about all Federal programs." But, he said, the actual creation of the post was probably "still a ways away."
Harvey Brooks, Dean of Engineering and Applied Physics, Henry C. Meadow, associate dean of the Faculty of Medicine for Financial Affairs, and Don K. Price, dean of the Faculty of Public Administration, are presently the men most intimately involved in the University's dealings with the Federal government.
Last night Meadow pointed out that he alone dealt with over ten federal agencies even though his negotiations covered only the fields of health and medicine. Dean Brooks similarly has been involved, with a growing number of agencies.
"Increasingly Complicated"
Allthough characterizing himself primarily as "a student of the subject," Dean Price agreed with his two colleagues and Pusey that governmental relations were becoming "increasingly complicated."
Price felt, however, the new post would not replace any University official presently involved in negotiations with the government. "The utility of the proposed job would be that such a man would keep the President better informed on all developments in the field," Price said.
He pointed out that the controversy over the NDEA loyalty oath didn't begin until almost a year after the bill was passed. The creation of an officer in charge of government-university relations would probably eliminate such lags in understanding, Price said.
In addition, he felt the new post would ensure that all of the University's many projects which involve a government agency would operate under a common and consistent policy.
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