Clark said he was working to bring more minorities and women--particularly women--onto the faculty. Of 64 tenured or tenured-tracked professors, six are Black men and five are white women.

According to this year's Affirmative Action Plan for the University, the Law School would need one more women in order to match the national percentage of tenured women law professors.

But student activists said they would not be satisfied by the school's hiring only "a few more white women."

They said they want the school to consider women candidates who are Black or any candidates from minority groups not represented on the faculty such as Asian-Americans, Latinos, gays and lesbians.

Political Package

Student criticism of the recent tenure offers has been sharpened by an admission on the part of Clark and Professor of Law Duncan M. Kennedy that the appointments process was highly political. At an open forum last week, Clark called the four men a "politically balanced package."

Students who have attended the professors' classes characterize Henry Hansman as relatively conservative, Robert H. Mnookin '64 as "slightly left of center," Joseph Singer as a critical legal studies scholar and Joel H. H. Weiler as a moderate.

Political strife between critical legal studies scholars and conservative faculty members has paralyzed the appointments process, according to Clark.

But administrators' arguments that the package was a political compromise that would make future minority and women appointments easier did not satisfy its critics.

Students questioned whether appointments could truly be merit-based if the process is so political. They added that they believe their input is undervalued in the appointments process.

The committee is concerned more with scholarship than with teaching ability, the students alleged.

At yesterday's meeting, Clark agreed to establish regular sessions with students concerned about the issue of minority hiring. The first session is scheduled for Monday.

Some observers have noted that Clark's style of handling student protests has changed somewhat since he arrived in 1989. In that academic year, the dean responded to student demonstrations and to a takeover of his office in what many called a confrontational manner.

This year, Clark has had more ready responses to their demands, offering them meetings and letters.

But it remains to be seen whether those responses will ultimately translate into a resolution of the situation that is acceptable to students, faculty and administrators.