Backbiting?
The Crimson reports that a group of professors has begun circulating a statement critical of Larry Summers for his handling of the Bill Kirby affair.
Referring to the Crimson's scoop that Summers planned to fire Kirby last year, before his own troubles arose, the statement reads: "We think it is highly improper if, as reported, the President of Harvard has been expressing to members of the faculty his ‘deep dissatisfaction’ with the Dean of Arts and Sciences. It undercuts the work and the morale of colleagues within FAS [the Faculty of Arts and Sciences] and damages the institution as a whole.”
Seventeen professors have signed the statement so far; some of the signatories—Cynthia Friend, Mary Waters, Richard Thomas—were among Summers' most vocal critics during last spring's controversy.
What are we to make of this?
On the one hand, I've heard numerous stories of Summers criticizing professors he doesn't like when he's with professors he does; I've even heard of him criticizing specific professors in front of students. (Richard Thomas, for example.) Summers also has a habit for giving unflattering nicknames to professors of whom he's not fond.
Which is, indeed, unprofessional.
On the other hand, Summers certainly has the right to fire Bill Kirby if he thinks Kirby's not working out.
And on a third hand, since Summers appointed Kirby, the buck does need to stop somewhere, doesn't it?
File this statement under the heading, "Continuing Dissatisfaction with Summers' Leadership."
