Administrators from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study confirmed last night that they may soon convert a large portion of the Cronkhite Graduate Center into office space, at a meeting attended by nearly 75 disgruntled graduate students who oppose the plan.

Cronkhite currently houses almost 150 graduate students from several Harvard schools.

"We have needs, programmatic objectives...and we need this space for the Institute," said John O. Horst, director of facilities, administrative and technology services at the Institute, who chaired the meeting. "There is no other significant space available to us. It's hard for me to imagine something that doesn't involve Cronkhite in some sense."

Horst said Radcliffe is seriously considering converting a number of Cronkhite dorm rooms into office space for its Bunting Fellowship Program and other Institute faculty and fellows.

Horst explained the various renovations being considered. The most dramatic would convert nearly 70 dorm rooms into office space, with construction beginning in the next academic year.

When he opened the floor, Horst and A. Keene Metzger '67, Radcliffe's dean for administration, were barraged with impassioned monologues from Cronkhite residents, all of whom criticized Radcliffe for the plans.

"This is terrible, disgusting," one student said. "I'm so upset, my blood is boiling. This is serious business."

Cronkhite houses 141 graduate students from the Kennedy School of Government (KSG), the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Education and the Graduate School of Design. It is located past the Loeb Drama Center on the corner of Brattle and Ash Streets.