In the last two years Harvard's Government Department has been rocked by two publicized sexual harassment cases, both involving respected senior faculty members.

In that time, the department has grappled with ways to rid itself of the harassment problem, which has created a measure of ill will between students and administrators.

In addition, department officials say the number of women graduate students accepting offers of admission to the department has declined significantly in the last two years at least in part because of the two harassment cases.

The department is also seeing a vigorous student protest against the return this fall of one of the professors accused of sexual harassment, Jorge I. Dominguez, Harvard's senior authority on Latin American political science.

Dominguez was disciplined in the summer of 1983 for sexually harassing a female junior faculty member in the department and last year took an unexpected leave of absence. In February of this year, Harvard announced that Professor of Government Douglas A. Hibbs Jr. would resign as a result of an allegation of sexual misconduct. The two cases follow a 1979 case in which another tenured faculty member in the department was reprimanded for sexually harassing a member of the Class of '83, according to reports at the time.

Three of the four publicized cases of harassment at Harvard within the last six years have involved tenured professors of government; the fourth case implicated a visiting scholar who was teaching a writing course.

The publicity has focused campuswide attention on the Government Department, even though recent surveys have shown the problem exists throughout the University and the nation.

The cases of the three government professors have apparently not tarnished Harvard's reputation among academics across the country, and many applaud the University for its professional handling of sexual harassment.

But some students are still concerned that the department has not done enough to erase the legacy of the past six years.

Dominguez's return has raised a flurry of controversy centering on the freedom of professors to choose what courses they will teach and, conversely, the freedom of students to avoid professors implicated for sexual harassment.

In reponse to the three publicized sexual harassment cases, the Government Department has set up a sexual harassment committee to address the various issues and gnated several professors to serve as counselors and supply informal assistance to individuals who believe they have been victimized.

In addition, Government Department Chairman Robert D. Putnam sends all incoming graduate students a statement outlining the procedures for filing a sexual harassment complaint and the resources available to those not ready to pursue official action. The statement says, and Putnam reiterates, that "sexual harassment and other forms of abuse or professional authority are firmly condemned by the Government Department, as by the University community as a whole."

The sexual harassment complaints and the legal restrictions regarding their confidentiality have left Putnam in a difficult position as department chairman. He is legally bound not to discuss individual cases and must at the same time fend off student criticisms.

All investigation and sanction regarding sexual harassment cases rests in the hands of the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Student Protest