Minority, Women Faculty Increases

Harvard's minority and women faculty representation increased in most categories last year, according to an executive summary of the University's 1992 Affirmative Action Plan released last week.

The summary, consisting of the first several pages of the 230-page Affirmative Action Plan, outlines the percentages of minority and women faculty members in 1991 at Harvard's various schools. It also describes the University's actions and plans toward compliance with federal affirmative action and equal opportunity laws.

The full plan will be released to the public on March 13.

According to the summary, which was compiled by the Office of the Assistant to the President, the total number of female tenured faculty members at the University in 1991 was 85, or8.2 percent. This figure represents an increase of0.9 percentage points from 1990.

The percentage of tenured minority facultymembers also increased slightly, from 1990's 6.8percent, or 67 faculty members, to last year's 7.1percent, or 74 faculty members.

"My own sense is that in the last year we'vemade some progress--modest progress," saidPresident Neil L. Rudenstine in an interviewyesterday.

Of 18 schools participating in a survey of"selective" U.S. higher education institutions,Harvard ranked 17th in the percentage of femaletenured faculty, excluding Medical School faculty,and eighth in the percentage of minority tenuredfaculty, excluding Medical School faculty, andeighth in the percentage of minority tenuredfaculty, excluding Medical School faculty,according to the summary.

Medical School figures are calculated apartfrom the rest of the faculties of the Universitybecause of the school's large size.

"As the report indicates, our progress to datehas been modest," said Assistant Dean forAffirmative Action Joseph J. McCarthy, whoco-authored the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS)section of the plan, in an interview yesterday.

McCarthy said, however, that "neitherPrinceton, Yale nor Stanford are doing muchbetter." According to a comparative surveypublished last year among Harvard, Yale, Princetonand Stanford, only Stanford had a higherpercentage of tenured women members of the facultyof arts and sciences than the University, andHarvard had the highest percentage of non-tenuredwomen members of the FAS.

The summary also discusses the University'sfive-year affirmative action plan, which ends in1992. The five-year plan includes goal-settingprocesses for hiring in each of Harvard'sdepartments as well as the mechanisms formeasuring the success of these goals.

Rudenstine said yesterday that the Universitywould be updating its goals and begin constructionof a new five-year plan. But the president alsosaid that tough economic times may hamper effortstowards realizing such goals.

"Until we get out of this recession, for thenext year or two, it's going to be harder to makethe kind of progress we have been making in thelast couple of years," Rudenstine said. "But Idon't know that for a fact. We may in fact stillbe able to."

He said that because Harvard is not rehiring atthe same rate as before, this would inevitablyslow progress.

The report also detailed efforts of the Officeof the Assistant to the President "to supportdiversity at Harvard." These projects includedcoordinating faculty searches for theAfro-American Studies Department and otherminority recruitment programs both within andoutside of the University. Last year the Afro-Amdepartment made four appointments of junior andsenior faculty.

Percentages of women and minority non-tenuredfaculty members, which both rose slightly in 1991,were also calculated. According to the report, 19percent--up from 18.6 percent in 1990--ofnon-tenured faculty members are women, and 8.7percent--up from 8.4 percent in 1990--of the samegroup were minorities.

In addition, the percentages of women inexecutive, administrative and managerial positionsincreased last year, while the percentages ofminorities in these positions decreased. In thisgroup, 59.7 percent were women in 1991--up from58.7 percent in 1990--and 9 percent wereminorities--down from 9.2 percent in the previousyear.

The report also analyzed student enrollmentdata for 1991-92. According to the report, 30.6percent of Harvard College students areminorities, and 41.7 percent are women. Theserepresent increases from the previous academicyear, when 29.3 percent were minorities and 40.9percent women

The percentage of tenured minority facultymembers also increased slightly, from 1990's 6.8percent, or 67 faculty members, to last year's 7.1percent, or 74 faculty members.

"My own sense is that in the last year we'vemade some progress--modest progress," saidPresident Neil L. Rudenstine in an interviewyesterday.

Of 18 schools participating in a survey of"selective" U.S. higher education institutions,Harvard ranked 17th in the percentage of femaletenured faculty, excluding Medical School faculty,and eighth in the percentage of minority tenuredfaculty, excluding Medical School faculty, andeighth in the percentage of minority tenuredfaculty, excluding Medical School faculty,according to the summary.

Medical School figures are calculated apartfrom the rest of the faculties of the Universitybecause of the school's large size.

"As the report indicates, our progress to datehas been modest," said Assistant Dean forAffirmative Action Joseph J. McCarthy, whoco-authored the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS)section of the plan, in an interview yesterday.

McCarthy said, however, that "neitherPrinceton, Yale nor Stanford are doing muchbetter." According to a comparative surveypublished last year among Harvard, Yale, Princetonand Stanford, only Stanford had a higherpercentage of tenured women members of the facultyof arts and sciences than the University, andHarvard had the highest percentage of non-tenuredwomen members of the FAS.

The summary also discusses the University'sfive-year affirmative action plan, which ends in1992. The five-year plan includes goal-settingprocesses for hiring in each of Harvard'sdepartments as well as the mechanisms formeasuring the success of these goals.

Rudenstine said yesterday that the Universitywould be updating its goals and begin constructionof a new five-year plan. But the president alsosaid that tough economic times may hamper effortstowards realizing such goals.

"Until we get out of this recession, for thenext year or two, it's going to be harder to makethe kind of progress we have been making in thelast couple of years," Rudenstine said. "But Idon't know that for a fact. We may in fact stillbe able to."

He said that because Harvard is not rehiring atthe same rate as before, this would inevitablyslow progress.

The report also detailed efforts of the Officeof the Assistant to the President "to supportdiversity at Harvard." These projects includedcoordinating faculty searches for theAfro-American Studies Department and otherminority recruitment programs both within andoutside of the University. Last year the Afro-Amdepartment made four appointments of junior andsenior faculty.

Percentages of women and minority non-tenuredfaculty members, which both rose slightly in 1991,were also calculated. According to the report, 19percent--up from 18.6 percent in 1990--ofnon-tenured faculty members are women, and 8.7percent--up from 8.4 percent in 1990--of the samegroup were minorities.

In addition, the percentages of women inexecutive, administrative and managerial positionsincreased last year, while the percentages ofminorities in these positions decreased. In thisgroup, 59.7 percent were women in 1991--up from58.7 percent in 1990--and 9 percent wereminorities--down from 9.2 percent in the previousyear.

The report also analyzed student enrollmentdata for 1991-92. According to the report, 30.6percent of Harvard College students areminorities, and 41.7 percent are women. Theserepresent increases from the previous academicyear, when 29.3 percent were minorities and 40.9percent women