"I don't know how or if that occurred," Rudenstine said. "I don't mean to doubt the word of the press, but I do not know what happened."

The president said that if the alleged leaks did indeed occur, "it would be an unfortunate incident, but I think that I do not know what happened."

Rudenstine also defended the official statement from the Harvard News Office as "appropriate."

That statement confirmed that a Faculty of Artsand Sciences committee had "voted to rescind anoffer of admission to the College made under theearly action program." The statement neither namednor made more specific references to Grant.

Other Business

In discussing other University issues, thepresident praised the work of the FacultyCommittee on Benefits.

That committee submitted a report last monthcalling on the University to restore reductions inbenefits that it made with limited facultyconsultation last year. "As I read [the report],it was a very thoughtful and excellently donereport that clearly had a lot of research behindit and a lot of analysis," Rudenstine said.

Rudenstine added that the Corporation, theUniversity's most powerful governing board, isconsidering the committee's recommendations.

"They [the Corporation] are aware of the factthat people want a reply and that it ought to comeforward in a timely way, but I think they alsofeel that the reply would be better if it were awell-thought-out reply than if it were not," saidRudenstine, who sits on the seven-member board.

The president also said that he is very happywith his return to active office from athree-months medical leave. Rudenstine said thathe has been able to remain relaxed since hismedical leave which he now refers to as avacation. According to the president, he hasrealized the value of vacations "20 years toolate" and now has only four or five of his nightsoccupied every week, compared with five to sevenbefore his leave.

Rudenstine said that the current issue takingup most of his time is the appointment of thisyear's tenured professors from school's across theUniversity, all of which he has the final say on.In the last three weeks, Rudenstine said he hasgone through about a dozen arduous meetings withan ad hoc committee to consider each candidatethat has been recommended for tenure