Kennedy School of Government (KSG) officials would not comment on whether they attempted to recruit Gore to teach in Cambridge this spring. A Gore spokesperson also would not comment on whether the Kennedy School approached him.

"It is both Harvard and Kennedy School policy not to discuss people to whom we have or have not made offers, or people who have or have not applied for positions," said KSG Academic Dean Frederick Schauer.

But Roderick MacFarquhar, chair of the undergraduate government department, said he did not attempt to recruit Gore to teach this spring, and was not asked to by any of his department colleagues.

"Mr. Gore's experience over the past many years suggest to me that if he were to come to Harvard to teach, his obvious home would be a policy school like the KSG," MacFarquhar said.

And while Schauer would not comment specifically on Gore, he said that the White House changeover every four years gives KSG an opportunity to revitalize its ranks.

"Whenever there is a change in administration, we engage in a broad canvas in hopes of renewing our stock of people with policy experience," he said.

In addition to his duties at Columbia, Gore will be teaching a course on family and community building at Fisk University and Middle Tennessee State University, while giving a series of lectures at community colleges throughout Tennessee.

Gore will also conduct research at the University of California at Los Angeles, in hopes of combining fields such as education, health and public policy into a teaching curriculum designed to strengthen communities and families.