As Harvard embarks on a planned $2 billion fundraising campaign, some parts of the University are anticipating a generous financial boost.

Among the most frequently cited potential beneficiaries of the campaign are Harvard's science departments, which have increasing financial demands as technological developments change their academic needs.

"Just to represent the areas that have grown up we're going to need to put more effort into hiring new faculty and keeping our physical resources as up-to-date as possible," says Paul C. Martin '52, Harvard's dean of the Division of Applied Sciences.

Administrators point to the declining number of science concentrators as a major reason for working to improve and enlarge the departments. In 1984, the University had 1329 science concentrators, but in 1988 that number had declined to 1144. Faculty members and administrators say they hope to revive student interest in science at Harvard.

And in at least one of these departments, students are taking an active role in promoting their program as well. According to its members, the newly-formed Harvard Society of Engineers (HSE) seeks to increase student interest in and administrative commitment to the Engineering Sciences and Applied Physics Department.

Engineering Sciences and Applied Physics--which is seen as a top department nationally--has been one of the hardest hit of the University's science departments, with the number of concentrators declining from 117 in 1984 to 85 in 1988.

"Undoubtedly there is a need for more people in the applied sciences," says Martin, adding that Harvard currently has plans to expand the engineering faculty. "In nearly all other major institutions the applied sciences have been getting a larger share of the total research budget."

The expansion of Harvard's engineering program is important, according to Martin, because rapid changes in the scientific sphere have seen a vast expansion in the importance of previously less advanced fields, such as computer science.

Given the increasing importance of computer science and other applied science fields, why does Harvard reflect a national trend of decreasing interest in these academic areas?

Students suggest that one of the primary reasons why enrollment in engineering sciences has declined is the number of concentration requirements. To graduate with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, a concentrator must have taken at least 20 half courses--three more than are required to receive an honors degree from any other department at Harvard.

An 'Extremely Demanding' Program

According to J. Scott Swartz '91, an engineering concentrator, "You have to be careful about which courses you take and when. After concentration and core courses, you have almost no electives left over."

And, because many of the requirements are ranked among the most difficult courses at Harvard, says Swartz, who is treasurer of HSE, many students become discouraged with the heavy workload.

"You get pretty tired of having to sit and work in the library on weekends while the rest of your friends are having fun," Swartz says. "It's especially difficult during freshman year," he says, adding that many incoming students change their minds about concentrating in engineering soon after they arrive here.

Reza Dibadj '91, one of the co-presidents of HSE, agrees with Swartz, calling the program "extremely demanding." He notes, however, that part of the difficulty lies in the nature of the subject itself.