Shots In The Dark: The Crimson, Take II

Thursday, April 12, 2007

The Crimson, Take II

I don't mean to bash the Crimson twice in one day, since they generally do such a fine job.

But there's something about this story that feels a little odd to me.

Perhaps it's the headline, which portrays Drew Faust as heroic for meeting with donors in a snowstorm.

Perhaps it's the fact that Corporation member Nan Keohane gives a quote.

Perhaps it's the fact that people have been volunteering the same information to me—what a fantastic job Faust did at a meeting of the Committee on University Resources.

Perhaps it's the fact that all the quotes praise Faust in general terms, but no one has anything specific to say.

Maybe it's that this story comes a day after Columbia announced a $400-million gift.

Maybe I'm just paranoid...but it feels like there's a whole lotta spinning goin' on.

What this story really suggests to me is that the Harvard development people—and the Corporation—are nervous about Faust's ability to fundraise. I emphasize that I base this on nothing tangible. It's just a hunch....

¶ 9:12 AM

Comments:

Perhaps it's just a slow week and the Crimson needed to rush out a story to fill their column inches? They wouldn't be the only newspaper to do this.

# posted by Anonymous : April 12, 2007 11:37 AM

hate to undermine the conspiracy theory, but if you read closely, the quote from nan was from february, the day faust was named.

# posted by Anonymous : April 12, 2007 11:41 AM

Yup, good point. Doesn't totally undermine the conspiracy theory, but it does weaken it.

# posted by Richard Bradley : April 12, 2007 11:46 AM

Richard,

The point about Columbia is complete bunk. The announcement was made yesterday, right?

So after the announcement, the hand-wringing begins in Fay House and Mass. Hall. They set up interviews with three members of the COUR (as you know, not world's most available people) yesterday afternoon.

Those whipper-snappers at The Crimson (mind you, I did not call them, kids) whip about 1,200 words and push it onto the paper's front page.

It went something like that?

It's difficult to see so many logs rolling so quickly.

# posted by Anonymous : April 12, 2007 12:07 PM

Well, first of all, the announcement was made yesterday, but that doesn't mean it wasn't known about for some time.

But regardless of the correlation to Columbia's news, the larger point stands.

# posted by Richard Bradley : April 12, 2007 12:27 PM

Time will prove you Richard, as in the past, correct. It may not be obvious how Harvard's special place in the heart of some graduates and major donors has shifted. Some of them may give instead not to other Universities but to other objects of their affection.

If you hear of gifts from Harvard graduates in the 100's of millions to museums and other institutions in the coming months ask yourself why they did not give to Harvard.

For starters look at gifts in the City.

# posted by Anonymous : April 12, 2007 8:37 PM

The Corporation would do well to look at the fundraising record of the current Deans. It may be a signal of the confidence donors place on their leadership...

# posted by Anonymous : April 12, 2007 8:39 PM

Harvard is not going to suffer is fundraising is down a little some years... what is really serious is that the number of student applications is considerably down in some professional schools. That and the quality of the programs should be the principal concerns of the President, not how much donors are willing to give.

# posted by Anonymous : April 12, 2007 8:46 PM

aren't troubles attracting students and troubles persuading donors indicative of the same leadership flaws? I bet the schools who do poorly on any one of these also do poorly on the other, and I bet these are also the schools where Deans have problems articulating a clear vision and earning the confidence of the faculty.

Hopefully there are no Deans like that at Harvard, so President Faus won't need to worry.

# posted by Anonymous : April 12, 2007 8:52 PM

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