Philip E. Lewis, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, and Biddy Martin, senior associate dean, today (Nov. 24, 1998) issued a statement regarding the Latino Studies program:

"The Arts and Sciences administration has been actively engaged in efforts to provide for the academic direction of the Latino Studies Program in the1999-2000 academic year. We had hoped to be able to announce today some initial arrangements for the program's administration and also to indicate the procedures we propose to follow in making interim arrangements for the spring term. "Unfortunately, both the arrangements for next year and those for the spring term require further discussion with concerned faculty and students.

"We are therefore agreeing to the request submitted to us last week that we refrain from finalizing arrangements during the Thanksgiving holiday break, when the absence of faculty and students will make consultation impossible.

"We shall resume discussions next week, with a view to making an announcement about our plans in time for it to be covered in the Friday, Dec. 4 edition of the Cornell Daily Sun."