The failed tenure bids of two prominent junior professors reflect biases inherent in Harvard's appointments process that threaten to frustrate a highly publicized plan to promote more junior professors to tenure.

That is the opinion of a broad array of scholars who said in interviews during the past two weeks that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences will see its strength fade in the years ahead unless the tenure process is made responsive to Dean A. Michael Spence's stated aim of increasing the rate of internal promotion.

The University's use of outside scholars to evaluate tenure candidates favors older professors who have established wide reputations at other schools, the academics said.

In addition, although department members may sympathize with Spence's goal, the professors said, many will be reluctant to weigh academic promise as heavily as academic accomplishment when judging their potential colleagues.

The recent tenure rejection of Dunwalke Associate Professor of American History Alan Brinkley and what one professor called President Derek C. Bok's "pocket veto" of former Associate Professor of English Robert N. Watson's tenure nomination reveal these major obstacles, professors said.

In a report issued last spring, Spence said that Harvard can be less assured of attracting top scholars from other schools as two-career families become more prevalent and numerous other institutions gain stature.

Historically, the Faculty of Arts and Scienceshas filled 70 percent of its permanent posts withscholars raided from other universities.

In order to maintain its quality, the facultymust attract the cream of the nation's youngscholars and help them become top contenders fortenure here, Spence said.

The dean called for the faculty to give itsjunior professors more time for research,financial rewards for good performance and morefrequent evaluations.

However, the Brinkley and Watson cases, whichhave been viewed as test cases, suggest thatadditional changes may be required, professorssaid.

Spence has refused to see or speak to Crimsonreporters and has cancelled a pre-scheduledinterview since the tenure cases became a focus ofattention. Other administrators said it ispremature to assess the impact of his plan.

Hardening of the Arteries

"The machinery [for reviewing tenurecandidates] in the last 15 years--as machineryoften does of its own accord--has slipped in sucha way as to block passage of more creativeappointments," said Porter University ProfessorWalter Jackson Bate '39.

Bate termed President Derek C. Bok's failure toapprove Watson's tenure nomination a sympton of "asort of arteriosclerosis" that has beset Harvard'stenure process.

English Department members said that an ad hoccommittee of experts from outside Harvard convenedto advise President Bok did not strongly supportWatson's candidacy.