A Little Tact Goes a Long Way

Over the past several weeks, a private disagreement between President Larry H. Summers and Fletcher University Professor Cornel West has exploded into a national controversy. Since the uproar began, West and other prominent members of the Afro-American Studies Department have reportedly considered offers to leave the University. While we do not know what exactly was said in the October meeting between West and Summers, nor the manner in which it was said, it seems that this issue has been blown far out of proportion. Now that the crisis appears to have been averted, we can look upon the entire incident as a painful lesson in Summers’ presidential education.

Summers has taken up the mantle of the presidency with a vigor and purpose unknown since the days of President Derek Bok. His tenacity in taking on the tough problems of the University heralds what could be an era of renaissance for the Harvard community. The centerpiece of this effort must be undergraduate education, and Summers has appropriately demonstrated his concern for issues affecting the College. He has started to address concerns of faculty inattention toward undergraduates, lack of space for the College and grade inflation. Summers has also rightly expressed pride that Harvard is no longer an instituition for the education of wealthy elites, but one that educates students of diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

Summers should not be afraid to to ruffle professors’ feathers in order to improve undergraduate education or achieve other goals in the University’s interest. For instance, although plans for the development of Harvard’s land in Allston have not been finalized, Summers managed to convince members of the Law School faculty at least to consider the possibility of a move to a new campus to free up space for the College.

But the president of a University cannot ruffle feathers needlessly. In exercising a strong hand in the governance of the University, he must avoid the appearance of micromanaging any professor’s research or outside activities. From his former life in politics, Summers knows that while pursuing his priorities, he must walk a fine line between being firm and being abrasive.

Summers must also re-learn the political tactic of damage control. Regardless of the circumstances that led to the spat between the administration and the Afro-American Studies Department, Summers should have reacted more quickly and more forcefully in order to dispel questions about Harvard’s commitment to diversity after the media uproar began. The University is strongly committed to supporting diversity—as Summers has repeatedly maintained—and it is odd that some faculty members would need additional reassurance. Nevertheless, had Summers released a statement as soon as it became necessary to reaffirm the University’s commitment, he would have done much to prevent the ensuing conflict.

We hope that this tempest in a teapot will not distract Summers for long from important efforts in the area of undergraduate education. He must continue to work for faculty cooperation to achieve the goals he set out in his inaugural address. And we anticipate that in the future, Summers will be able to pursue University-wide excellence without such controversies. After all, the president of an institution of higher education must be able to learn as well as to teach.