But if Pusey does decide on Dunlop, he may face further trouble from an already cantankerous Faculty. The last 18 months, which have brought several kinds of changes to Harvard, have also deeply altered the relation of the dean to his Faculty.

While Ford minimized the political reasons behind his resignation yesterday, one section of his statement hit on the key to this changed relation. His reference to the "excessively glib and insufficiently examined rhetoric concerning confidence, authority, and legitimacy" was a clear allusion to often bitter Faculty meetings of last Spring and this Fall.

Liberal Victories

The important aspects of these meetings has not been their acrimony, but rather their outcome. Time after time, liberal Faculty members have beaten down proposals that had the full support of Ford. Pusey, and some of the Faculty's established committees.

The most recent example was the Faculty's seemingly trivial debate over the "Docket Committee" last week. Many liberals left that meeting feeling they had won a major victory by cutting the Docket Committee's power.

In this Faculty climate-with the liberals displaying their power and usually prevailing-the choice of Dunlop might only increase tensions. Several liberal caucus members said last night that they felt the Faculty "deserved" a dean more sympathetic to their beliefs.

Dunlop-a member of the conservative caucus last Spring-has refrained from overt politicking this Fall, in keeping with his scheduled role as acting dean. But liberals are likely to see his past role as evidence that he will not represent their views as dean.

Pasey faced a less touchy situation when Dean Glimp resigned last summer. His choice of Ernest May former conservative, caucus member, caused little real dissatisfaction in the Faculty.

The Faculty whose own leadership is at stake this time-might be less placid this time. If Pusey decides to appoint Dunlop, he will have to be prepared for the problems as well as the advantages.