Div. School Dean Search Aims At Rejuvenation

As the search for a new Dean of the Harvard Divinity School (HDS) continues, students and administrators say they want a leader who will continue former Dean Ronald F. Thiemann's policies aimed at rejuvenating Harvard's oldest teaching endeavor.

It has been four months since Thiemann resigned his position and took a leave of absence for a year from teaching responsibilities, and a search committee appointed by President Neil L. Rudenstine is still in its early stages.

Thiemann had served 13 years as HDS dean. According to Andrew W. Ulman, an HDS student who serves on HDS' Student Association Executive Council, Thiemann involved students into administration decision-making.

"He integrated students into governance, they served on search committees with the faculty," Ulman says.

"[Thiemann also] increased the endowment and created more professorships, which were definitely needed," Ulman adds.

But Ulman says student leaders still have a number of items they would like a new dean to tackle.

"There should be some curriculum changes," he says. "The last curriculum was [drawn up] 20 or 25 years ago. A new dean will hopefully take a look at that."

In addition, Ulman says a new dean should consider boosting faculty diversity.

"Since the departure of Cornel West [to the African-American Studies Department] and Evelyn Higginbotham [to the History Department], the faculty is less diverse, especially among senior faculty," Ulman says.

Th new dean will be selected by an Executive Committee appointed by Rudenstine on Dec. 17 soon after Thiemann's departure is holding down the fort until a replacement for Thiemann is found, administrative sources say.

Thiemann, who is on sabbatical for 1999, will return to the school next year to resume teaching and research.

A Dec. 17 memo from Rudenstine issued after Thiemann's departure outlined the process.

The committee consists of Acting HDS Dean J. Bryan Hehir and Associate Deans Tim Cross, Clarissa Atkinson and Nancy Richardson. The committee should draw up criteria to guide the search for a new dean.

But administrative sources say little has been finalized so far.

Hehir, professor of practice in religion and society at HDS and faculty associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

A leader on Catholic doctrine about international relations and the threat of nuclear war, Hehir was appointed by Rudenstine because of his "extraordinary breadth of experience within Harvard and beyond."

Hehir, who was teaching four classes at the time of Thiemann's departure, has trimmed his course load to one to oversee the administrative duties and academic affairs of the School.

He has also continued his position as Counselor to Catholic Relief Services, the relief agency of the Catholic Bishops of the United States, in Baltimore.

In addition to the Executive Committee, Rudenstine is meeting with a group of 10 senior HDS faculty to advise him on what course to take in choosing a new dean.

University Associate Vice President Clayton Spencer is in charge of coordinating the search from Mass. Hall.

Administrators declined to estimate when a new dean would be chosen.

In his memo to the HDS community, Rudenstine said that he would meet with groups of non-tenured faculty and students over the next couple of months to reach a consensus on "whatever opportunities and challenges the School must address in the years ahead."

In his memo, Rudenstine asked students to write letters to him giving their advice on the search.

"I would be grateful for any expression of views concerning the most essential qualities to look for in the next dean," Rudenstine said.

HDS student Gregory D. Ingram said the transition between Thiemann and his eventual replacement is a smooth one.

"I think that the transition is going well and Bryan Hehir is keeping things together," Ingram said.