The students met in early April with the Officeof the General Counsel and members of the advisorygroup, Shetty said.
"The major concerns we expressed were that wewanted to make sure the police chief hasexperience in community policing or campuspolicing," Shetty said, "that he's sensitive toissues that they might encounter on campus--[suchas] diversity, sexuality...women's issues."
Shetty said he wondered why students were noton the advisory group itself.
"It was a concern that I had, but I think thatthe major reason was that everything has to happenvery quickly," Shetty said. "[Marshall] felt thatat the time it was the best way to select the bestchief; it is a very involved process."
Shetty praised the meeting, saying it was"extremely helpful" and let students know theOffice of the General Counsel was "interested" intheir opinions. But he said he was not sure of theextent of student influence in the selectionprocess.
"I don't know if undergraduates will beinvolved in the process," he said.
Next Step
Sometime over the summer, several members ofthe advisory group will meet with those candidateswho make it past an initial screening ofapplications, Marshall said.
According to an ad in the Harvard Gazette, thejob applications for the position were due onApril 12. But Marshall said the advisory groupwill still accept new, qualified candidates.
The membership of the advisory group haschanged since March. It now includes CambridgePolice Commissioner Perry L. Anderson, Cabot HouseSenior Tutor Julian P. Chang, Dean of StudentsArchie C. Epps III, Eliot House Co-MastersKristine L. Forsgard and Stephen A. Mitchell,Medical School associate dean of student affairsEdward M. Hundert, Director of Personnel forHarvard College Eloise S. McGaw, WeatherheadProfessor of Business Administration Daniel Q.Mills and Pound Professor of Law James Vorenberg,who is a former master of Dunster House.
Neither Johnson nor Herbert J. Vallier,associate director for finance and administrationin charge of the police department, is on theadvisory group, according to Marshall.
The inclusion of Anderson on the advisory groupcould bode well for the candidacy of Kantor, whoserved as superintendent of the Cambridge policeforce and executive assistant to Anderson. The twoare friends, sources said.
Marshall said the advisory group has metseveral times in the last few months. But for themost part, she said that smaller groups of abouttwo or three members have been doing outreach, shesaid.
"The advisory group has been reaching out to avery broad range of people, both inside andoutside the University, to help us identify thevery best candidates," Marshall said.
High-ranking Boston police sources have alsotold The Crimson that Harvard's Office of theGeneral Counsel has contacted members of theBoston police department's senior leadership aboutthe post.