If one cause has defined Neil L. Rudenstine's tenure at Harvard, it is race-based affirmative action. But while aggressive recruitment practices in Byerly Hall's admissions office have been successful in diversifying the student body, Harvard's senior administration has not been as effective in changing its demographics.

At the highest levels of its 10 schools, Harvard has had only one minority dean without "assistant," or "associate" in his title, Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Venkatesh Narayanamurti. But because his department is within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, even Narayanamurti isn't technically on the level of the dean of the Divinity School or Graduate School of Education.

Minority students and faculty say this lack of diversity is more than embarrassing--it leaves Harvard without potential minority mentors and role models.

But the roots of this problem--like Harvard's difficulties hiring women at the same high levels--lay in the demographics of academia in general and Harvard's tenured faculty in particular.

The deans of Harvard's schools are nearly always drawn from the ranks of senior faculty--and more often than not, from within senior Faculty at Harvard.

Without many minorities in senior faculty positions like department chairs, some say it could remain hard to find qualified candidates to fill these top positions.

The Color of Crimson

Officials say none of Harvard's 10 schools--including the graduate schools and FAS--have ever been led by a minority dean.