Phyllis Keller succeeded Winifred Barad this week as Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Keller yesterday described her duties as looking to "the implementation of the spirit" of Harvard's affirmative action plan for non-discriminatory hiring which is now being reviewed by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

The Harvard plan was rejected for the fourth time in June largely because it lacked a departmental breakdown of goals and timetables for the increased hiring of women and minority group members in the Faculty of Arts and Aciences.

The revised proposal, prepared by Walter J. Leonard, assistant to President Bok, was submitted to HEW on August 1. Leonard's office said yesterday that the revised plan will not be made public until sometime next week.

Keller, an appointee of Dean Rosovsky, said that she considers the Faculty's commitment to improved employment opportunities for women and minority group members "very strong."

The Federal government's criticisms of Harvard's affirmative action proposals "have been on specific, and in some cases, minor details," she said.

Previously director of Special Studies and lecturer at Holy Cross in Worcester, Keller is presently working part-time as the Faculty's EEOC officer, but will be assuming those duties on a full-time basis in September.