"The account will be Harvard-administered because it will be created by the Corporation on the recommendation of the President," Gerace says.

If Harvard administers the alumni money and writes checks out of the fund to MIT, ROTC activists say, the University is still funding ROTC in violation of its non-discriminatory policy.

"Rudenstine's proposal does indeed end the use of general funds for ROTC, but the fact that funds are held in a special account does not, in our view, change the conclusion," Gerace says. "The fact is, the subsidy of ROTC violates Harvard's non-discriminatory policy."

Redding is similarly uncompromising.

"I think that if Harvard is writing checks to MIT that means that Harvard money is going to MIT," Redding says. "If Harvard is giving funds, no matter if they are originally given to Harvard by alumni, I think that is a strong example of non-compliance with Harvard's non-discriminatory policy."

There is no real difference between alumni money in a special fund and the alumni money that makes up much of the general FAS budget that now backs MIT's program, Redding says.

"In fact, the Harvard general fund receives money from many sources, including alumni in paying money to MIT's ROTC program," he says, "and that fund was found being non-compliant, so I don't see the difference."

Some ROTC opponents say Rudenstine's plan it a move toward change, but doesn't fully answer their concerns.

"This is a step in the right direction, but it still contemplates payments by Harvard to MIT, and we consider it to be an inappropriate level of involvement," says Robert W. Mack '71, a member of the Committee to End Discrimination by Harvard.

Royce C. Lin '96, co-chair of the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Students Association, agrees.

"I acknowledge transferring the source of funding is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough," Lin says. "Regardless of the means through which funds flow, Harvard is still involved with an organization which discriminates....I think it still conflicts with Harvard's non-discriminatory policy because Harvard is still 'entangled' with ROTC."

On the other side of the ROTC divide, those participating in the program say they are happy with the Rudenstine solution, which would guarantee their continued participation in the controversial program.

"I was not surprised, and happy with the decision," says Lisa M. Castaneda '96, a resident of Winthrop House who participates in Navy ROTC. "I had a similar idea that alumni funds from some former ROTC students would end up absorbing the costs of the MIT cross-town or cross-exchange fees."

Castaneda says she does not think the new funding violates the non-discrimination policy because "I didn't think Harvard was violating it before."

"The arguments some of the other students opposed to ROTC were making have been shut down completely by this new decision because they were mostly against Harvard's actively giving money to the continuation of this program," Castaneda says.