A Faculty committee charged with reviewing the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ (FAS) appointments process launched an examination into the way Harvard hires its professors yesterday.

The committee, which was formed by Dean of the Faculty William C. Kirby last month, gathered for its first meeting yesterday afternoon in University Hall.

The committee will solicit feedback from professors and administrators to gauge to what degree the Harvard appointments process is perceived as effective and fair, according to Richards Professor of Chemistry Cynthia M. Friend, who was tapped by Kirby to lead the review.

Friend, who is also professor of Material Science, holds the position of academic dean—which means she participates in the ad hoc committees that advise the president on tenure review cases.

Friend said the committee will consult extensively with both Kirby and University President Lawrence H. Summers, who has advocated that Harvard move away from its tendency to offer tenure to seasoned scholars in the later stages of their academic careers.

Summers has encouraged departments to identify young scholars who are on the cutting edges of their respective fields.

Promoting junior faculty may be a way to accomplish this goal, and the committee will be looking for ways to improve Harvard’s record in that area.

“There are a number of issues Dean Kirby and I are discussing in terms of how cases are brought forward to the ad hoc process,” Summers said in an interview yesterday.

He said that he and Kirby are “looking for ways to maximize the opportunity of junior faculty here to be considered fairly,” particularly in “cases where work is recent or is about to be published.”

Kirby said he hopes to dispel the myth that, at Harvard, it is impossible to be promoted from within.

“We need to get away from the idea that an assistant professorship is not a tenurable position at Harvard,” Kirby said.

Economic Professor David M. Cutler said after yesterday’s meeting that although the committee is approaching this review with no set objectives, he agrees that improving the atmosphere for junior faculty is a legitimate goal.

“I think one of the single most important things universities do is deal with young scholars...and our hope at the University is that they benefit from being here, that their research progresses. And so I think it’s very important for us to continually be thinking about it in a more detailed way,” Cutler said.

Demystifying Tenure

Kirby said that another top priority of the committee will be “taking the mystery out of” the tenure process.