"Ive been trying to finish a book for two years now, and I'm still struggling," says one assistant professor.

"I honestly don't care" about graduation requirements in the department, says another. "Harvard has made it clear that I'm not a long-term affiliate of theirs [so] I try not to get too involved in the life of the place."

"I don't necessarily think that [tenured faculty members] appreciate how much extra time I put in," says a third junior faculty member.

These are among the gripes surfacing in the University's recent survey of the condition of Harvard's junior faculty. The questionnaires, distributed several months ago, are just now being collated, but preliminary indications point to large numbers of assistant and associate professors who harbor bitter grievances about their workload, their relations with senior faculty, and their chances for tenure.

In fact, Harvard may have opened a can of worms that is smellier than it counted on. Officials deny that they have any intention of delaying the release of the results but one associate professor says. "Because of the results, they may not be interested in speeding it up." Dean K. Whitla, whose office handles many of the University's surveys and statistics, says the opposite is true, that "we are pushing more rapidly than usual."

In any case, the subject seems to be of primary interest to University administrators. From the Corporation on down, the plight of Harvard's junior faculty is a hot topic. Senior fellow Hugh Calkins '45 says the Corporation's Appointments Committee, which includes President Bok, wants to see a higher percentage of tenured positions filled from within.

"President Bok has been very interested in attempts to increase the proportion of senior faculty that are made by promotion within the faculty," adds Sidney Verba '53, associate dean of the faculty for undergraduate education, "but I don't think there has been any change in faculty motions or procedures."

Most other American universities have a tenure track, where junior faculty members routinely get promoted to senior positions, but Harvard has traditionally staffed the senior levels with big names from other schools. Fewer than one in every 10 Harvard junior faculty members gets tenure here.

And Henry Rosovsky, outgoing dean of the Faculty, does not foresee any big alterations in the system: "I don't think there can be any changes because the problem is tenure. You can't give people tenure after their first job. Perhaps there are two reasons they are not selected: one may be their qualifications and the other that their particular skills may not be the ones needed at this time."

These bleak tenure possibilities provoked much of the tension junior faculty members report. Assistant professors are usually hired for five years; if they get promoted to associate, they get another three years or so. Then it's up or out--usually out. "The utter lack of long-term prospects is disappointing, and I think it's bad for morale," says one assistant professor contacted last month in a brief Crimson survey of junior faculty sentiment.

The junior faculty most satisfied with their experience at Harvard seem to be those most reconciled with the transitory nature of the position. "It's actually easier," says one young scientist who feels he has little chance for tenure here. "There's nothing hanging over my head...I can do things to promote my career and take advantage of the resources here."

"It's much healthier not to allow oneself to hope for tenure," says one language teacher. "You run into an awful lot of ex-Harvard assistant professors who are extraordinarily bitter about the place," adds another scientist. For example, one associate professor recently denied tenure said last week that he didn't feel like bothering to answer the University Hall questionnaire: "I told them to go soak their heads."

The lack of tenure prospects may be hurting Harvard's ability to hire junior faculty, according to some non-tenured professors contacted. "If I had kids, I wouldn't be here," says one. "Some of the best junior faculty prospects don't come to Harvard because there's no chance of progressing" says another.

Despite the slim odds, some junior faculty members still hold out hope for tenure. One social scientist says. "I don't think people have adjusted yet" to the fact that "it's not a security-oriented position." The "assumption of forward motion," he adds, still holds in many minds.

Several junior faculty members have developed theories about how to get tenure at Harvard. One says personal acquaintances are all-important--"The evaluation that they make is very superficial from an academic point of view." Others say that good "citizenship" in the department counts for something--helping out by doing administrative chores or teaching the large, unwieldy introductory courses.