HARVARD'S LEADERSHIP LESSON/FACULTY FOLLIES

BRUSH(2006) US NEWS &WORLD REPORT/ 3/6/ 41

MCGINN(2006) NEWSWEEK/ 3/6/ 48

LEMANN (2006) TIME/ 3/6/2006

Harvard's president Larry Summers resigned from his position as president of the most prestigious university in the USA. During his tenure, he was able to shoot his foot many times, but still survived.

There were a number of things that he was able to do, yet he was no longer able to lead.

Summers primarily wanted to change the undergraduate education. Undergrad's  really pay the bills and they are taught primarily by graduate students. The school is able to attract the brightest bunch of people in the nation. However, over the 4 years at Harvard, they don' t improve much. It works best for the fraction of top science and technology students. Those of lesser background and the other disciplines don't do as well. Most get good grades taking a smattering  of courses. The  major contribution that Harvard makes is the chance to get into a very good graduate program. The BA is a great entry ticket to the MBA and PhD's in numerous fields.

The top scholars you rarely see. Grad students teach the masses. Top scholars want to do research. Their research and the millions that they can bring in keep the school on top. So the faculty generally like the system. The undergrad's don't mind if they get good grades. However, the outcome is that those 4 year students that do not go on, face some real problems in the real world.

Their education is not as good as other universities.

Thus, Larry came to the rescue and dive bombed into the abyss. If the next president can get the grad students to do more active learning with a special format that is built into the system so that all grad students must teach that way, it could work. The top professors can continue their cushy jobs and the undergrads could grow academically and prepared for the real world. Writing and applied math are the important components. Also of value is the ability to combine numerous important and not so important facts into a workable  paradigm.

However, the next president needs to get the faculty to feel comfortable. They will continue to do grad seminars and a few senior courses. They will also write and publish. Harvard will go on.

Summers will go on too.