University officials announced at a July 2 meeting of the Cambridge Planning

Board that they are shelving the plan and “shifting focus.”

Harvard officials say they instead hope to use the site, which is currently home to Mahoney’s Garden Center, for graduate student housing—an option that the University introduced, but strongly downplayed, at a meeting with the community last December.

Ivy Presidents Cut Recruits

Beginning with the Class of 2007, the number of football recruits per class at Ivy institutions will be decreased from 35 to 30, the Council of Ivy Group Presidents decided in June.

In addition, all Ivy League sports teams must set aside seven weeks during the academic year during which neither required athletic activities nor coach-supervised voluntary activities occur.

Football teams must also limit the number of institutional football coaches to seven full-time and three part-time starting in the fall of 2003—a reduction from the six full-time and six part-time coaches previously allowed.

Feds Scrutinize Sexual Assault Policy

The U.S. Department of Education began an investigation in August into the College’s new sexual assault discipline procedure, acting on a student’s complaint that the policy violates the Title IX gender discrimination statute.

The new policy, which administrators said will still go into effect this fall, mandates that a victim of a peer dispute produce corroborating evidence before the Administrative Board begins a full investigation.

The complaint, filed June 4, argues that the corroboration requirement would bar sexual assault victims—the vast majority of whom are women—from adequate grievance procedures, violating federal guarantees of gender equality in education.

The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Education has decided to proceed with its investigation.

Heather Quay, a University attorney, said that Harvard is cooperating with the probe and is providing documents and records requested by the investigators.

The University’s General Counsel’s office declined further comment.

Aid for Estranged Students