With Radcliffe College's October 1 merger with Harvard, the future of the mentorship program remains uncertain.

This year, the program has proceeded normally--from a kick-off luncheon at the beginning of the year for mentor-undergraduate pairs to trips and speaker-luncheons.

But program organizers have been discussing long-term planning over the course of the year.

The mentor program's autonomy from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study may be key to its future.

Many formerly single sex Radcliffe programs have had to open up participation to both men and women--or disband entirely--as the Institute moves to comply with Harvard's policies about gender discrimination.

But the independent Radcliffe College Alumnae Association (RCAA) runs the mentor program, and though the Institute funds RCAA, it is not technically involved in the mentor program's administration.

"The future's looking good," said Catherine I. Malmberg '00, the undergraduate representative for the Radcliffe Mentor Program.

Malmberg also said Harvard recognizes that the program serves as an effective way for Radcliffe alumnae to stay involved with undergraduates.