Kirby wrote in the letter that he was “extremely disappointed” that few women have been offered tenure recently and committed himself to hiring and tenuring more women and minorities.

Kirby’s controversial proposals are part of a plan to increase the size of the faculty to 750 professors by 2010 and to 800 at a later time.

Under Kirby’s leadership, the size of the faculty has grown from 636 professors in 2003 to 672 professors at the start of 2005.

Kirby wrote he would focus future growth of the faculty in the category of non-tenured professors. To encourage the recruitment of young scholars, departments can label associate professorships as tenure-track positions, he wrote.

Kirby’s letter also summarized the work of the Curricular Review committees and confirmed that the recommendations—including a January term, an increase in study abroad opportunities, and a revamping of the Core Curriculum—will be ready for a Faculty vote by the end of the spring.

Kirby also summarized the tentative plans for the future campus in Allston, which include undergraduate housing, facilities for the sciences, a possible student center, and athletic space.

In order to fund these initiatives, Kirby wrote, the administration will continue its “soft freeze” on hiring, fire staff members in “targeted areas,” and also likely participate in a major capital campaign.

—Staff writer William C. Marra can be reached at wmarra@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Sara E. Polsky can be reached at polsky@fas.harvard.edu.