The University is continuing negotiations that may allow Harvard students to participate in the MIT ROTC program without financial support from Harvard, President Neil L. Rudenstine told the Faculty yesterday.

The talks began last summer in accordance with recommendations from the Report on the Status of ROTC, and will continue despite a pending California court case that questions the government's stance on gays in the military, Rudenstine said at the Faculty meeting.

"I am proceeding along the lines of the Verba recommendations as if it [California court case] didn't exist," Rudenstine said at the Faculty meeting. "I think MIT will be willing to look into the matter in a very thoughtful way."

Rudenstine said he has also asked the Office of the General Counsel to examine whether students would be allowed to fund their own training at MIT under ROTC contract rules.

After the meeting Rudenstine said it was too early to predict the out- come of Harvard's negotiations with MIT or withthe national military services.

If the University should be unable to reach anagreement with MIT and if the government's policyremains in effect, the administration will ceasepayment of the MIT fee beginning with studentsentering the University in 1994. This date is atarget, and not a rigid requirement, says thereport.

Though there was little discussion at theFaculty meeting, a few professors expressed theirconcerns with the alternatives offered by thereport.

Krupp Foundation Professor of European StudiesCharles S. Maier '60 asked the Faculty whether theUniversity was following a coherent policy byallowing students to participate in ROTC while notfunding the program.

"If the University feels that it is valuableenough to allow students to choose officertraining, should we attempt at the same time todistance ourselves or to make their choice moredifficult?" Maier said last night.

"We should make it clear that Harvard deploresthis discrimination," Maier said. "But if we donot do away with ROTC, we should pay our share ofit."

But Weary Professor of German and ComparativeLiterature Judith Ryan defended the committee'srecommendations, saying it is important for theUniversity to maintain its stand againstdiscrimination.

"I feel that this decision taken with regard toROTC is not any decision against the military,"Ryan said. "It is important for us to defend thosepeople who are discriminated against.