"This is to provide continuity from Radcliffe College to the Radcliffe Institute," said Harriet B. Todd '64, a former Radcliffe trustee and member of the Advisory Council.

Radcliffe College alumnae have wondered in the past how they might ensure that the Institute maintains a commitment to women and gender, only one of many academic disciplines to be studied at the $300 million-strong Institute.

Unlike the Radcliffe College Board of Trustees that once advised the college's president, the council is not a governing body, and therefore cannot enforce any decisions it makes.

But Sheerr said the group's strength will lie in its close proximity to the dean's ear.

"This is a powerful discussion forum," Sheerr said.

For Sheerr's part, she has said she plans to be merely one voice in that

forum, though the press release accompaning the announcement of the new group tagged her a "prominent member of the council."

"I see myself as one of the members of the group. I'll bring my perspective to the table, just like the others."