The board will include five students, among them two from the Harvard Foundation, one representative from the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Student Association (BGLSA), and two students that will be appointed by the Undergraduate Council.
The board was created last spring on the suggestion of three students: Marco B. Simons '97, Bridge E. McGaw '97 and Alicia Moretti '96.
"It's really an important step towards opening the channels of communication between students and police," says council Vice President Lamelle D. Rawlins '99.
Rawlins says the council's Student Affairs Committee will review applicants for its two board positions and make appointments within the next few weeks.
Student board member Ciara C. Torres '97, who will represent the BGLSA, says she hopes to increase police officers' awareness of gay issues.
Torres says one of the primary obstacles to the safety of gay students on campus is misinformation.
BGLSA Co-chair Jonathan Harlow '99 says while Harvard is gay-friendly, it is by no means a safe community.
"[Campus safety] is a concern of ours as people in the community who do face the risk of verbal and physical harassment," says Harlow. "Especially since a lot of times [the harassment] wouldn't be reported."
Torres says the advisory board will be an important forum for minority students' issues as well.
"I've had perfectly upstanding black students come to me and tell me how they've been stopped and asked for ID by HUPD [officers]," says Torres.
Director of the Harvard Foundation S. Allen Counter Jr. says he hopes to see the board facilitate discussions on race-related issues.
"Since [the Foundation] is focused on issues of racial and cultural diversity, as the College grows more diverse, we need to cultivate an understanding of what that means," says Counter. "This board will be an integral part of that process."
Although no final appointments have been made, Torres says she expects minority students to represent the Foundation on the board.
But Counter says minority students may not necessarily be chosen for the board, although any representative will have an awareness of race issues.
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