Lewis' Trying Term

In the basement of Dunster House near F-entry last fall, a bright pink sign loudly proclaimed a call to arms: "Down with the dean!"

Although no significant campus figure has publicly called for the ousting of Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68, the consensus among student leaders is that he is doing a poor job of running Harvard College.

In six months on the job, Lewis has endorsed and implemented three significant--and unpopular--changes to student life: randomization of the housing lottery, reorganization of public service and tightening of the alcohol policy.

Some of Lewis' colleagues defend him as an energetic and frank professor who has bravely taken a number of unpopular stands for the good of the College.

But while they are careful not to criticize the embattled new dean, many of those same administrators decline to agree that Lewis has done a good job overall.

The Controversies

Lewis never had much of a honeymoon with the student body.

Even before he took office this past summer, a controversial change Lewis had strongly endorsed--randomization of the housing lottery--was announced by his predecessor, L. Fred Jewett '57.

In the fall, Lewis reemphasized the College's campaign against alcohol-use on campus in a letter sent to all undergraduates' homes and a memo to student heads of athletic teams.

In addition to the letters, sources said the administration began disciplining students who brought drunk friends to University Health Services (UHS). That policy drew heavy fire from students and UHS officials alike.

And last month, more than 700 students filled the Yard to protest another of Lewis' decisions. This time, Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) organized a rally to protest Lewis' selection of Judith H. Kidd as the new assistant dean of public service.

Lewis' decision was unpopular among students but his reaction to the rally seemed to only further exacerbate his public problems.

In an e-mail response to a question seeking comment on the 700-plus turnout for the rally, Lewis asked: "Isn't that at most a fifth of the number expected, and about half the number of students (1700) that are claimed as members of PBHA?"

Even in light of all the controversies, Lewis did not mention anything he would change when asked in an e-mail message what he would have done differently.

Candid or Artless?

Lewis is characterized as direct by almost all work with him.

"He is a very straight shooter," says President Neil L. Rudenstine. "He will say straight what's on his mind, and that may sometimes seem...blunt. But thank heavens for a bit of honesty and candor."

Theda Skocpol, professor of government and sociology, also expresses her appreciation of Lewis' directness.

"I think he's a very good dean," Skocpol says, characterizing Lewis as "straightforward and willing to talk about things." Lewis Struggles To Adjust To New PostRandomization, public service and alcohol policy have dominated the first term of the dean

"I think the administration...does anything and everything to avoid controversy," says Skocpol, who chairs an FAS ad hoc committee on public service. "I admire Harry Lewis greatly for not falling into the pattern of leadership evasion."

Student leaders mention Lewis' directness, but don't consider it quite so positive a trait.

Former PBHA president Vincent Pan '95-'96 draws a distinction between being direct and being trustworthy.

"I think he was blunt. I don't think he was always honest," Pan says. "I don't think being dishonest is a unique trait among Harvard administrators. He was more blunt, but he wasn't any more honest or dishonest. I appreciated his bluntness."

For his part, Lewis says he is proud of whatever reputation he may have for being direct.

"I do try to tell the truth, if that is what is meant by 'directness,'" Lewis says in an e-mail message. "I do not like to spend an hour talking to someone or to a group and to come out of the meeting with no one understanding any more at the end than they did at the beginning."

Lewis says students may be misreading him as a result of his "decanal" title. In a course he taught this past fall, Computer Science 121: "Introduction to Formal Systems and Computation," the dean says he was surprised to discover from midterm questionnaires that students were interpreting his "good-natured banter" as malicious teasing.

"Maybe I have to restrain myself a bit, though I am reluctant to become dull," Lewis writes in the e-mail.

Student Assessment

Rudd W. Coffey '97, the co-chair of the Undergraduate Council's Campus Life Committee, characterizes Lewis as having done "an adequate job" and says that "working with him one-on-one has always been a positive experience for me."

But Coffey does not praise Lewis' overall performance.

"Looking at the decisions he made,...I think he gets a failing grade," Coffey says.

Other student leaders are even more critical of Lewis' performance.

"In the beginning, I thought he was really friendly and I think we got along, but that's when we weren't trying to talk about substantive issues," Pan says. "Our personalities did not mesh well when we started to disagree on decisions."

Andrew J. Ehrlich '96-'97, Pan's successor as PBHA president, also criticizes Lewis' approach to decision-making.

"I don't know that we need to go digging up what battles are over, but clearly I think that discarding both the students, community and alumni in the decision he made, I think he made an enormous mistake," Ehrlich says of the Kidd appointment. "There's a difference between listening and hearing and I hope that's not a trend that will continue."

Pan says Lewis has little natural administrative talent.

"He has a lot of improvement in every single area of being a dean," says Pan.

Administrators: Split Opinions

Secretary of the FAS John B. Fox Jr. '59, who also had a contentious first term when he was dean of the College (please see sidebar, this page), says he believes Lewis is doing a "fabulous job."

"He's choosing the right things to worry about," Fox says.

Like Fox, Rudenstine also gives unqualified praise to Lewis.

"I think his fundamental administrative policies are really extraordinary," Rudenstine says. "[He's] a fine person with great integrity, high intelligence and [he] cares...tremendously about his policies."

But some administrators are not so unequivocal in their praise.

Dean of Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell calls Lewis a "proactive, highly organized and articulate individual," but stops short of saying that Lewis has done a good job during his first semester.

"I think he's given his all to the job, and I respect that," he says. "That's how I would phrase that."

Assistant Dean of Students Sarah E. Flatley also commends Lewis for his dedication to his job, noting that she has received e-mail from him "at a time of night that is more associated with students than with faculty."

But she, too, qualifies her praise.

"It's been a very busy semester. In taking on this job, he's been eager to learn all that he can," she says. "He's not so eager to make improvements."

'Hot Potatoes'

Clearly, none of the highly contentious issues Lewis dealt with last semester--public service, alcohol policy and randomization--are new to campus life.

"I think he started out his deanship at a time when there were a lot of hot potatoes," Skocpol says. "It may be that students hadn't already built up a relationship [with Lewis] before contentious issues arose."

In the case of randomization, Lewis is not directly responsible for implementing the decision, but he likely would have made it himself.

The 1994 "Report on the Structure of Harvard College," co-authored by Lewis and Administrative Dean of the Faculty Nancy L. Maull, strongly recommended the change.

The same is true of the controversy over altering the structure of public service at the College.

While the search for a new assistant dean of public service was initiated several months before Lewis became dean, the restructuring of public service was first recommended in the Maull-Lewis report.

"He's been following out a policy established before his tenure [but] he helped author it," Ehrlich said. "In terms of PBH, he probably had a fair amount of background."

Indeed, confusion over Lewis' actual role in unpopular policy decisions has perhaps led to unfair criticism of the dean, students admit.

"It's hard to say if those decisions were [Lewis'] or not. I think a lot of decisions came down from Dean [of the Faculty Jeremy R.] Knowles and the Development Department," Pan says. "I wouldn't say all those decisions are his."

Whether or not Lewis fomented the controversy himself, most acknowledge that the dean is in an unenviable position.

"If anyone is put in a position of facing one's constituency head-on around a volatile issue, it can be difficult and nerve-wracking, and that's what's happened here," Buell says.

Expectations

Prior to his appointment as dean, Lewis received accolades as a "faculty-citizen" for his participation on various College committees and his service as head tutor of the Computer Science Department.

"I'm hard-pressed to think of someone better suited to the job, due to the extra time he puts in as a mentor and as an advisor," says Associate Dean of the Division of Applied Sciences Albert Gold. "He is Harvard through and through, he has seen the community from almost every viewpoint, and that's a hard combination to duplicate."

But his record in dealing honestly in those posts has been called into question several times.

Most notably of all, as chair of the Standing Committee on Athletics, Lewis continued to insist publicly that the College was giving equal support to male and female athletes when records showed that the University was spending twice as much on men's sports as on women's.

And as co-chair of the Faculty's Information Technology Committee, Lewis oversaw a Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services (HASCS) department that was plagued by a lack of personnel--including a permanent director--and severe space and money short-ages.

Lewis' committee had heard complaints for months and had been presented with detailed memos on the subject, but when interviewed by The Crimson for a piece on HASCS, Lewis initially denied knowing anything about complaints or problems in HASCS.

Yet when Lewis was appointed dean just under a year ago, most members of the community were optimistic and willing to give him a fresh start.

Looking Ahead

Administrators say they believe that the College will cool down as the new dean settles into his position.

"[Lewis] thinks everything's going to get a lot easier," Skocpol says. "People will get used to him and less hot."

Lewis himself says he "can't say" whether the next semester will be easier for him.

But Pan may have the most upbeat hopes for the future.

"I hope someday him and me can have a beer and laugh about this whole thing."

Marios V. Broustas and Marian J. Hennessy-Fiske contributed to the reporting of this story.CrimsonMatthew P. Miller

"I think the administration...does anything and everything to avoid controversy," says Skocpol, who chairs an FAS ad hoc committee on public service. "I admire Harry Lewis greatly for not falling into the pattern of leadership evasion."

Student leaders mention Lewis' directness, but don't consider it quite so positive a trait.

Former PBHA president Vincent Pan '95-'96 draws a distinction between being direct and being trustworthy.

"I think he was blunt. I don't think he was always honest," Pan says. "I don't think being dishonest is a unique trait among Harvard administrators. He was more blunt, but he wasn't any more honest or dishonest. I appreciated his bluntness."

For his part, Lewis says he is proud of whatever reputation he may have for being direct.

"I do try to tell the truth, if that is what is meant by 'directness,'" Lewis says in an e-mail message. "I do not like to spend an hour talking to someone or to a group and to come out of the meeting with no one understanding any more at the end than they did at the beginning."

Lewis says students may be misreading him as a result of his "decanal" title. In a course he taught this past fall, Computer Science 121: "Introduction to Formal Systems and Computation," the dean says he was surprised to discover from midterm questionnaires that students were interpreting his "good-natured banter" as malicious teasing.

"Maybe I have to restrain myself a bit, though I am reluctant to become dull," Lewis writes in the e-mail.

Student Assessment

Rudd W. Coffey '97, the co-chair of the Undergraduate Council's Campus Life Committee, characterizes Lewis as having done "an adequate job" and says that "working with him one-on-one has always been a positive experience for me."

But Coffey does not praise Lewis' overall performance.

"Looking at the decisions he made,...I think he gets a failing grade," Coffey says.

Other student leaders are even more critical of Lewis' performance.

"In the beginning, I thought he was really friendly and I think we got along, but that's when we weren't trying to talk about substantive issues," Pan says. "Our personalities did not mesh well when we started to disagree on decisions."

Andrew J. Ehrlich '96-'97, Pan's successor as PBHA president, also criticizes Lewis' approach to decision-making.

"I don't know that we need to go digging up what battles are over, but clearly I think that discarding both the students, community and alumni in the decision he made, I think he made an enormous mistake," Ehrlich says of the Kidd appointment. "There's a difference between listening and hearing and I hope that's not a trend that will continue."

Pan says Lewis has little natural administrative talent.

"He has a lot of improvement in every single area of being a dean," says Pan.

Administrators: Split Opinions

Secretary of the FAS John B. Fox Jr. '59, who also had a contentious first term when he was dean of the College (please see sidebar, this page), says he believes Lewis is doing a "fabulous job."

"He's choosing the right things to worry about," Fox says.

Like Fox, Rudenstine also gives unqualified praise to Lewis.

"I think his fundamental administrative policies are really extraordinary," Rudenstine says. "[He's] a fine person with great integrity, high intelligence and [he] cares...tremendously about his policies."

But some administrators are not so unequivocal in their praise.

Dean of Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell calls Lewis a "proactive, highly organized and articulate individual," but stops short of saying that Lewis has done a good job during his first semester.

"I think he's given his all to the job, and I respect that," he says. "That's how I would phrase that."

Assistant Dean of Students Sarah E. Flatley also commends Lewis for his dedication to his job, noting that she has received e-mail from him "at a time of night that is more associated with students than with faculty."

But she, too, qualifies her praise.

"It's been a very busy semester. In taking on this job, he's been eager to learn all that he can," she says. "He's not so eager to make improvements."

'Hot Potatoes'

Clearly, none of the highly contentious issues Lewis dealt with last semester--public service, alcohol policy and randomization--are new to campus life.

"I think he started out his deanship at a time when there were a lot of hot potatoes," Skocpol says. "It may be that students hadn't already built up a relationship [with Lewis] before contentious issues arose."

In the case of randomization, Lewis is not directly responsible for implementing the decision, but he likely would have made it himself.

The 1994 "Report on the Structure of Harvard College," co-authored by Lewis and Administrative Dean of the Faculty Nancy L. Maull, strongly recommended the change.

The same is true of the controversy over altering the structure of public service at the College.

While the search for a new assistant dean of public service was initiated several months before Lewis became dean, the restructuring of public service was first recommended in the Maull-Lewis report.

"He's been following out a policy established before his tenure [but] he helped author it," Ehrlich said. "In terms of PBH, he probably had a fair amount of background."

Indeed, confusion over Lewis' actual role in unpopular policy decisions has perhaps led to unfair criticism of the dean, students admit.

"It's hard to say if those decisions were [Lewis'] or not. I think a lot of decisions came down from Dean [of the Faculty Jeremy R.] Knowles and the Development Department," Pan says. "I wouldn't say all those decisions are his."

Whether or not Lewis fomented the controversy himself, most acknowledge that the dean is in an unenviable position.

"If anyone is put in a position of facing one's constituency head-on around a volatile issue, it can be difficult and nerve-wracking, and that's what's happened here," Buell says.

Expectations

Prior to his appointment as dean, Lewis received accolades as a "faculty-citizen" for his participation on various College committees and his service as head tutor of the Computer Science Department.

"I'm hard-pressed to think of someone better suited to the job, due to the extra time he puts in as a mentor and as an advisor," says Associate Dean of the Division of Applied Sciences Albert Gold. "He is Harvard through and through, he has seen the community from almost every viewpoint, and that's a hard combination to duplicate."

But his record in dealing honestly in those posts has been called into question several times.

Most notably of all, as chair of the Standing Committee on Athletics, Lewis continued to insist publicly that the College was giving equal support to male and female athletes when records showed that the University was spending twice as much on men's sports as on women's.

And as co-chair of the Faculty's Information Technology Committee, Lewis oversaw a Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services (HASCS) department that was plagued by a lack of personnel--including a permanent director--and severe space and money short-ages.

Lewis' committee had heard complaints for months and had been presented with detailed memos on the subject, but when interviewed by The Crimson for a piece on HASCS, Lewis initially denied knowing anything about complaints or problems in HASCS.

Yet when Lewis was appointed dean just under a year ago, most members of the community were optimistic and willing to give him a fresh start.

Looking Ahead

Administrators say they believe that the College will cool down as the new dean settles into his position.

"[Lewis] thinks everything's going to get a lot easier," Skocpol says. "People will get used to him and less hot."

Lewis himself says he "can't say" whether the next semester will be easier for him.

But Pan may have the most upbeat hopes for the future.

"I hope someday him and me can have a beer and laugh about this whole thing."

Marios V. Broustas and Marian J. Hennessy-Fiske contributed to the reporting of this story.CrimsonMatthew P. Miller