The University has introduced a twin policy ofparental leave and teaching relief for parents ofnewborns and newly-adopted children.

"When my first child was born in 1970, I wasteaching at Columbia University," says Professorof Romance Languages Susan R. Suleiman, who hastwo children, Daniel, 18, an Michael, 25.

"I taught on the day he was born and then againone week later," she says. "There was no suchthing as maternity leave."

Parents may now take up to one year off for thebirth of each child, The ten year limit on juniorfaculty teaching at Harvard is extended for eachof those years.

In addition, parents may take either onesemester of full teaching relief or two semestersof half-time teaching relief after their return.

"Those two policies, we believe, have been verysuccessful," McCarthy says.

He says 21 of the 62 junior faculty women havetaken advantage of those policies. He estimatesthat as many as a third of junior faculty womenhave young children.

As a result of the report of the committee, theUniversity has also expanded scholarship funds tohelp faculty members pay for child care andadoption service and established as the servicefor emergency day care relief.

In addition, the University has opened theOffice of Work and Family and Provost AlbertCarnesale will chair a standing committee toaddress these concerns.

"I think it has been successful," says Friendof the efforts of the Work and Family Committee,of which she was a member, "We've laid out theissues. I'm pleased to see that the administrationis also interested in these kind of issues and istaking the actions they can."

But Friend says much work remains to be done.

"Young women should not feel, and many do, thatif they want to go into academics, they cannothave a family," she says. "What I see in womengraduate students is them having trouble seeinghow they can do it. They're kind of negative onacademics sometimes."

Assistant Professor of Economics Caroline M.Hoxby has chosen a career over having a family. Amarried, first-year assistant professor, she saysshe can't imagine having children in the nearfuture.

"Looking toward the future, it's quite clearthat there are tremendous disincentives to havingchildren," she says. "It's difficult to imaginebeing able to spend a sufficient amount of timewith a child and a sufficient amount of time on myresearch,"

Friend suggests that the University adopt anoption for part-time teaching while children areyoung.