Butler Will Modify Harvard Requisite In Job Description

John B. Butler, director of personnel, agreed yesterday to change a Personnel Office job description so that it will no longer require job applicants to have a "thorough knowledge of the University."

Instead, the job description will say that knowledge of Harvard is "helpful," Butler said yesterday.

Walter J. Leonard, special assistant to President Bok, asked Butler to change the description yesterday because it unnecessarily limited the pool of applicants for the job.

In its original form the job description, which solicits applicants for the position of employees relations representative in the Personnel Office, would apparently have left the job open only to people now employed at Harvard.

"We wouldn't rule out somebody who's at Harvard now, but it's still a preference," Butler said.

Leonard said Monday that he does not think knowledge of the University should be a requirement in job descriptions because under Harvard's affirmative action plan, job descriptions should be as broad as possible.

The plan requires the publication of job descriptions prior to new appointments to non-teaching posts, in order to widen the pool of applicants--especially minorities and women--for jobs.

Butler said Monday that despite the original wording of the job description he did not intend familiarity with Harvard as "a strict, final requirement."