"The fact that there aren't any [minorities] doesn't tell the whole story," Rudenstine says.

Rudenstine says that, in several searches for new deans, women and minorities have made it onto his short list but not gotten an offer.

"We care very much about women and minority representation, " Rudenstine says. "We take it into account at every stage [of hiring deans]."

In 1992, Rudenstine appointed a black woman, Linda Darling-Hammond, as dean of the Graduate School of Education. After first accepting the position, however, Darling-Hammond turned it down before taking office.

Besides Darling-Hammond's appointment, Rudenstine has filled the deanships of all Harvard's schools except the Law School and appointed three provosts. Every one of these appointments has been a white male.

Narayanamurti, being the dean of a Harvard division that is under the faculty of arts and sciences, was appointed by Knowles.

According to Harvard's Affirmative Action Plan Summary for 1999, Harvard has been successful in hiring minority faculty members in the last few years. As of 1998, the University had 452 minorities in non-medical faculty positions, compared to 353 in 1995.

But even below the highest levels of the administration, minorities have lagged behind women.