In an interview, Marius acknowledged thedifficulty of fitting four essays in a semester,suggesting that the requirements may be reviewed.But the status quo persists, as it has for years.
Teachers also see a need for debate and changein two other department practices: staff meetingsand evaluations.
The meetings, once productive workshops spenton discussions of pedagogy, are now structured sothat outside speakers dominate the time and thediscussion. Sommers says there are three workshopsplanned for this year.
"Once you enter the environment, you realizethe faculty meetings are not to challenge theorthodoxies, not to challenge ideas," says King,the associate in Harvard's women's studies programwho taught in Expos for three semesters in 1991and 1992.
Many teachers complain that the evaluationsystem does not allow for sufficient nurturingduring their early days in the program. The Exposadministrators who visit classes and give adviceare those who wield the axe.
"It's important to separate the mentoringprocess from the evaluation process," saysVirginia L. Brereton, who taught in the programfrom 1989 to 1992. "You shouldn't mix those two.It's unhealthy."
In the short term, teachers say administratorsmust change policies to make Expos a morenurturing place to work. Simple reforms, likeadding more working phones (the department's threedozen teachers currently have access to just onephone for calls outside of Harvard), would be agood place to start.
"They give them no hope of staying here, theygive them a course that students aren't keen on,they give them only two 50-minute periods a week,and the University gives them little respect,"says Harvey, the senior preceptor. "So things liketelephones...are important."
The longterm solution, teachers say, is lesshierarchy inside the department. There is a slighthope that Sommers and Harvey can achieve a moreinclusive system of decision-making.
"You cannot run a writing program that big withtwo people [Marius and Sommers]," says Hoy, theformer senior preceptor. "It cannot be done well."
Ultimately, flattening out Expos' hierarchy mayrequire more than just a few changes inadministrative policy. If the program is to bestserve students, Expos needs sensitive leadershipwhich will encourage initiative, eliminate thefour-year limit and permit more open debate,teachers say.
"If you want to encourage debate, encouragechange, you want people to feel like the onlyconsequence is more debate," says AskoldMelnyczuk, a teacher at Expos from 1990 to 1992."Hire the best people. Make them feel wanted. Thenstudents will feel wanted."
Elie G. Kaunfer and Andrew L. Wrightcontributed to the reporting of this story.
Expository Writing: Series at a Glance
Today: Expos policies create trenchantpersonnel problems, resist oversight and hurt thequality of teaching in the program.
Tomorrow: Personalities and personaldifferences in the program directly affectpolicies on employment and pedagogy.
Wednesday: The University's academic cultureisolates Expos and undervalues the mission ofteaching the craft of writing.