The Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) and a Radcliffe alumnae group denounced the decision of Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis'68 not to support use of the word "first-year" instead of "freshman" in official University use.

Many members of RUS and the Committee for the Equality of Women at Harvard said that use of the gender-specific term "freshman" reflects larger gender equity problems at Harvard.

"Harvard needs to recognize that women are students here, too," Nancy Tobin, a liaison to students for the committee, said at a joint meeting of the groups last night in the Lyman Common Room.

According to Tobin, the committee--which is comprised of 1,500 Radcliffe alumnae--bypassed a formal endorsement procedure in order to back the Undergraduate Council proposal immediately. She urged RUS to continue to push for the change to "first-year."

"You may not get this impression when Dean Lewis brushes you off, but students have a lot of power here," Tobin said.

Committee Chair Peggy Schmertzler also criticized Lewis' dismissal of the proposal, calling gender-neutral language "a catalyst for change."

RUS members said although the issue is not the most pressing in the movement for greater equality at Harvard, a change in everyday lan- guage would make women more comfortable and subtly change the way people think.

"The decision is a shame," said RUS Co-president Corinne E. Funk '97, who is a Crimson executive. "There are many larger issues, but many female students hesitate to call themselves 'freshmen.'"

Other participants in the discussion agreed that the terminology needs to be changed, although they said that efforts to increase the number of tenured women professors deserves the most attention.

"I was personally never offended by [the use of 'freshman'], but the fact that it does offend some means to me that it should be changed," said RUS Treasurer Kavida Kacholia'98.

Council Secretary Lamelle D. Rawlins'99, who sponsored the bill, discussed plans to form a working group of students that would investigate instances of gender inequality on campus