Starr Claims Committee Hurt His Tenure Chances

PRINCEIO N l -Pulitzer Prize-winning Associate Professor of Sociology Paul I Starr, whose tenure bid was rejected a week and a half ago by President Bok, said in an interview were Saturday that his chances were reduced by being submitted o an advisory committee that was predisposed against his case.

The ad hoc committee which advised Bok on whether to accept or reject the Sociology, Department's tenure nominatic of Starr consisted primarily of members of a 1981 advisory committee that recommended to Bok to shift the department towards a quantitative approach to Sociology, Start said.

"I am disappointed but not ashamed at being turned down by Harvard." said Starr, who is an historical and interpretive sociologist "I join a long list of of distinguished people down by Harvard Not a list that I mended to join, but an honorable list nonetheless."

The 35 year old Starr, who was awarded the 1984 Pulitzer Prize in literature for his book "The Social Transformation of

American Medicine," is the only sociologist ever to win the award

Although Starr received a seven to three tenure recommendation by the Sociology Department earlier this year, the ad hoc committee report offer him tenure.

Bok overrides a department's tenure recommendation only about 10 to 15 percent of the time. Said Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Phyliis Keller

Starr is the only scholar ever recommended for tenure by the Sociology Department who did not already hold a tenure level post at another of Social Science Daniel Bell.

It is unlikely that Starr, a historical sociology Department move towards the more scientific and mathematical approach, Professors said.

"They did not set up an ad hoc in the plain sense of the world," said Starr." They reconvened an older committee that had already decided on a policy unfavorable to me

"The committee had already formulated a plane for the future of the department based on their view of the future of the field, and it was obvious that I did not fit in it," he added

"I believe that vision of sociology to be wrong and I can only hope that it does not become so narrowly exclusive that it entirely drives out the tradition represented at Harvard by people such as David Riesman and Daniel Bell, "Starr said. "I felt I was working with in this tradition at Harvard."

No Consensus

Starr said that the recommendation of the advisory committee does not represent a consensus in the field

His appointment would have filled one of four-tenure slots that the departments chairman Aage B. Sorensen

The University in December offered one of the four tenure slots to Theda R. Skocpol after four years of controversy involving a sex discrimination grievance filed by Skocpol

Last week, Bok approved the tenure nomination-of quantitative sociologist Michael Hannon, a Cornell University professor for another of the four slots, Sorensen said

Neither Skocpol nor Hannon have responded to Harvard's offer, and the department has yet to form a search committee to fill the fourth slots

Professors who receive tenure are guaranteed employment until the mandatory retirement age of 70, To receive tenure, a professor must receive a majority recommendation from the department, and approval by Bok and the Corporation.

Star said he accepted Princeton University's longstanding offer of a lifetime post after being informed of Bok's decision

Starr is currently on sabbatical the Institute for Advanced Study, a research center in Princeton N.J. He said he is still working on issues related to health care, and also on a variety of questions related to information technology. He is crediting a book on the politics of national statistics

Starr graduated summa cum laude from Columbia. He was a member of the Society of Fellow from 1975-1978, when he received his Ph D from Harvard

Starr's Pulitzer Prize-wining book examines the rise to power of the medical profession, as well as reforms and cries in the American health care syste