Shots In The Dark: Faust Cleans House

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Faust Cleans House

Drew Faust is wasting no time; as the Crimson reports, Harvard v-p for Alumni Relations and Development Donnella M. Rapier has announced her resignation. As even Rapier seems to admit, Drew Faust fired her.

This move has been expected since about five minutes after Faust was named. As one person told me at the time, "They're going to get rid of Donella because she's a Larry person and because she couldn't get a campaign off the ground." Some felt that she wasn't qualified for the job, that she was "in way over her head."

Who will Faust install in Rapier's place? Put your money on longtime aide Tamara Rogers, who went to Harvard-Radcliffe, has worked at Harvard for ages, has a good reputation and is well-liked both within and outside the university.

Who's next on the chopping block? It would be grossly unfair to speculate....

¶ 7:58 AM

Comments:

Shoot! Tammy Elliott. No kidding.

# posted by Anonymous : February 27, 2024 8:40 AM

There really is only one person to take over and that is Susan Feagin at Columbia (formerly at Harvard).

# posted by Anonymous : February 27, 2024 11:52 AM

C'mon Richard, you're all tease; of course you want to speculate.

# posted by Anonymous : February 27, 2024 1:00 PM

Are you so sure that I didn't?

# posted by Richard Bradley : February 27, 2024 1:34 PM

Speculate away-who is next to "leave"?

# posted by Anonymous : February 28, 2024 6:53 AM

People aren't getting Richard's subtlety! Richard, I agree with your guess, but that's almost too easy. Who's the next person after that? Also, who would you pick to replace the person about whom you are speculating? (I'm not going to ruin the guessing.)

-Emu

# posted by Anonymous : February 28, 2024 8:38 AM

Let the marble rolling begin.....

# posted by Anonymous : February 28, 2024 9:12 AM

Maybe Richard isn't speculating because he simply doesn't know?

# posted by Anonymous : February 28, 2024 9:31 AM

Sounds like the Larry/B-school types are vulnerable esp the McKinsey people.....is that vague enough for you?

BTW, they know who they are...

# posted by Anonymous : February 28, 2024 9:43 AM

Faust cleaned house at Radclilffe after announcing at staff meetings that there would be no layoffs. Within 3 years more than half the staff working when Faust first started had been "let go" including many people had worked at Harvard/Radcliffe for more than 20 years building the institute that she led. She misled the staff --they could have been looking for jobs instead they worked to build the new institute and Faust cut staff numbers for budget reasons.

Who's next? Probably the entire pres office staff.

# posted by Anonymous : February 28, 2024 10:33 AM

Richard IS speculating... read carefully.

# posted by Anonymous : February 28, 2024 2:55 PM

Interesting about Faust getting rid of long-time Radcliffe staffers, because that's what some people hated about Summers: the perception that loyal Harvard career administrators were pushed out and replaced by the McKinsey crowd. So if the McKinseys are out, who's in next? Or perhaps it really is a case of selectively getting rid of folks who just aren't good enough at what they're supposed to be doing?

# posted by Anonymous : March 1, 2024 9:28 AM

Would you like to post that question to those people from Radcliffe who were shown the door?

# posted by Anonymous : March 1, 2024 11:32 AM

Richard's implied speculation suggests that Faust will fire those staff brought in by Summers and/or those who were otherwise engaged in efforts on his behalf, be they in Mass Hall or elsewhere at Harvard.

# posted by Anonymous : March 1, 2024 11:37 AM

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