The Faculty Council this week decided to delay until next fall discussion of a controversial issue. Council members once again found pervasive wording problems in a proposal that would have required Faculty members with potentially serious conflicts of interest between academic and outside work to report them to the University. The proposal--drawn up by the Committee on Research Policy (CRP)--first came before the council last winter and was debated three times before Dean Rosovsky recommended tabling the issue. The CRP proposal, part of the Faculty's attempt to develop guidelines governing professors' outside work, would amend a 15-year-old University policy on conflicts of interest by distinguishing between conventional conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment, in which a professors' outside activities could detract from his time spent at the University.

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"The pay-off for years of work," as S.M. Bernardi, assistant dear of the Law School, put it, came this week with the announcement that three women and a Black had been hired to fill assistant professorships. The appointments will substantially increase the number of minorities and women on the Law Faculty, which currently includes one Black and two women. The four incoming assistant professors--Clare Dalton, Christopher F. Edley Jr., Susan Estrich, and Martha Minow--will probably be eligible for tenure in three years under a policy in which the school usually offers tenure after three years. Cheryl D. Hoffmann, president of the Women's Law Association, this week called the appointments "absolutely terrific." But Stephen A. Brusch, outgoing vice president of the Black Law Students Association, said last week that while he welcomes the appointments, "for this to be seen as a great step is absolutely ridiculous."

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Two of Harvard's legends in their own time said their official farewells this week. Edwin O. Reischauer, University professor, delivered his official last lecture at Wednesday's meeting of Historical Study A-14. "Tradition and Transformation in East Asian Civilization: Japan." University officials and Reischauer's long-time colleagues and friends joined the regulars for the lecture, which was filmed for presentation on Japan's educational television network. An expert on Japan and former ambassador to the island country. Reischauer will remain here most of next year to continue research and writing. Later in the week, John H. Parry, Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs, presented the last lecture of the ever-popular History 1375. "Man and the Sea: Outlines of Maritime History," otherwise known as "Boats."