Indeed, Buell says the early loss of junior Faculty jeopardizes the continuity that is important for undergraduate education.

"Our department greatly values its junior Faculty and would very much like to see them remain longer," he says. "That would be certainly in the interests of continuity and the interests of our students in particular."

Buell says that guiding junior Faculty to decisions that are best for them often conflicts with what is best for Harvard.

"But it's also...a matter of conscience if you're a colleague of a junior Faculty person trying to make a key life decision to advise them based on what's in their own best interest."

In assessing candidates for tenure, Williamson's handout explains, the executive committee follows a similar procedure. Information about the candidate is passed from subcommittee to the executive committee, where that candidate's status is put to a vote. The final decision, made by the University President, relies more on non-Harvard references than departmental recommendation. Other factors, like the department's particular needs, are also considered in the final part of the tenure review.

The outside recommendations come from "blind letters," which are sent to non-Harvard scholars when the executive committee decides to recommend tenure.

The letters give the scholars a list of names and ask them to say what they think of them.

"They send them a list of names and say...can you tell us what you think of them, and they want your name to come up to the top naturally," Siegel says. He adds that many other schools send articles written by the candidate so that the scholars have work by which to judge them.

After this stage, the candidate can reach the final one, review by an ad hoccommittee. President Neil L. Rudenstine, Knowles, Harvard scholars outside the department and non-Harvard scholars advise Rudenstine, who makes the final decision.

Jeffrey A. Masten was an associate professor in the English department until 1998, and is now Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Northwestern University. He made it to the ad hoc review, but was denied tenure at the final level.

"Systemically, the failure to promote to tenure from within has over the years had seriously debilitating effects on the English department, its morale, collegiality and intellectual culture, and the continuity of the education it offers," Masten writes in an e-mail message.

The English department follows a slightly different procedure from the economic department.

After three years, the candidate is reviewed; after five, reviewed for associate professorship; and after eight, can be reviewed for tenure.

The English junior faculty position lasts only for eight years, so after that time associate professors either gain tenure or leave, according to Buell.

There "seem to be entry level jobs or more senior jobs...more senior than people can get when they reach the point of being promoted," Buell says. "It's not that there are zero positions but the shape of the chart looks more like an hourglass than a pyramid."