"Yes, there are specific things we are talkingabout. I know it's frustrating," Wilson saidearlier this month to alumnae at the Boston tourstop in Agassiz Theater. "I cannot share that withyou without jeopardizing the process."

At Thursday's San Francisco visit, Wilson wasstill being vague--to the frustration of those whowere confused by the tour's mission andRadcliffe's current quandary.

"I personally felt at a loss to make a responsethat might be useful," said Patricia G. Bourne'61, who attended the San Francisco event. "Thequestion--what ideas do you have for Radcliffe'sfuture--was so general that it elicited only verygeneral comments. I wanted to be allowed to talkabout a `fix,' but I couldn't think in any usefulway about a fix since I didn't know--and wasn'ttold--what's broke."

Tea Time

While attendees in Cambridge were at leastgiven one proposal for the restructuring ofRadcliffe to mull over--a plan authored by sixHarvard female faculty members and presented atthe meeting--one general problem alumnae bemoanedwas the lack of information provided by Radcliffeadministrators.

Another was a format that many dubbed aladylike chat. In Atlanta, Wilson and alumnae satin a circle.

"If anyone was unhappy, they either didn'tcome--the event had a relatively smallattendance--or were persuaded by the climate ofthe event to be polite," Bourne said.

"Both President Wilson and Trustee ChairNancy-Beth Sheerr are such lovely and graciouspeople that I think those around them often feel alittle as though they are having tea with theirgreat aunt Lydia and must be very careful not toeat too many cookies," she said.

Smith said she did not attend the San Franciscoevent expressly for that reason--because she feltthe tour stop was "a nice little tea party--and Idid not want to be the fly in someone's tea."

Both Smith and Bourne said genuine feeling forthe institution motivates their desire to seeRadcliffe change, but they worry that the spiritof the discussion failed to elicit constructivesuggestions.

"I didn't want to ruin someone's pleasantevening. I care very much about the future ofRadcliffe, but I don't think it would be takenthat way," Smith said. "I don't think PresidentWilson is up to debating me."

Not everyone was displeased with thediscussion, and some appreciated the opportunityfor face-to-face contact with the decision-makers.

"It was not a tea party," said Julia M. Thoron'62. "People were there who were not only recentgraduates, but older women, working women,homemakers, people with close connections toRadcliffe, people with more distant ties. Theywere committed to listening and to speaking out."

Back at the Ranch

According to Radcliffe spokesperson Michael A.Armini, Wilson will draft a letter to alumnae thisweek, summarizing what she learned on the road.Armini also said Wilson is considering a secondround of tour dates for the spring.