But sometimes it seems the institution overwhelms the individuals; the sexual harassment procedures of the University remain intimidating, complex, and prone to distrust.

PRACTICALLY NO OTHER issue confronting a University or community suffers such a wild problem of relativity. What one woman views as harassment another views as a simple joke that anyone should be able to shrug off. What one man views as gallant, another woman views as an affront. Nevertheless clear trespasses occur, as well as graver incidents. Trying to deal with sexual harassment is trying to teach a large group of people sensitivity to nuances and facets of human behavior that to various people are inconceivable, silly, overly sensitive, or a matter of human dignity.

And in dealing with the problem the University has to maintain sensitivity to a student or faculty member who brings the complaint yet maintain an approach recognizing that sexual harassment is still in the twilight zone as a clearly defined and understood phenomenon.

The question is whether the University should take the approach of an empiricist or a reformer. As an empiricist it attempts to juggle relativity; as a reformer it attempts to bring people around to a point where they understand what is wrong with harassment.

Harvard, at best, seems fenced on the issue. University officials' oft-stated concern for the rights of the accused can be translated into an excessively protective attitude for its power structure. The fact that the administrator in charge of hearing complaints is not an advocate would tend to make students less willing to go in and talk.

To be fair, Harvard has put forth some real educational efforts, having meetings with teaching fellows and advisors and putting out pamphlets. And perhaps as a result of those efforts and publicity, there will be some decrease in the number of actual problems.

But the single most important revelation of the report is that Harvard has not yet managed to persuade students to walk up the University Hall stairs to the second-floor, where the administrators are there for the talking to. Or should be.