After the successful conclusion of the tenure process, every faculty member can proudly call himself or herself a full Harvard professor. During the search, however, much more is required of some candidates than others.

In a university known for decentralization and an "every tub on its own bottom" approach, it is perhaps not surprising that the tenure method varies from school to school.

This disparity is not a new phenomenon. Almost 15 years ago, the Board of Overseers and the Corporation, Harvard's two governing boards, put together a committee to examine the tenure processes at the different schools.

The committee's deliberations were a chance for the schools to "touch base" and establish a least common denominator of open searches for positions, says Eleanor G. Shore, dean for faculty affairs at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

Except for the policy of an open search, which is sometimes waived by the schools, and a final decision by President Neil L. Rudenstine, demands made on candidates during the tenure process vary widely according to school.

Public Scrutiny

In the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), tenure decisions are kept relatively quiet--students often have no idea a candidate has been under consideration until the name of the new Faculty member is announced.

In the Graduate School of Education (GSE), on the other hand, an open meeting is held for the purpose of allowing students to share their views on a specific candidate.

The more public GSE process, many say, means that those seeking tenure at that school must be prepared for scrutiny from the entire academic community, while FAS candidates are evaluated by a small group of their peers.

At the Law School, candidates must receive a two-thirds vote of the full faculty to gain approval.

The Business School also utilizes votes of the full faculty as part of its tenure process, but the vote is non-binding and the decision to forward the application to Rudenstine remains with the dean.

In contrast with the Law and Business Schools, the Kennedy School of Government uses a committee system in which only a small percentage of the faculty must approve the applicant.

Required Material

Each school requires a curriculum vitae (CV) as part of its tenure process, but many schools require candidates to submit additional information about their teaching, community involvement, research and professional references.

For instance, the Business School requests that candidates write a 10-15 page personal statement which "shows the trajectory of their intellectual journey and what their plans for the future are," says Robert H. Hayes, the director of faculty planning. "There's not a set pattern to these [personal statements]."