The new policy lessens some restrictions, though. Research activities at another university now require only the approval of the dean of the faculty, instead of the Harvard Corporation.

Associate Provost Dennis F. Thompson drafted the new statement with advice from the Faculty Council, the FAS Committee on Research and the Council of Deans. The Corporation approved the policy in June and it took effect July 1.

According to Thompson, the changes do not mean that professors will have to stop their current activities, but will merely have to report more outside work than before.

Verba said there has been little reaction from faculty members since the changes were made, but he said those who worked on the statement are happy with it.

"I think that it's good because no one has a lot of experience with all these new media," Verba said. "I think you want to set out some principles and then specify what they mean in relation to real activities."

"It straddles the line nicely between being very vague--and useless--and very specific--and useless. It's somewhere in between," he said.