He also noted there is collective bargaining at Harvard, and if unions want to set $10.25 as an entry-level wage "that's a perfectly good bargaining point."

"It wasn't the Harvard administration that refused to do anything," Rudenstine said. "It isn't a simple question. Maybe $12.50 is enough. Maybe $9 is enough. I don't know...Being listened to is not the same as always agreeing."

And in a passionate and unusual moment, Rudenstine addressed another student by speaking about his personal background and knowledge of worker situations, telling students that his 86-year-old mother--a waitress until the age of 77--never made $10.25 an hour in her life.

"You don't know anything about me," he said. "No reason why you should...There are a lot of families in America that work bloody hard...and don't make $10.25 an hour. That doesn't mean they shouldn't. But that's a separate discussion."

Advising and Sexual Assault

Students also asked Rudenstine and Illingworth what was being done about the quality of advising.

"I hear some of the same complaints you do," Rudenstine said. "Too many people fall through the cracks."

Illingworth said that the Student Health Action Committee (SHAC) was working to improve the situation. He added that a recent mental health report "indicated a significant improvement."