Harvard President has decided to resign because of conflicts with the professors and administrators, which was hard to repair in the view of the board, and the derogatory comments on female ability on science and engineering. His story was discussed in my previous homework (19) and finally culminated in his resignation.
Hard Lessons
Harvard President Larry Summers is in deep doo doo by the comments he made last week about the paucity of women at the highest levels of science and engineering. Although he apologized at least six times for those remarks out of his carelessness, it seems that some faculty members still cannot condone what he said. The number of female professors receiving tenured position has steadily declined during his presidency, to just 4 out of 32 last year. Even the president's supporters admit he is too aggressive sometimes.
How aggressive and independent can college presidents be when they are trying to satisfy students, trustees, and faculties? Can presidents speak freely on the great issue of the day? Is it a proper line that they should not cross?
Nevertheless, President Summers also tried to emphasize more on science and biomedical research. It placed more tension on the question of transforming Harvard into a center of technique and applied science, as opposed to its traditional liberal arts focus.
