Bok took away the department's control over its own tenure process, and appointed an outside committee to oversee all faculty appointments.

Patrick O'Malley '92, a graduate student in the department, says he has noticed the change.

"When I came to Harvard, I thought about majoring in English and I decided against it," he says. "I wouldn't have wanted to have been an English major in my sophomore year."

O'Malley ended up majoring in chemistry. "My impression was that the [English] department was a little stodgy," he says.

Over his undergraduate career, O'Malley's opinion of the English Department changed. And last year, O'Malley decided to join the department as a graduate student.

"I applied to Harvard a little reluctantly," he says, "but it was during that year that I really decided that...Harvard looked very good. I liked the faculty. I'm very excited about the faculty here."

But some students and faculty aren't sure whether the new roster of professors will cure all of their department's past problems.

"You can't say, by knowing somebody has a national reputation, whether that will be any advantage to students or not," says Lydia A. Fillingham '80, an assistant professor and the department's head tutor.

Fillingham said she wishes the appointments committee had different priorities--"asking in addition, is this someone who will really concretely benefit students."

After all, Harvard English professors are notorious for being busy. Being a star takes time, and being a star at Harvard takes even more time.

Porter University Professor Helen Vendler--who was working in her office after 10 p.m. last Sunday night--says the time commitment is often mind-boggling.

"You're very much engaged," Vendler says. "You're not apathetic and you're not unconcerned."

Harvard English professors are often asked to serve on juries for fellowships and grants. They are advisors to the Harvard University Press and to other departments. Several have joint appointments. Some head other entire departments.

Professor of English Marjorie Garber, for example, is the director of the Center for Literary and Cultural Studies and associate dean of the Faculty for affirmative action. She also finds time to teach a popular Core class.

Vendler says a colleague once lugged a hung suitcase to work. When Vendler inquired about her travel plans, the professor said she wasn't away. She was just carrying the things she needed for the day's work.