"I guess it's not hard for me to get advisors or people to talk to or mentors or any of that," says Marya L. Hill-Popper '96, who is involved in Radcliffe's Women's Leadership Project. "But the people that I think, 'Oh, I could be them' or 'I want to do what they do' are all men. I'm not really sure what kind of negative effect it has; but I kind of feel it has a vague negative effect."

Santini says that aside from looking for mentors, it can be difficult for women who do achieve leadership positions to interact with a largely male administration.

"I think that tends to quiet women a little," says Santini. "I know that I've been intimidated by the all-male presence in a room. There's a lack of connection."

Gardiner says this scarcity of women directly affects student organizations as well.

"I think every undergraduate organization has to have a faculty adviser," says Gardiner. "That means that if there are very few women on the Faculty, there are going to be very few women advisers."

Those in the administration defend Harvard's record on faculty and administrative hiring.

In particular, they point to the fact that three of Harvard's five vice presidents--Vice President for Administration Nancy H. "Sally" Zeckhauser, Vice President and General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall and Vice President for Finance Elizabeth C. "Beppie" Huidekoper--are female.

They add that the University is tenuring women at a rate that reflects the number of females attaining doctorates.

"As far as the Faculty goes, I think it's a moot point," says Peter A. Gibbons '97, who is a member of a committee advising Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 on the experience of women at Harvard. "Not many women apply for positions, and you can't tenure women who don't apply. That's a tough situation."

Huidekoper adds that Harvard's administration provides good examples for undergraduate women.

"I think in terms of role models there's all kinds of opportunities for undergraduates to connect with whomever they'd like to connect with," she says.

Radcliffe

With a separate administration but no faculty of its own and its name on the diplomas of women who have never taken a class there, Radcliffe seems self-contradictory to many.

Radcliffe sponsors a number of programs aimed at encouraging women to activism and assertion. In 1988, the first Women's Leadership Conference was organized to increase female involvement in University life. In addition, Radcliffe runs a mentorship program and the Lyman Common Room.

Students are divided, however, on just how positive Radcliffe's presence is in terms of women's leadership at Harvard.