Harvard faculty votes "no confidence" in Summers

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>Faculty "Lacks Confidence" in Summers' Leadership
Matory motion passes by vote of 218-185; Faculty still voting on Skocpol motion</p>

<p>By THE CRIMSON STAFF</p>

<p>Members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted that they lack confidence in the leadership of University President Lawrence H. Summers at this afternoon's Faculty meeting.</p>

<p>The motion that faculty members supported, which was submitted by Professor of Anthropology and of African and African-American Studies J. Lorand Matory '82, stated that "the Faculty lacks confidence in the leadership of Lawrence H. Summers." Two hundred eighteen professors voted for the motion, 185 voted against it, and 18 abstained.</p>

<p>The motion is non-binding—only the University's top governing body can force Summers to step down. But Matory said today Summers should step down of his own accord.</p>

<p>"There is no noble alternative for him but resignation," Matory told reporters gathered oustide the meeting at the Loeb Drama Center.</p>

<p>The meeting is still underway, and the Faculty is now voting on a more conciliatory motion submitted by Thomas Professor of Sociology and Government Theda Skocpol. That motion expresses regret about Summers' comments on women in science and about aspects of his general leadership style but indicates a willingness to work with Summers to resolve these issues.</p>

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<p>Wow, I honestly did not think the faculty was going to do such a thing.</p>

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<p>Only about 400 of the 700 FAS members attended the meeting, and of those who did attend, 18 didn't vote. </p>

<p>Odd.</p>

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<p>Perhaps many of the other 300 support Summers and their presence would lend legitimacy to seriously pushing for Summers' resignation?</p>

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<p>Faculty group passes no-confidence vote in Harvard president</p>

<p>By Justin Pope, AP Education Writer | March 15, 2005</p>

<p>CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- In a symbolic but stunning rebuke, Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences passed a motion Tuesday saying it lacked confidence in President Lawrence Summers -- the first such action in the nearly 400-year history of the university.</p>

<p>The arts and sciences faculty is one of 10 that comprise the university, and Summers reports to the Harvard Corporation, the university's governing board, which has expressed its support for him.</p>

<p>But the 218-185 vote supporting the motion -- which even supporters had expected to be defeated -- was a significant setback to Summers' efforts to rebuild his standing with Harvard's faculty in the wake of the uproar over his comments about women in science at an academic conference in January.</p>

<p>At the very least, the vote seemed likely to prolong the period of divisiveness among faculty, and hinder Summers' efforts to return focus to his agenda for remaking the university.</p>

<p>The measure stated simply: "The Faculty lacks confidence in the leadership of Lawrence H. Summers."</p>

<p>The faculty also passed a milder rebuke of Summers' comments and "managerial approach," which also expressed support for the president in addressing the issues. That measure passed 253-137.</p>

<p>"As I said to the faculty, I have tried these last couple months to listen to all that has been said, to learn from it, and to move forward, and that's what I am going to do," Summers said in brief remarks as he emerged from the meeting, struggling to be heard over the shouts of protesters.</p>

<p>J. Lorand Matory, a professor of anthropology and African and African-American Studies who introduced the lack-of-confidence motion, said he had expected it to be supported by no more than 30 percent of meeting attendees.</p>

<p>"This was a resounding statement the faculty lacks confidence in President Lawrence Summers and he should resign," Matory said. "There is no noble alternative to resignation."</p>

<p>Summers, however, has given no indication of stepping down. He has now met three times with the faculty group since his controversial remarks that intrinsic differences in ability partly explain why there are fewer women in the pool of applicants for top science jobs.</p>

<p>He has also reportedly met extensively with smaller groups of faculty, and established two faculty task forces to recommend steps for addressing issues concerning women faculty at Harvard, and women in science generally.</p>

<p>The criticism over Summers' comments quickly expanded into a broader attacks on the president's allegedly blunt management style and his vision for the university, including major projects to expand Harvard's campus across the Charles River in Boston, and his ideas about what direction scientific research should take.</p>

<p>Still, before the meeting, a number of faculty indicated they expected only the milder motion to pass. It was expected to attract a coalition of faculty, some believing Summers had been treated unfairly, and others objecting to his management style but fearing the harsher motion would do further damage to Harvard.</p>

<p>"I thought the conservative forces would be much stronger than they turned out to be," said Ihor Sevcenko, a professor emeritus of Byzantine history and literature who attended the meeting.</p>

<p>One participant in the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a speaker criticized Nancy Hopkins, the MIT biologist whose complaints that Summers' comments and women in science had "sickened" her helped trigger the controversy. But when another speaker defended Hopkins, Summers applauded, the participant said.</p>

<p>The meeting was closed to outsiders and the media, except for the Harvard Crimson student newspaper.</p>

<p>Ruth Wisse, a literature professor and supporter of Summers, emphasized the "lack of confidence" measure was different from a "no-confidence" vote, which in the British parliamentary system causes the fall of a government.</p>

<p>"The president of the United States speaks out on unpopular things and doesn't get shot down, whereas the president of Harvard speaks out and gets pilloried," she said.</p>

<p>Harvard students passed a no-confidence vote in President Nathan Marsh Pusey in 1969, but faculty have never done so, according to Harvard.</p>

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<p>Here is a link to the Crimson's coverage of the vote: </p>

<p><a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/today/article506432.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.thecrimson.com/today/article506432.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>I guess Summers has stepped on more toes than people realized. Though it's worth remembering that, while those voting in favor of no confidence were a majority of those voting, they represented about one-third of the total FAS faculty (which itself is a fraction of the total university faculty).</p>

<p>I continue to think that Summers is not at much risk of being forced out, but this circus is starting to threaten his ability to accomplish some of the changes (in my view beneficial changes) that he and his administration have been trying to implement. I guess there are a lot of faculty members who don't like change - or at least not imposed change.</p>

<p>The scariest quote from the Crimson article was this one, from the wonderfully named "Weary" Professor of German and Comparative Literature (Judith L. Ryan), who "said after the meeting that she thinks the votes will allow the Faculty to exercise powers of self-governance." What was that line about the inmates . . . ?</p>

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<p>The mob got together behind closed doors and out of sight of the public and caste a secret vote for a lynching. Like most night-riders they prefer a little anonymity when the do their "best" work.</p>

<p>OK that characterization was a little harsh. Certainly Summers has stepped on some toes and may not be the most politically adroit ex-politician around but his enemies are not the most sympathetic collection of coddled malcontents the world has ever seen either.</p>

<p>Summers first sin was being a pro-Israel Jew. His second sin was actually expecting the staff to produce some new knowledge and pass it on to the next generation. His third sin was to actually exercise swome intellectual curiosity. But his fourth sin was the fatal one - to yield even an inch to this Inquisition. </p>

<p>He will be gone in less than a fortnight because by yielding to these intellectual heirs of Torquemada he will have lost the ability to exercise the authority of the Corporation. They will have to get a new manager who knows how to whip this rabble into line.</p>

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<p>The guy is a clod and an oaf; totally lacking in finesse. That is an unpardonable crime at Harvard.</p>

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<p>He had a deprived childhood in a rough town.</p>

<p>Kid was born and raised in New Haven, so cut him some slack!</p>

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<p>I thought the only unpardonable sin at Harvard was hiring someone to clean your room.</p>

<p>So who is the front runner to be Summers' replacement?</p>

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<p>If only 400 of 700 faculty attended and people assumed that the measure would be defeated, I would guess that a majority of those who didn't attend had no problems with Summers. I would bet if all 700 had been forced to vote this would have been easily defeated.</p>

<p>Still, I'm disgusted with the faculty that did vote, or at least the ones that approved of the measure.</p>

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<p>patuxent what are you talking about???</p>

<p>"Summers first sin was being a pro-Israel Jew. His second sin was actually expecting the staff to produce some new knowledge and pass it on to the next generation. His third sin was to actually exercise swome intellectual curiosity. But his fourth sin was the fatal one - to yield even an inch to this Inquisition."</p>

<ol>
<li>in case you haven't noticed, lots of people at "liberal" places like harvard are jewish</li>
<li>the faculty are amazingly brilliant and are the foremost thinkers in thier field, just look at Neustadt(recently deceased) Mayer, or any number of others who significantly affect the intellectual process in this country. They are the titans in their field, if they don't produce knowledge and pass it on who will?</li>
<li>all people at harvard, undergrads, grads and faculty are at harvard because of their intellectual curiosity, summers is not the lone intellectual on campus</li>
<li> in case you haven't noticed the counter-reformation is long dead and gone as a historical movement. him responding to criticism was appropriate. What would you have suggested, he lock himself in his office and taunt the reporters wanting to ask him questions?</li>
</ol>

<p>btw, in response to an earlier post in which you derided liberal institutions, let me remind you that alan keyes is a harvard alum and ashcroft is a yale alum</p>

<p>Byerly, help me defend Harvard!!!</p>

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<p>Some data to put the FAS faculty vote in perspective.</p>

<p>According to the Boston Globe, about 800 persons are eligible to attend FAS faculty meetings and vote. In any given year, however, about 20 % of the faculty is on leave. That would mean about 600 people would have attended yesterday's vote if all those who were eligible had come. 550 showed up, according to reports. It is not clear why only 400 votes were recorded.
Ordinarily, the FAS faculty meets in the Faculty Room in University Hall. Last month, the meeting was moved to Lowell Lecture Hall to accommodate larger than usual numbers; for yesterday, it was moved again to Loeb Theater which has a capacity of 556, according to the Globe.<br>
As far as voting procedures are concerned, only representatives for the Harvard Crimson are normally allowed to attend faculty meetings. They were allowed to attend yesterday, with the result that Byerly was able to post the Crimson article within a couple of hours of the meeting's end. The only departure from normal procedures, aside from the venue, was the secret ballot.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
If only 400 of 700 faculty attended and people assumed that the measure would be defeated, I would guess that a majority of those who didn't attend had no problems with Summers.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not necessarily. It could be that some of the faculty simply didn't want to get involved, or had problems with Summers but didn't approve of this method of dealing with them... or any number of other things. We really don't know the stance of the people who didn't vote, since they, erm, didn't vote.</p>

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<p>I'll bet the Harvard Corp is "thrilled" at the great publicity Summers has generated for Harvard in newspapers and TV news.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
I'll bet the Harvard Corp is "thrilled" at the great publicity Summers has generated for Harvard in newspapers and TV news.

[/quote]

Because Harvard isn't well-known already...?</p>

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<p>the first thing I thought of was "I was not elected to watch my people die while you sit around on committee"-- yeah, Star Wars. "a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership"</p>

<p>Just strikes me as pointless. He's not being fired, as well he shouldn't be, why is everyone freaking?</p>

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<p>sempitern - I can't help it. I love it when liberals eat their own. When the last PC apostate is burned at the stake the one remaining liberal will denounce herself.</p>

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<p>ha, good luck with that patuxent.</p>

<p>I am open minded enough to critically and intellectually consider things instead of blind ignorance and devotion.</p>