Faculty OKs Research Professor Title in Addition to Emeritus

Associate, assistant, University, emeritus--now one more title has been added to the plethora of Harvard professorial categories--"research professor."

The Faculty voted during their monthly meeting yesterday to create the new title to designate a retired professor who wants to indicate that he or she is still conducting research. It can be used for five years after retirement, after which time the professor will be designated emeritus or emerita.

The change was proposed because the title professor emeritus is perceived by some to indicate that the professor is no longer involved in research, which can be a disadvantage in obtaining research grants.

Some faculty members supported the change because it would serve as an incentive to potential retirees.

The increase in retirees would make way for new appointments, said Arnold Professor of Science William H. Bossert '59.

"It's not a big deal and it doesn't cost anything," Bossert said after the meeting. "The biggest argument against it is that it somehow diminishes the title 'emeritus.' I don't think it needs do that. It's just a separate title."

Bossert said that the title would be beneficial to those seeking grants.

"There is a real problem in government to giving a research contract to someone who has the title 'emeritus,'" he said after the meeting. "A letter from the dean explaining that they are still involved in research is not as effective as the title 'research professor.'"

Some Faculty members voted against the change because they felt the new title would confuse, rather than clarify, the issue.

"Everyone knows what the title 'emeritus' means, but 'research professor' means different things to different people," said George B. Field, Willson professor of applied astronomy, who was the only member of the Faculty Council to oppose the measure.

The Faculty also discussed the proposed changes to the undergraduate language requirement and to the total number of courses required for graduation. Known as overall undergraduate requirements.

Some members of the Faculty have expressed the desire to see completed recommendations for changes by the spring of 1998.

Faculty members said there are many issues to be worked out before any concrete measures can be implemented.

"I'd like to emphasize that there is a basic inconsistency between some of the proposed changes in the language requirement and the proposed changes in the overall undergraduate requirements," said Michael E. Hasselmo '84, Loeb associate professor of the social sciences.

The Faculty is proposing to strengthen the undergraduate language requirement but also to reduce the number of overall requirements necessary for graduation.

Hasselmo also said he saw problems with the decision announced last week by the Subcommittee on the Science Core to stop granting Science Core credit for Advanced Placement (A.P.) scores.

"I'm surprised that a Core subcommittee could institute a measure to raise the number of requirements when the full Faculty has voted to reduce the number of requirements," he said.

The Faculty has decided to delay discussion of A.P. credit until more work is done on the issue of the overall undergraduate requirements.

Professor of Sociology Theda Skocpol cautioned against rushing into changing the number of courses required for graduation.

"We may need to think about what our objectives are in these changes," Skocpol said. "One would be to increase the room for simple free choice. The other would be to encourage a broadening of experience in the undergraduate years."

During the question period, Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield Jr. '53 criticized the University's decision to invite Chinese President Jiang Zemin to speak at Harvard last month.

"This was not free speech, it was sponsored speech, which tended to give him political legitimacy," Mansfield said.

However, President Neil L. Rudenstine and members of the Fairbank Center for East Asian Research, which issued the invitation, defended the University's policy against censorship on the ground of political neutrality

"We may need to think about what our objectives are in these changes," Skocpol said. "One would be to increase the room for simple free choice. The other would be to encourage a broadening of experience in the undergraduate years."

During the question period, Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield Jr. '53 criticized the University's decision to invite Chinese President Jiang Zemin to speak at Harvard last month.

"This was not free speech, it was sponsored speech, which tended to give him political legitimacy," Mansfield said.

However, President Neil L. Rudenstine and members of the Fairbank Center for East Asian Research, which issued the invitation, defended the University's policy against censorship on the ground of political neutrality