Although the University gives schools the freedom to establish their own tenure processes, the final step of the tenure process is uniform across the University: the president must give approval.
While Rudenstine rarely vetoes the recommendation of a dean, all schools stress that the final decision is his to make.
"[The dean] goes to President Rudenstine, and gets President Rudenstine's agreement, at which point we have another meeting," Hayes says.
Rudenstine has sat in on the discussions. After all this is over he and Provost [Albert] Carnesale come to the school," he says.
"Partly it's symbolism--the closing of the loop with the president formally agreeing--but partly it's to convey his sense of the standards that we set," Hayes adds.
Tenure at Harvard's various schools
Althougth certain parts of the tenure process are common to all of the University's schools, others vary between them.