Columbia Women's Studies Prof Quits

When a prominent literary critic resigned from Columbia University this year, she condemned the school for its lack of support for feminist scholarship.

Some feminist scholars here say Harvard is on better footing than Columbia--but that the University could be more receptive to women's studies.

Carolyn G. Heilbrun stepped down after 32 years at Columbia. The school's poor record of tenuring women was one example of its neglect for her scholarly interests, she said, and one reason for her resignation.

Some of Heilbrun's frustrations could apply to Harvard, said Professor of English and Comparative Literature Barbara E. Johnson, chair of women's studies at Harvard.

"Carolyn Heilbrun's resignation shows how it is possible to waste a valuable person, exhaust her and marginalize her," Johnson said. "I hope that kind of thing doesn't happen here, but I think it's a possibility."

Comparing Harvard's and Columbia's support for feminist scholarship is like comparing "apples and oranges," said Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures Alice A. Jardine.

Jardine said feminist study at Harvard sometimes lacks support because "so few people accept gender as a category of Knowledge." But she describes the women's studies program at Harvard as "great" and the faculty as "very supportive."

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't feel that Harvard, especially our new president and Dean, were very receptive and open," Jardine said.

Columbia was an extraordinary case, agreed History and Literature Head Tutor Janice F. Thaddeus. Jardine and Thaddeus attended a gathering in Heilbrun's honor last month, at which hundreds of women celebrated Heilbrun's career and discussed support for feminist scholarship at American universities.

But Johnson questions whether Harvard is doing enough for the women's studies concentration, which is run by a committee on degrees rather than a department. It must draw professors from other department to teach its courses.

Feminist Scholars Overlooked

Because women's studies does not make its own appointments, Johnson said, feminist scholars are too often overlooked by other departments.

"Departments don't think of appointing feminist scholars," said Johnson. "Everyone has a hard time getting tenure, but being a feminist scholar doesn't help."

A new department in women's studies "seems to be very unlikely in the foreseeable future," Johnson said, despite the program's efforts to "constantly try to increase support and funding."

Johnson said that Harvard needs to "establish Faculty lines in women's studies" and concentrate on attracting not only women scholars, but scholars who have done innovative feminist work.

But Thomson Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield, who has been a vocal critic of women's studies, said Harvard gives too much support to what he calls a one-dimensional program.

"It's not women's studies; it's feminist studies, a biased and one-sided point of view," Mansfield said.

"Feminist scholars should face the competition that other scholars at the University face," he said. "They should prove themselves as other scholars do without the advantage of an affirmative action program that makes their biased non-scholarship immediately legitimate."