<p>Gianievve,
I think it's fair to say that many Princeton undergrads and alums worry that Tilghman does not really "get" the Princeton culture and that she maybe stereotypes the students. Her negative public comments about eating clubs, fraternities, and sororities have not been well received by students involved in those groups (keep in mind that 80 percent of the upperclassmen are involved in eating clubs). A remark attributed to her about wanting more "quirky" students "with green hair" was pretty unpopular. The new anti-grade inflation initiative, while spearheaded by Dean Malkiel, came under Tilghman's watch, was highly publicized in the national media and was implemented in a unilateral way; students were not happy. And until the recent appointment of a male provost to replace the one who has now become the president of Penn, there were complaints that just about every Tilghman appointment was a woman.</p>
<p>I am not commenting here on any of the above. I am just saying that Tilghman is not afraid to comment publicly on or take action against things she thinks need changing at Princeton. Given her history there, it is unlikely that her recent anti-Summers comments were cynical efforts to lure students to Princeton. Tilghman speaks her mind.</p>
<p>Rather, I found her gratuitous, preachy press release, taking President Summers to task over something she'd read in the newspaper, simply offensive and ill-befitting a fellow university president.</p>
<p>byerly - I'm sure Tilghman did her homework before taking a stand on the Summers issue and making public criticisms. Summers and Tilghman are the top two Ivy League Presidents in the United States and it's not as if they don't communicate. She probably could've called Summers at home that night to ask him what happened.</p>
<p>"Perhaps the goal is to encourage more females to apply to Princeton, which has never attracted as high a percentage of female applicants as the other Ivies, and this seemed like a nice opportunity to get some press coverage toward that end."</p>
<p>Byerly, that's a direct quote from your post. </p>
<p>I don't think most women scientists, who have arrived where they are by proving themselves against the attitudes reflected in Summers' comments, are going to follow the old-boy rules of not "taking to task" a "fellow university president," to use your words. Many women scientists expressed outrage. Why shouldn't a woman scientist with Tilghman's stature do the same? There are quite a few outspoken Ivy presidents these days. It's an exciting new world.</p>
<p>Not only should she express outrage, but she should also leverage her position to take measures to eradicate such erroneous and unfounded thinking - which she is doing.</p>
<p>I reiterate my feelings - I am glad that I am going to a university that is headed by someone - be it a male or female - with her views.</p>