Study Notes Low Minority Hire Rates

The Faculty's annual report on affirmative action shows Harvard's hiring of women and minorities still lags behind the national availability rate, especially in the social sciences.

The study was released yesterday to the Faculty Council.

While the report notes "steady progress" at Harvard in the appointment of women to tenured positions over the last five years, it states, "Women continue to be under-represented across the academic divisions and departments."

According to the report, the representation of women in the junior faculty is 30.9 percent, while the availability rate--the percentage of new female Ph.D. recipients in the fields in which the Faculty makes academic appointments--is 37.6 percent.

Elizabeth Doherty, assistant dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) for academic planning, said the low number of women in the junior faculty "cuts off one avenue for increasing the number of women in the senior faculty at Harvard."

Faculty members said that Harvard may not be doing enough to attract women and minority professors, adding that it is up to the individual departments to recruit a more diverse junior faculty.

"This can't be implemented from the top down," said Marjorie Garber, associate dean of FAS for affirmative action. "The deans can't do this."

Garber, who is also Kenan Professor of English, added, "The departments need to be aware of the problem and need to begin locating strong women candidates and persuading them to come."

William Paul, Mallinckrodt professor of applied physics, said some departments are less sensitive with regard to recruiting more women and minorities.

"There was discussion of that [at the meeting], without any specific departments being named," he said.

The Council also briefly discussed the working paper on Core reform and agreed to take it up in more detail after it goes to the entire Faculty at next week's meeting.

The committee rejected the idea of using departmental classes to bypass Core requirements.

Currently, undergraduates can fulfill some Science Core requirements by taking courses in natural science departments.

But Paul said he thinks some departmental courses may be appropriate substitutions for Core classes.

"My inclination would be to examine them on a case-by-case basis and with an open mind," he said. "I don't see why a science course should be specifically suitable when other courses would not be."

The working paper recommends expanding the process for reviewing individual student petitions to fulfill Core requirements with departmental courses.

A vote on specific legislation regarding Core reform is expected in the May meeting of the full Faculty

But Paul said he thinks some departmental courses may be appropriate substitutions for Core classes.

"My inclination would be to examine them on a case-by-case basis and with an open mind," he said. "I don't see why a science course should be specifically suitable when other courses would not be."

The working paper recommends expanding the process for reviewing individual student petitions to fulfill Core requirements with departmental courses.

A vote on specific legislation regarding Core reform is expected in the May meeting of the full Faculty