When students left for the summer last May, the future of Radcliffe was unknown. More than four months later, we do not know any more about where the institution is headed. Though administrators of Harvard and Radcliffe have conducted high-level discussions during this time, the rest of us remain in the dark.

Last week, after being inundated with e-mail and phone calls from alumnae anxious about the fate of their alma mater, Radcliffe President Linda S. Wilson began a "National Outreach Tour" to facilitate discussion and ideas about Radcliffe's future. Unfortunately, at the tour's first stop last Thursday in Washington, D.C., alumnae instead merely shared stories from their time at Radcliffe.

Indeed, Wilson and her fellow administrators seem unwilling to disclose any substantive information about the ongoing negotiations between Radcliffe and Harvard, leaving both alumnae and students out of the loop. The premise of the tour--that alumnae should be involved in Radcliffe's evolution--is good. But if the conversation at the first tour stop is any indication, the tour will not be a success. Wilson must share the plans Harvard and Radcliffe have discussed and then pursue reaction and specific suggestions from alumnae and students.

Meanwhile, students should be invited to participate in these brainstorming sessions. Current undergraduates are perhaps in the best position to see where Radcliffe stands now and where it should be headed. So where are the forums, the meetings and the debates?

If President Wilson and other administrators don't seek input from students, students should show that they care by thinking and talking about Radcliffe's future. Student groups such as the Radcliffe Union of Students and the Undergraduate Council have an opportunity to influence change by acting.

We believe Radcliffe should relinquish its college title and become an affiliated institution of Harvard University. Such a redefinition would acknowledge the need for an academic hub of gender studies; clarify once and for all Radcliffe's ambiguous role on campus and define all students equally as undergraduates at Harvard College. But the reception accorded to Radcliffe's final form may ultimately depend on whether the administration takes the input of alumae and students seriously in the decision-making process.