He said he wonders why the department has notasked Hughes Hallett or any Math Ar preceptors tobe a integral part of shaping the new course.

In March, amid rumors that some members of thedepartment would like to see Hughes Hallett stayat Arizona permanently, Bridget Neale '91, now afirst-year math graduate student at BostonUniversity, urged others to write letters insupport of the absent professor. The student'seffort resulted in more than 20 letters expressinghope that Hallett would return in the fall.

But the acting chair of the department said hedoes not understand why such rumors made therounds.

"The department has gone on record that we wanther back," said Robinson Professor of MathematicsWilfried Schmid, who is acting as department chairwhile Kazhdan is out of the country. "Thisletter-writing campaign to us seems absolutelyconstructed from nothing."

Schmid added that when Hughes Hallett returns,her responsibilities will be similar to those shehad before she left. "She will retain the hiringresponsibilities for Math Ar," Schmid said. "Myexpectation is that Math Ar will continue and Debwill continue to run it without interference. Ibelieve that is the expectation of everyone in thedepartment. Nor do I believe that anything to thecontrary has ever been communicated."

But a former Math Ar instructor said she doesnot believe the department feels that HughesHallett's focus on curricular reform is asimportant as other members' focus on research.

"Harvard likes researchers and if you're notdoing a lot of hard research and not publishing alot, they don't like it," Jeanne Smith Jacobs '76said. "I think she is a second-class citizen inthat department."

A number of mathematics professors could not bereached or refused to comment yesterday.

Hughes Hallett's former students and courseassistants interviewed said they were delighted tohear that she is returning. One current instructorattested to Hughes Hallett's enormous draw.

"I left an amazing job as head of thedepartment in Hong Kong to come and teach MathAr," said Rajini Jerudason, a Math Ar instructor.

And Smith Jacobs lauded Hughes Hallett'sability with people.

"We call ourselves all Deb's children," saidSmith Jacobs. "She has this enormous knack withhuman beings. I don't think the University seesthat."

Karen L. Heath, assistant dean of freshmen,said, "She has participated in the trainingsessions for freshman advisors every year, and infact, it has been one of the sessions advisors saythey can't live without.