<p>Bill Clinton (though the lack of a Harvard degree will hurt him). It might be interesting to have him as head of Harvard and his wife as head of the country.</p>
<p>Up until the 1970's, EVERY SINGLE Harvard prez had a Harvard UNDERGRADUATE degree... that seemed to relax with the appointment of Bok (Stanford undergrad, Harvard Law), then Rudenstein (Princeton undergrad, Harvard PhD), then Summers (MIT undergrad, Harvard PhD). Whether, the Harvard Corporation every goes for a prez without any Harvard degree of any kind... well... we'll see.</p>
<p>Oh, as an alum... I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY think Harvard should select a
scientist or engineer... it's been a while since a scientist had the helm...
but that is just my 2 cents...</p>
<p>I agree. I like Benedict H. Gross, current Dean of Harvard College and Leverett Professor of Mathematics, and I also like like John Etchmendy, the Stanford Provost - although as a University of Nevada-Reno grad it would be a huge stretch in his case.</p>
<p>Gross - who has a good sense of humor - is the man who created the "fun czar" position as the guy in charge of undergrad life, among other things. I also appreciate the fact that he is an anti-ED hardliner. A Summers loyalist - which may help or hurt him - depending.</p>
<p>I think Elena Kagan would make an excellent president. She is obviously qualified (academically, professionally, etc.) to lead Harvard. She would also signify a change in direction and representation as far as Harvard being a "male bastion". Her appointment would appease anyone who felt Summers was sexist and show that Harvard places accomplishment and potential first. She's an ideal candidate, indeed.</p>
<p>Appeasement is the wrong message to send, IMHO.</p>
<p>Appeasing the Faculty seems to be one of the most important tasks any university president faces--for better or for worse. Just ask Summers.</p>
<p>Not in this case. The Harvard FAS needs to be put in its place; it is an obstacle to necessary reform.</p>
<p>Agreed. The FAS tends to act worse than the undergraduates at times. What reforms were you thinking of specifically? The Core?</p>
<p>
[quote]
The Harvard FAS needs to be put in its place; it is an obstacle to necessary reform.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>But isn't one of the lessons of the Summers era that you can't put a group of people in "its place" if your de facto power depends significantly on whether those very people can be persuaded to follow you willingly?</p>
<p>The FAS will never willingly agree to the overdue changes that must be made, from curriculum reform, to tenure reform, to an increased emphasis on teaching, to reducing the tendency for some of the overly-leftist departments to insist on replicating their own political biases when hiring/promoting new faculty. </p>
<p>There are a lot of cancerous cells that need to be excised. The new president must pick up where Summers left off in this area.</p>
<p>It is my impression that Etchemendy is in line for the Stanford presidency after Hennessey is done.</p>
<p>That's all right. I'm not sure he has sufficient steel fot the Harvard job, anyway.</p>
<p>Yes, well is nice when there's not an apparent feeling of decline.</p>
<p>
[quote]
There are a lot of cancerous cells that need to be excised.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Hmmm . . . I have my doubts as to whether a new president who embraced this particular metaphor would be able to make much "progress" at all - however one might define that term. </p>
<p>While I certainly don't claim to have your level of insider knowledge, Byerly, it seems to me that part of the problem for Summers may have been that he attempted an operation (to extend your cancer metaphor) that, at the end of the day, he just didn't have the tools - that is, the power - to perform successfully. </p>
<p>Assuming that you don't regard the entire FAS faculty as "cancerous," perhaps a more promising path to reform would be for the new president to try to enlist sympathetic faculty members to join in such an effort, then use them as a power base from which to try to make changes in an incremental fashion. What seems to have contributed mightily to Summers' ultimate demise is the fact that, at the end, many of his former faculty supporters - Steven Pinker is one who comes to mind - were no longer willing to come to his defense, at least publicly. </p>
<p>You can't be a leader if no one is willing to follow you.</p>
<p>On the other hand, doing nothing and keeping your head down (as, for example, Summers' bovine predecessor) is not being a leader, unless the goal is mediocrity. Summers knew what had to be done, and was in the process of doing it - until brought down by the Cassius types.</p>
<p>Don't you all DARE take Etchemendy:). Great guy. Fabulous intellect.</p>
<p>I enjoy reading his presentations to the faculty senate.</p>
<p>Clearly the man for the job post-Hennessey.</p>