<p>Hey, I was just wondering if anyone knew how or why Cornel West left Harvard. I know he had some conflicts with Lawrence Summers, but what exactly they were about I have no idea. If anyone wants to fill me in on those details, it'd be much appreciated.</p>
<p>pretty much big mouth larry called him a fraud. so he left, and began the process of dismantling harvard's famed AfAm program as a number of big named defections to princeton and stanford followed.</p>
<p>Well...that's a bit of a misrepresentation, I would say. </p>
<p>Cornel West became involved in a dispute at Harvard after President Summers accused him of not devoting enough time to pursuits of academia. Professor West preferred "alternative methods" such as producing his own hip-hop cd. Summers criticized West's over-involvement in politics--West took part in a hip-hop summit hosted by Russell Simmons, etc.</p>
<p>Critics of Summers will tell you that the Cornel West incident was an example of racism on Summers' part. You can decide that for yourself, but, whether or not Summers handled the situation correctly, I believe it was an issue of academic integrity, not race. Summers is not afraid to be un-PC.</p>
<p>As far as I am concerned, West's departure was no great loss to Harvard. Princeton can have him.</p>
<p>Here is a classic Harvard Crimson column about "Reverend West"</p>
<p>Many view Larry Summers' brooming West out the door as his greatest accomplishment since he assumed the presidency of Harvard.</p>
<p>Here's an interesting article about the defections. </p>
<p>I find Cornel West to be a very...entertaining speaker, but I don't know how great he would be as a teacher...</p>
<p>i have to say that cornel west is definately one of the most admired personalities in academia.</p>
<p>Lets all be real, who in academia actually has people on the streets wearing shirts that bear his face, i mean those kind of things are reserved for che, fidel, malcolm, martin, nelson, all of which are renouned individuals both for their leadership and success.</p>
<p>Many of my friends decided to spend their undergraduate years at Princeton, for many reasons, and of course no small part due to the presence of cornel west.</p>
<p>I attended one seminar he held, and it was damn near electrifying, just the way he speaks and looks is damn near intellectually amusing, and is words are radical enough to actual fell an experience, at the same time their rationale enough to acknowledge as academically and intellectually fulfilling.</p>
<p>But Mr. West is also very free in his nature that he does things like hold Hip Hop Summits and make music, which is very important to his specific cause, and more over in American culture.</p>
<p>I am inclined to believe that certain individuals could not handle his free spirite and his uncontrolled aura. </p>
<p>But Princeton was at the very least a very suitable replacement.</p>
<p>Many are happy he's gone.</p>
<p>The yield rate at Princeton has dropped substantially since they signed Rev. West as a free agent, so I doubt hoards are flocking to town experience his "uncontrolled aura" and hear his drivel; although his well-known tendency to give 95% A's and only 5% A-minuses may help attact people to his class - when he shows up for it.</p>
<p>I'm not sure you can establish casuality between West's presence and a drop in yield rate...
but I think that while the way Cornel West speaks is engaging, he might not actually be saying anything of substance. But I also don't think he plays a big role either way for people choosing a school.</p>
<p>I do not suggest that the Rev. West is responsible for the drop in the yield rate at Princeton since it foolishly agreed to take him off Harvard's hands, but only suggest that since - as you say - he is seldom "actually saying anything of substance," it is doubtful that he attracts anyone "of substance" to enroll at Princeton.</p>
<p>"Rev. West"? Is he with the church or something?</p>
<p>But even if people of substance don't care for Cornel West, I can't imagine that the fact that he is at Princeton would make the whole University a turn-off for them. You can easily avoid taking his classes, and I don't think he defines Princeton.
I guess what I mean is that while he may not attract people, surely he doesn't repel them?</p>
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<p>"Rev. West"? Is he with the church or something?</p>
<br>
<p>He's actually a professor of religious philosophy, yes.</p>
<p>prior to his departure from harvard, cornel west was one of less than 20 professors in a faculty of over 2,200 professors to hold the distinction of "university professor." he also taught an introductory class that regularly attracted more than 500 students, and was one of the college's most popular. byerly can spin it all he wants, but the truth is that west's departure, like that of professors appiah and bobo, was a serious loss for the H community.</p>
<p>"While West taught the introductory course Af-Am 10, Introduction to Afro-American Studies, the class saw enrollments of 584 in the 2001 and 316 in 1999. Today, the course enrollment has plummeted to 17 students under the auspices of Professor of Government Michael C. Dawson and Professor of African and African American Studies Evelynn M. Hammonds."</p>
<p>Summers' willingness to get rid of that fraud and take the heat for it cemented his reputation with many alumni who were distressed by the PC drift under his bovine predecessor.</p>
<p>Why do you consider him a fraud?</p>
<p>This captures it pretty well:</p>
<p>His course was popular because it was easy, and everybody got A's.</p>