"There are some people who believe Radcliffehas an equal voice in undergraduate affairs withHarvard," Fuller says. "[But] we on the campaignside have described Radcliffe as a value-addedcomponent of a larger University experience."

That concept--of Radcliffe as a "value-added"resource for undergraduate women--is one Wilsonhas stressed repeatedly. As president, she hascreated programs like the research partnersprogram, which matches the luminaries atRadcliffe's various institutes with femaleundergraduates.

But even Wilson's idea that Radcliffe augmentsthe experience of women at Harvard Collegefrequently falls under attack.

"Linda Wilson is a fabulous fundraiser, but notso good with undergraduate relations," Corinne Y.Funk '97 told The Crimson in March. Funk served asco-president of the Radcliffe Union of Students in1996.

Peggy M. McIntosh '56, a long-time Radcliffesupporter who resigned as second vice president ofRCAA in April, speaks even more strongly.

"Frankly, Radcliffe has not been an advocatefor the interests of undergraduate women atHarvard University," McIntosh says.

"As for making an active effort to find outwhat undergraduate life is like for women and givethem active and feminist support--that issomething Linda Wilson has not tried to do," shesays. "Her attitude has been that her role is notto fix Harvard."

McIntosh says she resigned out of frustrationwith Radcliffe's reluctance to discuss recentdevelopments with alumnae.

"The president and trustees have been whollysecretive in their discussions [about the futureof Radcliffe]," she says. "I think this isoutrageous."

McIntosh pins much of the blame on Wilsonherself.

"She could have resisted the trustees'insistence on secrecy," she said. "She could havethreatened to resign if she had to keep secret...Idon't think it's leadership to be president of aneducational organization, negotiating its futurewhile bypassing its constituency."

Eaton concedes that there have been requestsfor Wilson to be more open, but says Wilson isnavigating dangerous straits in reexaminingRadcliffe's relation to Harvard.

"She has worked hard to maintain a positiverelationship with Harvard," Eaton says. "People onthe Harvard side think Radcliffe is a pain in theneck, but she has worked hard to maintain acollaborative relationship."

Fuller says she believes Wilson has been asupfront as possible about the negotiations.

"Linda's doing what she has to do," Fullersays. "There are a lot of people who'd like toknow what's happening...[But] other aspects of thestrategic planning process are still beingdiscussed within trustee committees and are notready to be discussed beyond that point."