"Any individual faculty members' value is increased if they are part of a functioning professional environment,' says Sheila S. Jasanoff, professor of science and public policy at the Kennedy School of Government. "At Harvard, you're expected to be an international figure."

In fact, at a time when faculty members are pursuing exciting extramural projects, the policy is in place to ensure that they honor their primary commitment as educators.

"It's important in many of the sciences and social sciences that faculty should be in the swing of things," writes Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Jeremy R. Knowles in an e-mail, but "the primary activity is teaching and scholarship here."

Ambiguity in policy has led the Provost's Office to call for a policy review, according to Kennedy School Academic Dean Frederick Schauer.

"It's certainly possible that one reason for a University-wide review is the different interpretation of what 20 percent might mean," Schauer says, adding that the Kennedy School has a very strict interpretation.

"We interpret it very narrowly. Our policy is one day a week. [It} is based on the Faculty of Arts and Sciences' 20 percent policy, but we define that as a rigid one eight-hour day a week," Schauer says.

University spokesperson Joe Wrinn confirmed that the policy, which was first established in 1948 and last revised in 1962, is currently being reviewed by the Office of the Provost. Wrinn could not comment on the process of the review.

In the Swing of Things