Kearns, Again

The Government Department did some talking about Doris Kearns this week, but she moved no closer to tenure.

The department had the Kearns case on the agenda for its regular meeting last Monday, but a source on the Gov faculty said that the department took no action.

It was just a routine discussion on the situation, the source said. "There won't be any action until she submits galleys or proofs of her book," he added.

The dispute between two publishing houses of Harper and Row and Simon and Schuster appears unresolved, but close to settlement.

Indications are that the work will be published by Harper and Row, with whom Kearns signed her original contract, but Brooks Thomas, executive vice president of the firm, said yesterday there will be no announcement of a settlement until next week.