Shots In The Dark: The President Arriveth

Friday, October 12, 2007

The President Arriveth

Today is the big day: the installation of Drew Faust as president of Harvard.

Here's the Globe on context:

Faust, 60, faces high expectations that she can move Harvard forward with a more conciliatory approach than her predecessor, Lawrence H. Summers. Summers, an economist and former secretary of the Treasury, ended his tenure in early 2006 after five years, the shortest stint for a Harvard president in 144 years.

("Ended his tenure"?)

According to the Globe, Harvard faculty want Faust to....
1) make the faculty and administration more diverse
2) unify Harvard
3) emphasize teaching

The Crimson suggests that Faust will continue to avoid talking specifically about her priorities, as she has done ever since she was appointed.

Faust will probably appeal to the University’s 371-year history when she takes the stage for her installation today. She will probably note Harvard’s responsibility as a leader in higher education. And she will probably restate her commitment to breaking down barriers across the University. But one thing she still won’t do is present a comprehensive agenda for her presidency.

Peter Gomes and Neil Rudenstine both say that vagueness is a good idea at such a time. "All you’ll do is give your enemies a shopping list with which to do you in," Gomes says.

Derek Bok and Neil Rudenstine say they shied away from giving her advice, because that could be tough for the speaker. (Chivalrous of them. But would they say the same of a man?)

Here are a couple of themes that I would think important for DGF to address, but which she probably won't:

1) Elevating the importance of scholarship at a place that is more and more about money
1a) Doing what she can to address the fact that the public perception of Harvard is increasingly as an economic institution—how rich the university is, how rich its graduates are.
2) A discussion of the relationship between the sciences and the humanities, and ways in which the importance of the humanities can be shored up
3) The importance of universities and their presidents during a time of war and national self-doubt

Here are a couple of themes that I would think unimportant for DGF to address, but which she probably will:

1) the fact that she's a woman
2) anything to do with bridges

Best of luck to President Faust—it's a gray day here in NYC, and I hope the weather is better up there.

¶ 7:42 AM

Comments:

Your comment that it is "unimportant" for Faust to address the fact that she is Harvard's first woman president speaks volumes about you. I'm done with your blog which day after day reveals your deep, and apparently, largely unconscious sexism.

# posted by Anonymous : October 12, 2007 2:23 PM

2:23 PM...be done with the blog if you may, you obviously don't read it often or well because I sure don't get where you can accuse Richard of sexism...I would read that it is unimportant for her to mention she is Harvard's first woman president because it shouldn't be an issue and to him it's not...that how sexist he is. You are obviously one of these people who is looking for and finds sexism often where there is none at all. It's fine to be feminist but argh!!...

lmpaulsen

# posted by Anonymous : October 12, 2007 2:57 PM

It seems perfectly appropriate for DGF to have mentioned the fact that she is a woman on this occasion. This university is more than 300 years old and has never had a woman president. DGF was part of a generation of women whose parents often told them to become teachers or nurses so they would have money to support themselves in case they didn't marry. The fact that she has become president of Harvard does say something about how things have changed and it certainly seems worth noting. Just because one doesn't see this as an issue for her leadership doesn't mean that it's not worth noting.

And, sadly it will no doubt be seen as an issue for some.

# posted by Anonymous : October 12, 2007 5:23 PM

It would be less of an issue if she didn't keep making it one.

Honestly, I think Harvard folks give themselves a little much credit by harping so much on the fact that DGF is a woman. Yes, the fact that she's the first woman president of Harvard is important in both symbolic and tangible ways. On the other hand, she's not the first female university president, nor the first female Ivy League president. If I downplay the fact of her gender, it's because Harvard is so late on elevating a woman to the post (not entirely it's fault, given the length of presidencies) that it's a far smaller story than it would have been ten or so years ago.

# posted by Richard Bradley : October 12, 2007 8:24 PM

Whoops, make that "its fault".

# posted by Richard Bradley : October 12, 2007 8:24 PM

It may be the case that we Harvard folks are "harping" on this. But it may also be the case that we're more interested in this than we were in the other female college presidencies because, well, we're here, and this is our lives.

# posted by Anonymous : October 12, 2007 10:17 PM

Point of information: Has DGF been making the fact that she's a woman an issue? What does this mean exactly? That she points it out? Or that she requires a response/reaction to it.

From my vantage point on campus I haven't actually noticed this to be a huge part of her public comments. She does talk about women's history, and Radcliffe, but Summers certainly talked about economics, and the White House.

I'm curious to know why you find this such a distraction?

# posted by Anonymous : October 12, 2007 10:19 PM

Incessant yammering about any issue is about as effective as nagging a boyfriend to pick up his socks off the floor. It creates resentment and ultimately a dismissal of whatever issue is being yammered about and then the socks stay on the floor. That's the distraction.

Why also is it such a distraction that Hilary is a woman and running for president? And then why also is it such a distraction that Obama is an African American man and running for president? Because women and African Americans back in the day were once considered property by white men and are minorities still in the power/money triangle. We all wish it that it wasn't the case, but it is. It's a messy and dirty reality. It's painful for everyone to be constantly reminded of that by bringing it up! It distracts from more important issues. It's that simple. But overcoming stereotypes and prejudice and lazy thinking is a process. The world is still healing....slowly.

Perhaps we all should have a tad more patience with each other. Men and women alike.

So, to reiterate Richard's earlier sentiment......Best of luck to President Faust.

eayny

# posted by Anonymous : October 13, 2007 3:21 AM

eayny: My question was probably not clearly phrased enough. It was not about why talking Faust being a woman is such a distraction--but, in response to Richard's own statements, about whether Drew Faust is actually guilty of personally "incessantly yammering" about this. It seemed a minor part of yesterday's performance and I am genuinely curious to hear about the contexts in which she keeps bringing it up in a way that annoys Richard and makes him feel that she herself is making it a disproportionately big issue.

# posted by Anonymous : October 13, 2007 9:20 AM

9:20, perhaps my most recent post will address your question somewhat.

Did I really say "yammering"? If I did, that was an overstatement and unfair. But...did I?

# posted by Richard Bradley : October 13, 2007 9:28 AM

Ah, no, I see I didn't—that was another poster.

# posted by Richard Bradley : October 13, 2007 9:30 AM

Also, 9:20, let me correct something that's important—even if I do think that Faust raises the subject of her gender overmuch, I am not "annoyed" by that. That adjective personalizes my reaction and suggests that it is gender-based. In fact, I think the issue is more of a strategic question. DGF can do whatever she wants, it's hardly something to take personally—for me or anyone else. The question that's interesting to me is, How does it affect her leadership?

# posted by Richard Bradley : October 13, 2007 9:33 AM

Apologies. Didn't mean to indicate that Faust or anyone else in particular was "incessantly yammering" about being a woman or about women's issues. I made a very broad statement (at a late hour) to prove a point. It was a bit ill constructed, I see.

All of these points of view, posters and Richard's, are eye-opening and fascinating. Learning lots here. Seems a bunch of people on this blog are learning as they go. Conversation leads to greater understanding and that is a blessing. So maybe some "incessant yammering" ain't so bad. ;) I'll leave it you elevated thinkers for a bit.

eayny

# posted by Anonymous : October 13, 2007 3:06 PM

About Me