President Neil L. Rudenstine issued a statement yesterday that, while never mentioning Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield '53 by name, flatly rebutted his recent comments linking grade inflation to the influx of black students in the 1970s.

"Nothing I have personally observed, and nothing I have read or heard, leads me to believe that grade inflation resulted from the enrollment of greater numbers of minority students," Rudenstine wrote.

Rudenstine also praised the "consideration and respect" with which those who disagreed with Mansfield expressed their views. At the same time he emphasized the University's commitment to freedom of expression.

"It is important that students, faculty, and other members of the community feel free to express and debate their views openly and honestly, in a climate that respects differences and that is fundamentally committed to increasing knowledge and understanding through reasoned discussion and argument," he wrote.

Rudenstine's statement comes after a call for an administrative response by the Black Students' Association (BSA), which has led efforts to protest Mansfield's comments.

Rudenstine met with several officers of the BSA on Wednesday to discuss their concerns over a lack of official response to Mansfield's comments.

While Rudenstine's statement is far from the censure that BSA President Aaliyah N. Williams '02 called for at one point, she said she is pleased that Rudenstine responded to students' concerns.

"We just wanted to be sure that Mansfield and the administration took the situation seriously, and we feel like we've accomplished our goal," Williams said.

Williams added that the mild nature of Rudenstine's statement did not surprise her.

"He's responding on a scholarly level, and that's what you have to do at an academic community like Harvard University," Williams said.

BSA officers also met with Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 and Dean of Undergraduate Education Susan G. Pedersen '81-'82 yesterday, and are scheduled to host a discussion with Mansfield at a general BSA meeting on Monday.

Monday's meeting will probably conclude BSA's activities in response to Mansfield, Williams said.

"From conversations with the deans and conversations with Mansfield, that's pretty much all we can do," Williams said.

"As much as I wish I could come up with some way to make him stop saying hurtful and offensive statements, I think that's pretty much all that can be done," she added.

--Staff writer Juliet J. Chung can be reached at jchung@fas.harvard.edu