Next President Should Not Cave In To Faculty's Bullying

To the editors:



I’ve followed your coverage of Lawrence Summers’ tenure as president (“Harvard’s Loss,” editorial, Feb. 22). Like many, I feel that his ouster reveals a disturbing set of dynamics within Harvard.

Summers brought energy to his job. Granted, he made some mistakes. But his cogence in debate should be lauded. Harvard is supposedly home to some of the greatest minds in the world; surely they are secure enough not to be threatened by a president’s assertive manner. What do professors say when students write unflattering course evaluations? Summers’ detractors have been right about one thing—bullying is rampant on the Harvard campus; unfortunately, it appears that Summers’ detractors, not the president, did most of the bullying.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ implicit message for the next president is to be a soft-soaping glad-hander, avoid controversial topics, and stick to a politically correct ideology which won’t offend the fragile egos in your midst. Raise money, wear the suit well, and fly under the radar, and my hunch is you’ll be their hero!



DAVID H. DUFRANE

Brushton, N.Y.

February 24, 2006