The University's failure to name a vice provost for minority concerns has drawn criticism from black student leaders, who say the interim appointment aims to appease them. The second anniversary of the demand for a similar position is three months away.

At Friday's University Board of Trustees meeting, W. Terrell Jones, former associate director of the Office of Campus Life, was named as special assistant to the provost.

"I hope it's not a step to calm down the black community, but that's my feeling," said Donna Carter, co-chairwoman of the National Pan- Hellenic Council, an umbrella group for the University's historically black Greek organizations.

Executive Vice President and Provost William C. Richardson said Jones will assume some responsibility for minority concerns on campus. Jones has been working as an administrative intern in Richardson's office since last fall.

Although the search for a permanent position will continue, Jones will work closely with Vice President and Vice Provost Robert Dunham, who is largely responsible for minority issues at the University. He will remain in the position until the post is filled.

Black Caucus President Walter Mosley, who was informed of the decision beforehand by Dunham, said he worries an interim position will cause more complication than benefit.

"Black Caucus is not clear about the purpose of an interim position or the role of Terrell Jones," he said. "A lot of the information I get is through the grapevine. I feel kind of left out."

Carter said she felt slighted that she was not informed of the decision before the trustees' meeting, adding that groups like the NPHC would be most affected by the appointment of Jones.

"I don't see how they can say they're progressing when they don't inform the leaders of the black organizations," Carter said. "If they were serious they would have named an interim right after the sit-in."

The demand was first made after a 15-hour sit-in at the Telecommunications Building in April 1988. The protesters demanded that a vice president of pan-African affairs be named to address the black community's concerns.

The Forum on Black Affairs, an organization of faculty and staff, proposed a similar position to administrators in fall 1987.

Mosley charged administrators with trying to prevent a third straight spring of protests, which the University in November blamed for a 6 percent drop in black student enrollment.

"The University is trying to time its announcement to prevent the negative impact of protests," Mosley said.

Other student leaders were less critical of the announcement, but still were guarded in offering wholehearted praise.

Graduate Student Association President Ken Martin, who was informed of the decision beforehand by Dunham, said it was "much better to have somebody than nobody."

Martin said he believes the University named an interim position to avoid criticism. Further inaction by the University could have drawn heavy criticism from student organizations, he said.

Jeff McCarty, political co-director of the Lesbian and Gay Student Alliance, agreed that an interim position is better than nothing.

McCarty, who was also informed beforehand by Dunham, said the appointment is a sign that the administration realizes the pressing need for someone to fill the post.

Undergraduate Student Government Senate President Ron Marlow, who was not informed of the decision, was not opposed to Jones' appointment but was reluctant to praise the decision.

"Jones will bring a foundation to the position, but it should have been filled by now," he said. "I think (the administration) wanted to start movement, a show of good faith."

Marlow said the administration should have informed the leadership of the University Student Advisory Board about Jones' impending appointment and the search's overall progress.

Marlow said he has heard no information about the search since the beginning of November.

"I assumed everything was moving along productively," he added.

USG President Janyne Althaus, who was informed by Dunham, said she was concerned that the University might become lackadaisical now that it has someone to point to.

"An interim position takes away the time pressure when you have someone to find," she said.