Despite the affirmative vote, many members of the Faculty, including Gomes and Park, emphasized that the issue of who is part of the community of Faculty members is one that continues to demand much thought.

"It stands for a question that we need to think a lot about. I hope that [this discussion] will spark further thought," Park said.

Studying Somewhat Abroad

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With much less controversy, the Faculty also approved a proposal to allow Harvard students to remain enrolled in the College while taking one or two courses at other local universities.

"We feel this fulfills a specific curricular need for those courses not taught at Harvard," said Dean of Undergraduate Education William M. Todd III.

It is especially directed at students wishing to take rare language courses not available at Harvard, he said.

The details of the plan are based on the current study abroad program.

"If the Sorbonne, Cambridge and the University of Heidleberg could only take 96 students from us last year [for study abroad], I don't think this will lead to the Dickensian spectacle of dragging the Dean [of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles] to debtor's prison," Todd said.