<p>I am surprised no one posted this yet. </p>
<p>Very hard to see how it will play out from here, but I think the A&S faculty members are coming out looking far worse than Summers, and may have set themselves up for a public "no confidence" vote among consumers. The Harvard Corporation shows no sign of buckling, and in fact, it seems clearer all the time that Summers was selected as one who could confront an overly-full-of itself faculty....he just wasn't supposed to do it in this particular way. I think he stays, and if a few more of the Cornel West style kooks jump ship, so much the better for Harvard.</p>
<p>I thought one of the more insightful comments about Summers' speech on women in science was a piece in Timothy Burke's blog.</p>
<p>The problem Summers faces on this issue is that he made the remarks on the heels of a year in which only 12% of the new tenured faculty at Havard were women.</p>
<p>The actual problem that Summers faces has nothing to do with the percentage of tenured female faculty.</p>
<p>As Interesteddad points out, Summers' NBER comments came on the heels of a year in which only 2 offers of tenure were made to women and of three years of declining offers to women, coinciding with Summers' tenure as president. They also followed not long after a meeting with senior women to express concern over the low tenure rate for women which, reportedly, was unsatisfactory. </p>
<p>While the NBER comments ignited the current controversy, apparently the faculty had other reasons for its dissatisfaction. Yesterday, many faculty must have read the article below at breakfast time:</p>
<p>I recall reading in a Newsweek article that Summers had the support of the graduate school professors, students, alumni, and corporation. The A&S faculty pretty much stand alone, so it looks like Summers' job is safe.</p>
<p>AceRockola,
I think you are confused. Check out: <a href="http://www.fas.harvard.edu/home/%5B/url%5D">http://www.fas.harvard.edu/home/</a></p>
<p>The Graduate School, Harvard College, the division of engineering, etc. (and the faculty of those areas, of course) are part of Arts and Sciences. So Summers' job is not as safe as you might think, considering this.</p>
<p>Sorry, it must've said the professional schools faculty. If somebody could confirm that Newsweek article, that would be great. With the support of the alumni and students along with the a&s faculty not having the greatest reputation for teaching to begin with... I'm still not convinced his job is in danger.</p>
<p>Even though I don't agree with what Dr. Summers said about women in science (D tutors other students in Physics) I am far more concerned about academic freedom in an institution where nonPC views are the subject of no-confidence votes and faculty members become physically ill if someone differs from them in their opinions. The money we didn't spend on applying to Harvard is money well saved and in the words of Poor Richard well earned.</p>
<p>
[quote]
While the NBER comments ignited the current controversy, apparently the faculty had other reasons for its dissatisfaction.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think the NBER comments made it very difficult for members of the faculty to continue giving Summers the benefit of the doubt on declining tenure appointments for women. </p>
<p>The general public is only seeing the brouhaha over the comments in isolation, not in context of the concern over his leadership viz-a-viz the role of women at Harvard. Given the explosion in the presence of women in academia since the all-male elite universities went co-ed 35 years ago, it would take a fairly concerted effort for the rate of women being granted tenure to actually be falling at a university.</p>
<p>Looking at the gender (male), racial (white), and occupational (Wall Street) make-up of the Corporation board, it is easy to surmise that Summers position is safe. However, if he had a political bone in his body, he might reach the conclusion that saving his job could be Phyrric victory. These faculty meetings can't be very pleasant for him.</p>
<p>"not in context of the concern over his leadership viz-a-viz the role of women at Harvard. "</p>
<p>Actually, the issue is much broader than just the role of women. He has used a top-down, no discussion approach with a broad range of issues. He's brought in a new team, which, in and of itself, is not unusual. But, there are teams, and there are teams...</p>
<p>I'm always amazed at opinions like Driver's, done from a distance. Yes, some have tried to paint this as a battle between political correctness and frank speech. And they miss the point - seem to not be listening to what others are saying. To say the "A&S" faculty is looking bad is particularly funny when you realise the attribution itself is inaccurate. It is FAS.</p>
<p>Anyway, as others have pointed out, it is indicative of real, deepseated problems at Harvard. It IS affecting fundraising and faculty recruiting. It IS affecting morale - what do you think is taking up a lot of bandwidth in staff and faculty discussions?</p>
<p>AceRockolla, perhaps you were thinking of this Newsday article?
<a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-harvard-summers,0,4374293,print.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines%5B/url%5D">http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-harvard-summers,0,4374293,print.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines</a>
[quote]
The arts and sciences group is "the least representative faculty, the most out of touch with the real world, the most ideologically extreme," law professor Alan Dershowitz said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "It's not the heart and soul of the university for a lot of reasons. In some respects it's the orphan child of the faculty." Dershowitz noted the Harvard community also includes students and alumni, whose views have not been officially recorded.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes, that noted right-wing moonbat Alan Dershowitz. And Newmassdad, with all due respect to your in-state status, insiders such as Harvey Mansfield, Stanley Kurtz, and Andrew Sullivan are also making the PC/frank speech point. Thanks for pointing out that Harvard insiders refer to "FAS," and I now know I can count on you to point out typos, and spelling errors too :)</p>
<p>This is really not big news. It was clear when he took the job that Summers didn't have a great deal of confidence in the faculty. </p>
<p>I am amused at how his comments have been misconstrued in many of the reports of them. </p>
<p>Harvards job is to educate people. Not to be a priviledge rectifier or a jobs program. They continue to get beat up on this board, and in general, by persons who hold them up as protecting the WASP "power structure", which is laughable since white christians are about 50% underrepresented as matriculants at Harvard.</p>
<p>Stanley Kurtz and Andrew Sullivan hold advanced degrees from Harvard. It does not make them insiders.</p>
<p>For an interesting article by Kurtz on education:
<a href="http://edworkforce.house.gov/hearings/108th/sed/titlevi61903/kurtz.htm%5B/url%5D">http://edworkforce.house.gov/hearings/108th/sed/titlevi61903/kurtz.htm</a></p>
<p>Kurtz has also taught at Harvard, and I believe Sullivan did too. Mansfield definitely did, and still does, as you are no doubt aware. There are lots of ways to be an insider at any institution, in any event, part of the point Dershowitz makes with regard to students and alumni.</p>
<p>Driver,</p>
<p>I always like folks who take things out of context. If you knew Alan Dershowitz personally, as I do, you would know better than to use his views as you did. It shows (i) a deep lack of understanding of the politics of the various faculties at Harvard. (hint: Alan is in the Law school faculty.) and (ii) a misunderstanding of his politics (the little right wing moonbat comment), which begs the point of what his politics have to do with his comments anyway.</p>
<p>BTW, my status is a bit closer than "in-state status", not that you'd care a hoot about first hand information that does not meet your agenda.</p>
<p>Newmassdad,
I have no "agenda" other than that of a consumer...someone who will be paying a great deal of money for my son's education. Since you seem to have a tin ear with regard to facetious remarks, I will be sure to use lots of smiley faces and other such emoticons when replying to you in the future (I'm well aware that your pal Alan isn't a right-winger) :)</p>
<p>Couple of points:
1. I took nothing out of context...I posted Dershowitz's statement from a Newsday article. Period. If you see some other context for his remarks that I have missed or otherwise distorted, please explain.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I'm no stranger to in-house politics, in academia or elsewhere. So I don't understand why you seem to diminish your close personal friend Alan's remarks, just because he's a law school professor.</p></li>
<li><p>His politics are relevant to his comment. See: "political correctness and frank speech," in your earlier post.</p></li>
<li><p>It was very obvious from your FAS remark that your status was much, much greater than just in-state....and I was duly impressed (should have used a smiley face, sorry to have been so vague about that:)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Driver, </p>
<p>OK. Truce.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that, for folks on the inside of l'affaire Summers, it is turning into a pretty painful, disruptive experience, whether one agrees with Larry or not. And, to repeat, this controversy is about much more than his recent speech. He was clearly hired to be a change agent. And, like many change agents, he seems to be failing in his efforts (Carly of HP anyone...) because of style and cultural issues. One can say style and culture should not be so important, perhaps. To which I would respond that, when it comes to leadership, style (the "how" part) is probably MORE important. And "culture", like it or not, is what makes any institution, college, business or community, what it is. You cannot ignore these things. Larry, it appears, either ignored or did not understand. And we all lose.</p>
<p>NMD,
Good points. Peace.</p>
<p>On Professor Derschowitz:</p>
<p>a) Harvard operates as a turf war between the various schools. From the Law School's perspective, if the FAS is "agin" something, that's probably reason enough to be "for" it. Don't think for a minute that the Law School faculty will be shy in calling in any favors they bestow now on Summers. They would be more than happy to have him as "their boy".</p>
<p>b) In his work with Johnny Cochran, Prof. Dershowitz has demonstrated that he is not adverse to a campaign of obfuscation in support of his advocacy. That is important to keep in mind as he attempts to paint Summers as a victim of political correctness.</p>