In particular, Mansfield said, "White professors were unwilling to give black students Cs to avoid giving them a rough welcome [in the early 1970s]. At the same time they didn't give Cs to white students to be fair."

While Mansfield said yesterday that his comments were intended as a censure of the white professors in the 1970s and not against the black students themselves, several students said the distinction was irrelevant.

"Regardless of what [Mansfield] meant, his comments discredit the efforts of African-Americans who came [to Harvard] and worked so hard," said Williams. "I don't want the efforts of those students to be questioned."

Others, calling Mansfield's remarks "offensive" and "unsubstantiated," noted Mansfield's history of making similar comments and suggested that Mansfield was back-pedaling on his statements.

While BSA officers said they would like an apology from Mansfield, they said they would also like to see a response on the part of the administration beyond simple verbal criticism.

Several administrators have stated their disagreement with Mansfield. Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 criticized Mansfield's statements in an e-mail.

"It is irresponsible for him to make this broad and divisive claim without providing a shred of evidence to support it," Lewis wrote.