In an e-mail message to The Crimson yesterday, Provost Jerry R. Green said the central administration will be sorry to see Patrick leave. The provost also emphasized that Patrick will continue to take part in the controversial University-wide review of employee benefits.

"Diane Patrick has done a marvelous job and will greatly missed in the office of Human Resources," Green said, "We will continue to consult with her throughout the benefit review process."

Prior to Patrick's tenure, the office floated from the control of the vice president for finance to that of the vice president for administration, Zeckhauser. A year after taking over the office, Zeckhauser hired Patrick.

With Patrick's departure looming on the horizon, real control of the office reverts to Zeckhauser. She placed an ad for the job in the February 25 issue of the University-run Harvard Gazette.

But sources said the position will be difficult to fill adequately and that in the meantime relations in the office are growing tense.

Although Patrick said in an interview last week that her office staff will support her in the transition, the departure of three of her six directors will undoubtedly intensify transition dilemmas.

"I've got a terrific senior staff," Patrick said last week, "They can keep things going in the unfortunate event that there is no one to replace me."

But insiders said Patrick overestimates her staff, as well as their good nature.

At Howard's farewell party, office members performed a skit in which they parodied Harvard's central administration in a skit called "Dysfunctional Family Feud."

In the skit, one of the family feud teams included the Harvard president, a Harvard senior faculty member, the director of human resources and a members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers. Of the four members of the Harvard team, only the union member was able to answer questions correctly.

Another official in the office, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that infighting over Patrick's position had escalated tremendously since her husband's nomination.

"People are lining up 10 deep to take that job," the official said.

Joe Mathews contributed to the reporting of this story.