The citation program will be reviewed by theFaculty Council five years after the firstcitations are awarded.

More Aid for Grad Students

The Faculty approved a report issued by theFaculty Committee on Graduate Student FinancialSupport, chaired by Professor of AnthropologyPeter T. Ellison.

The "Ellison report" calls for the transitionof the graduate student financial aid program to acohort-based system--where students are informedof their intended funding packages for at leastfour years.

The Faculty also approved an amendment proposedby the Faculty Council, which stressesdepartmental involvement in designing aid packagesand the role of graduate students in teachingundergraduate courses.

The main goals of the improved financial aidsystem are to provide four-year commitments tograduate students, incorporate teaching intofinancial aid offers more "rationally" and moreeffective fundraising for graduate studentsupport.

Susan G. Pedersen, professor of history, calledthe improved system an important step inrecognizing the importance of the graduateprogram.

"Harvard is a premier training ground for thenext generation of scholars," she said. "We needto maintain that, and in some programs, we need torecover that."

But Pedersen expressed concern that Harvard maynot be able to attract the best graduate studentswithout additional funding for the program.

"We must make a very concerted effort to raisemoney for the Graduate School," Pedersen said inan interview last night. "We simply need moreresources to have competitive programs of anappropriate size."

Pedersen said she recognized that increasinggraduate student financial support would requiredifficult budgetary decisions. However, sheemphasized how important graduate students are tothe Faculty.

"This is an issue of such importance to theFaculty that whatever obstacles lie in our way wehave to find a way," she said in the meeting. "Ifthere are choices to be made, let's make them. Ifthe system doesn't work, let's restructure it."

After a discussion focused on how essentialgraduate students are to the Faculty, Toddaddressed how the increased support for graduatestudents would benefit undergraduates.

"I hope some small corner of our hearts remainsfor our undergraduates," he said.

Todd said the reforms in the system wouldbenefit undergraduates in two ways.

"The reforms will require that departments plancourses some time in advance," Todd said. "Andthis will allow undergraduates to plan theircourses more than one semester in advance therebygiving them more flexibility in scheduling andmore opportunity to take advantage of our wealthof courses."

Todd also pointed out how the incorporation ofteaching into financial support programs wouldlead to more of a focus on preparing graduatestudents to take on teaching responsibilities.

"The new program of graduate support will againfocus our attention on this aspect of graduatetraining, to the benefit of our undergraduates aswell as our graduate students," he said