President Bok will delay a ruling on tenuring sociologist Theda Skocpol for as much as three years while be studies her record as a scholar and reviews the "needs and priorities" of the Sociology Department.

Bok's decision, announced yesterday by Phyllis Keller, dean for academic planning, will end, at least for the moment, a headline-grabbing tenure battle that began last fall when the Sociology department voted not to tenure Skocpol. She claimed sex discrimination in the case--a charge later upheld by a review panel--and Bok appointed an ad hoc committee to consider her tenure request. At that time Bok also announced he would make the final decision himself sometime this summer.

The delay is "neither a positive or a negative" reflection on Skocpol, a spokesman for President Bok said yesterday. Instead, Bok concluded there "were divisions of opinion about her scholarly work" and about Sociology department practices, and "that enough information was not available," the spokesman said. Bok was unavailable for comment.

Big Brother is Watching You

Bok will continue to monitor Skocpol's scholarly progress, and will make the final decision on tenure for the former associate professor, the spokesman said. The case drew front-page stories and editorials in papers across the nation this spring.

Skocpol, currently working at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies, and scheduled to take a tenured post at the University of Chicago in the fall, said yesterday she was "pleased" with Bok's decision. "It's fine with me. I agree the delay is a reasonable way to conclude the matter at this point," Skocpol said.

"I'm also pleased President Bok has taken the initiative himself to bring the issue of my tenure up again within the next three years." Skocpol said.

The delay may in some ways simplify her career plans. Skocpol said, since it will give her several years at Chicago before there is even a chance she will leave.

Bok's decision on Skocpol's tenure does not resolve the other issue in the case--whether or not the Sociology Department discriminated against her on the basis of sex.

The discrimination charges were "separated out" from the consideration of her personal fitness for tenure following a late spring review. Skocpol said.

That review, conducted by stanley H. Hoffman. Dillon Professor of the Civilization of France. Barbara Rosenkrantz, professor of the History of Science, and Hendrik Houtthaker, Lee Professor of Economics, concluded on a 2-1 vote that sex discrimination influenced the department's decision not to tenure Skocpol.

Affirmative Action

After that report. Dean Rosovsky asked another panel of University administrators to examine the Sociology Department's affirmative action record. Rosovsky said yesterday he expected a final report from that panel "soon," but declined further comment.

Members of that panel, including. Thomas Crooks, special assistant to Dean Rosovsky, and Nancy Randolph, assistant to the President for affirmative action, were unavailable for comment yesterday.

Skocpol said yesterday she "suspect(ed) the University will never comment one way or another on the results" of that investigation.