As the search for a new Dean of the Harvard Divinity School (HDS) continues, students and administrators say they want a leader who will continue former Dean Ronald F. Thiemann's policies aimed at rejuvenating Harvard's oldest teaching endeavor.

It has been four months since Thiemann resigned his position and took a leave of absence for a year from teaching responsibilities, and a search committee appointed by President Neil L. Rudenstine is still in its early stages.

Thiemann had served 13 years as HDS dean. According to Andrew W. Ulman, an HDS student who serves on HDS' Student Association Executive Council, Thiemann involved students into administration decision-making.

"He integrated students into governance, they served on search committees with the faculty," Ulman says.

"[Thiemann also] increased the endowment and created more professorships, which were definitely needed," Ulman adds.

But Ulman says student leaders still have a number of items they would like a new dean to tackle.

"There should be some curriculum changes," he says. "The last curriculum was [drawn up] 20 or 25 years ago. A new dean will hopefully take a look at that."

In addition, Ulman says a new dean should consider boosting faculty diversity.

"Since the departure of Cornel West [to the African-American Studies Department] and Evelyn Higginbotham [to the History Department], the faculty is less diverse, especially among senior faculty," Ulman says.