Grade the President! It's exam time at Harvard. It's also the end of the fourth year of Larry Summers' presidency—the moment when, if Summers was the U.S. president, he'd have to stand for reelection.

Of course, Summers doesn't have to worry about his job security, since the Harvard Corporation seems to have become a subsidiary adjunct of Mass Hall.

But in honor of the covergence of the two timelines, I'll be posting a Summers' report card after Memorial Day. (And don't worry—no grade inflation here!) The president's report card will grade his progress on several counts, focusing on the goals Summers emphasized when he became president: Allston, boosting the sciences, improving undergraduate education, internationalizing the university.

I'll also be throwing in a few other areas to be graded, such as: Is Harvard better off than it was four years ago? Has Summers restored the presidency to its pre-Rudenstine role of public intellectual?

And I'd love your help. Everyone can grade the president! Just send an e-mail to [email protected] with your suggestions.....  ¶ 8:56 AM