Students on the committee said they were also confused because there was never any meeting briefing them on basic details such as the history of the position, what the committee's goals were and which parts of the proceedings were confidential.

Finally, Coffey said he was fuming that Lewis has not yet responded to his concerns, even though he has contacted the dean's secretary.

"You see how much lip service is paid to student input," he concluded.

Lewis could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The allegations are just the latest fromstudents who accuse the administration of ignoring their input on key decisions.

The most high-profile recent accusations have come from student leaders in public service. Last November, Lewis selected Judith H. Kidd as the first-ever dean of public service, over the vigorous objections of student members of his search committee.

Zeckhauser was quick to distinguish the HDS director search from last year's search for a new dean of public service. She points out that unlike public service, no large controversy surrounds the appointment of a new HDS director.

Zeckhauser went on to say that if the student members of the search committee were to strongly object to any of the candidates, she would "certainly listen seriously."

Going Well Otherwise

In spite of the miscommunication, students and administrators agreed that the search for a successor to outgoing director Michael P. Berry is going very well.

The committee has selected five finalists from a field of nearly 50 candidates.

And Zeckhauser said she plans to hire the new HDS director before the beginning of the fall semester.

Rymer said that he felt his voice has been given significant weight by administrators at all meetings. He described one meeting in particular, a brunch in Kirkland House.

"I felt like what I had to say was valued," Rymer said. "Candidates were asking me questions.... I felt I was really making a difference in choosing the director.