Some people in the English department question how the lack of "new blood" in the English department will impact the department's future.

"It's a problem because you want to have a blend of new people and new approaches," Jenkins said. "You're missing a generation without junior faculty."

Skipping Steps

Myers was granted tenure in Chemistry and Chemical Biology this year in a process which bypassed the ad-hoc committee review. University administrators attributed this departure from the usual procedure to the time constraints and extreme merits of the Myers' case.

Myers came from Caltech and is considered one of the best synthetic organic chemists in the world.

The ultimate decision to bypass the committee, although made in consultation with Knowles and the Academic Deans, rested with Rudenstine.

According to Rudenstine, the case was reviewed by the Academic Deans group in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences who "concurred with the department's judgment concerning the extraordinary quality of the case and the need for a swift decision." He then decided to bypass the ad hoc committee and offer tenure to Myers.

Rudenstine said situation was especially urgent because Myers also had an offer from Caltech on the table.

The "senior appointment in the Chemistry Department was not `ad hoced' because the Department believed it was extremely important to move ahead rapidly if they were not to lose the person," Rudenstine said.

Despite the mystery of the tenure process, observers previously believed that the ad hoc step was essential to the tenure process and was never bypassed. But both Rudenstine and Knowles have acknowledged that the ad hoc has been skipped before.

"It has been done on rare occasions for decades, and it signals no change at all [in the tenure process]," Knowles said.

Many question the reasons for this departure from the norm and assert the need for a uniform tenure process.

"It would be useful especially for junior faculty morale, recruitment and retention if Harvard would articulate some rules and then play by them--consistently across departments," Masten said. "I'm always a believer in uniform treatment and due process."

Some however applauded Harvard's decision to bypass the ad hoc.

"If the candidate is super strong, if all concerned want him or her, if time is of the essence, then congratulations to the Harvard administration for moving fast to gain a star," said Charles Nesson, Weld professor of law.