Although Albert Carnesale may be leading a double life, he shows no sign of being torn apart.

In fact, the provost/dean seems to be juggling his roles with a sense of humor.

The University's second provost since World War II has placed a set of wooden boxes labeled "In." "Out" and "Too Hard," on the hardwood table beside his Massachusetts Hall office door.

It looks like he hasn't faced anything "Too Hard" yet--that box is empty.

Carnesale, who was appointed last May following the surprise departure of former Provost Jerry R. Green, is still serving as dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Half his time is spent in his newly decorated Massachusetts Hall office. He posses the other half in his old digs at the Kennedy School.

"To some extent I'm running up against (the fact) that you can't be in two places at the same time," he said Friday.

Carnesale said he hopes to be able to settle in at Mass Hall soon. He said he and the Kennedy School faculty, many of whom are already taking concerns to academic dean Alan Altshuler rather than Carnesale, are eager for a successor to be appointed.

President Neil I. Rudenstine said last week the search is down to a "short list" of about a dozen candidates, but he refused to give a time limit for the search.

Carnesale said that while he is not on the official search committee, he has played a active role in the search for his replacement at the Kennedy School.

"I think things are going well and that they're surprisingly eager...to know who that new dean will be," Carnesale said.

He admitted, though, that splitting time isn't necessarily the most efficient way to get things done.

"If you could devote all of your energy to one thing or the other you would certainly get more done there than otherwise," he said.

Carnesale can't even divide his week, with Mondays here and Tuesdays there. Individual days are being split in half.

"The first faculty meeting of the academic year [at the Kennedy School was] this morning." Carnesale said. That same afternoon, he was in Mass Hall for his first press conference as provost.