Harvard appoints first woman president

[epeolatry]

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516919

Drew Gilpin Faust (despite sounding like a man, is a woman) has been unanimously approved as the new president for Harvard University after a year-long search.

I myself am ecstatic at this news, as a woman working in higher education...

[silentpaul]

This is awesome!

Today, Harvard. Tomorrow, the world!

[markalot]

http://markalot.org/stuff/gaf-meter.gif

[Breeze]

If you really didn't give a fuck, why would you even post anything at all?

[markalot]

If you really didn't give a fuck, why would you even post anything at all?


That graphic stops working if you don't use it every 6 months. edit: I guess it appears overly mean, that was not my intent.

[Breeze]

That graphic stops working if you don't use it every 6 months. edit: I guess it appears overly mean, that was not my intent.

I don't even think it's mean so much as it appears out of proportion to the topic at hand. Would have made more sense in the ANS thread.

[epeolatry]

maybe you don't give a fuck. but since it's a CURRENT EVENT (it happened over the weekend, and I think that's pretty fucking current), i figured it was okay to start a conversation about it. also, i'm a woman who is an administrator in higher education, so there's a personal interest in it for me.

christ. if you're not interested, don't bother posting at all.

[Artpunchehorse]

Wish that cunt Nancy Zimpher would have gotten the job about 2 years ago

[knubbin]

I didn't realize that half of the Ivy League schools are being - or have at some point been - led by women. Pretty cool.

I assume the general lack of female presidents has to do with the dearth of tenured female professors available to make the transition to administration.

[silentpaul]

christ. if you're not interested, don't bother posting at all.
Ditto. There are a thousand other threads...

[epeolatry]

Wish that cunt Nancy Zimpher would have gotten the job about 2 years ago

are you hating on Nancy over the Bob Huggins thing, or do you have other complaints about her?

I am a UC alumna and I work at UC and personally, I'm a big fan of Nancy. She's done A LOT since she's been here, especially for the ACADEMIC side of this institution, which should be the main priority, considering it's a UNIVERSITY and all...

edited to add: I'm asking because if you're going to throw around the word cunt in the mean way, I think you should back up your argument.

[noonan]

I think it's great, but at the same time I wish they would have been a little bolder. It smacks of "let's replace Larry Summers with a competent woman who will offend the fewest people." Baby steps I geuss.

[mcwhit]

I think it's great, but at the same time I wish they would have been a little bolder. It smacks of "let's replace Larry Summers with a competent woman who will offend the fewest people." Baby steps I geuss.

What would have been a bolder choice?

[drougan]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Harvard's last president get into a bunch of trouble for saying some chauvenistic stuff? Perhaps a concerted effort at atonement on the BoD's part?

[Unrequited]

are you hating on Nancy over the Bob Huggins thing, or do you have other complaints about her?

I am a UC alumna and I work at UC and personally, I'm a big fan of Nancy. She's done A LOT since she's been here, especially for the ACADEMIC side of this institution, which should be the main priority, considering it's a UNIVERSITY and all...

edited to add: I'm asking because if you're going to throw around the word cunt in the mean way, I think you should back up your argument.

I'm in the opposite camp. I think firing Huggins is the best thing Zimpher has done. There are other things she is doing/done that are bad news.

But, I digress, Harvard naming a woman President is great. Now, if she could do something bold, like abolish tenure, other universities would follow suit.

[Artpunchehorse]

are you hating on Nancy over the Bob Huggins thing, or do you have other complaints about her?

I am a UC alumna and I work at UC and personally, I'm a big fan of Nancy. She's done A LOT since she's been here, especially for the ACADEMIC side of this institution, which should be the main priority, considering it's a UNIVERSITY and all...

edited to add: I'm asking because if you're going to throw around the word cunt in the mean way, I think you should back up your argument.

She basically called anyone who attended UC before her, worthless. Her son is a cokehead at OU

[noonan]

What would have been a bolder choice?

Seeing that I'm an anonymous nobody talking out of my ass on a radio station message board, I really can't answer that. What I've read about her suggests she is much more a buttoned down academic as opposed to a dynamic public leader. Post-Larry I could see that being a plus in a male candidate too, so perhaps I should just STFU.

[Merv Kemp]

I'm in the opposite camp. I think firing Huggins is the best thing Zimpher has done. There are other things she is doing/done that are bad news.


Agreed. Nancy will be the next president at Ohio State.

[epeolatry]

She basically called anyone who attended UC before her, worthless. Her son is a cokehead at OU

whoa, that could be true (i know he either went to OU or goes there), but that's a huge public accusation to be lobbying...

[Artpunchehorse]

whoa, that could be true (i know he either went to OU or goes there), but that's a huge public accusation to be lobbying...

That's what I was told . . .

[noonan]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Harvard's last president get into a bunch of trouble for saying some chauvenistic stuff?

In a talk he gave at a conference (http://www.president.harvard.edu/speeches/2005/nber.html) he speculated on why there is a gender disparity in top engineering and science positions. One of his hypotheses was that men and women may have innately different preferences or abilities. This swiftly telephoned into "Larry thinks women are too dumb for science." Personally, I don't think that's what he was trying to say, but he got a little too close to the third rail nonetheless.

[mcwhit]

Seeing that I'm an anonymous nobody talking out of my ass on a radio station message board, I really can't answer that. What I've read about her suggests she is much more a buttoned down academic as opposed to a dynamic public leader. Post-Larry I could see that being a plus in a male candidate too, so perhaps I should just STFU.

Oh re: the anonymous nobody thing... well, I am too. I have no idea who a better choice would have been either. I thought maybe you knew of another female academic that would have been a radical choice for Harvard. Admittedly, I don't know much about this topic, but I do understand Harvard to have the reputation as a boys club. So a woman at the helm is an amazing thing.

[knubbin]

In a talk he gave at a conference (http://www.president.harvard.edu/speeches/2005/nber.html) he speculated on why there is a gender disparity in top engineering and science positions. One of his hypotheses was that men and women may have innately different preferences or abilities. This swiftly telephoned into "Larry thinks women are too dumb for science." Personally, I don't think that's what he was trying to say, but he got a little too close to the third rail nonetheless. As a female scientist (now administrator) I wasn't the least bit offended by his remarks. I definitely don't attribute the gender disparity in science to biology alone but I'm comfortable with it being a factor.

[Sushi]

As a female scientist (now administrator) I wasn't the least bit offended by his remarks. I definitely don't attribute the gender disparity in science to biology alone but I'm comfortable with it being a factor.
Is your field biology? (I work in a university as well, though not as an academic.)

I think Summers definitely put his foot in his mouth, but I don't believe he did so maliciously. It was one of those speeches where you knew what he was trying to say, but it came out sounding a lot more disparaging of female scientists/academics than he obviously meant.

At the end of the day--very cool that the country's oldest university has appointed its first female president.

[knubbin]

Is your field biology? (I work in a university as well, though not as an academic.)
Microbiology.

More on topic, I'm excited about what this appointment means for higher ed in general - I'm sure a lot of other colleges and universities look to emulate Harvard. At the least I hope that this news sparks some real discussion on the plight of women in academia.

I wonder whether European universities have these same gender issues or if it's just an American thing.

[Breeze]

My university had a woman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_A._Cartwright) as president from the time I was a freshman--15+ years ago. I didn't realize it was unusual...

[classicgrrl]

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516919

Drew Gilpin Faust (despite sounding like a man, is a woman) has been unanimously approved as the new president for Harvard University after a year-long search.

I myself am ecstatic at this news, as a woman working in higher education...

I give a fuck and think its cool. I don't like Nancy. She's not geniune to me and I think she's using UC as a stepping stone and will be gone to bigger and better in about 2 seconds.

could be wrong though...

[DaHood]

It will be cool if we get to a point where nobody gives a fuck about this stuff, but until then I can understand why women give a fuck about this.

The best man or woman should always get the job.

[Artpunchehorse]

It will be cool if we get to a point where nobody gives a fuck about this stuff, but until then I can understand why women give a fuck about this.

The best man or woman should always get the job.

I don't know man, these broads got to keep their noses out of the basketball programs

[classicgrrl]

I don't know man, these broads got to keep their noses out of the basketball programs

fuck you up the ass with a stick of fire.
:D :p :cool:

[epeolatry]

I give a fuck and think its cool. I don't like Nancy. She's not geniune to me and I think she's using UC as a stepping stone and will be gone to bigger and better in about 2 seconds.

could be wrong though...

What job isn't a stepping stone to the next thing? Whether the next thing is a promotion or retirement, everyone's trying to get somewhere.

i like dr. z. she's a strong leader & an intelligent woman. she's young too, so yea, she'll end up either somewhere bigger than UC or more prestigious.

[the happy prole]

It's really tough to gauge that position. I know some presidents that get along with the board fabulously, always make the right call in terms of overall education policies, and their staff and everyone else at the college loves them.

There are others who are very outspoken and aggressive to the point of jerkiness but astute in backroom politics. No one likes them much but in the end you check their track record and they've done a ton for their institution (often at the expense of other universities serving the same population) by being that way.

At a public institution you might want to lean towards the former, especially if you have a state board of trustees instead of an every college for themselves situation. But it's extra tricky at Harvard because it's private and that institution is at once one of the high-falutin' liberal colleges in the US and snobby as all get-out.

I haven't followed the events that closely, but Dr. Zimpher has a lot of supporters around the US. I think it's kind of a cross between liking her ideals in many ways, but also thinking she handled that poorly. I don't think she's a very good fit where she is, but I don't dislike her. If she moves on to a place with more academic focus it will probably suit her, her new institution, and UC well.

[akip]

my kid just told me that a woman should be president, 'cause women are smarter. but no he wasn't talking about harvard.

[epeolatry]

my kid just told me that a woman should be president, 'cause women are smarter. but no he wasn't talking about harvard.

it sounds like your kid spends a lot of time around a smart woman. :)

[akip]

it sounds like your kid spends a lot of time around a smart woman. :)

i have about a year before he thinks i'm as stupid as all parents. ;)

[silentpaul]

i have about a year before he thinks i'm as stupid as all parents. ;)
I hope that year expands into five or ten... (if not a lifetime...) :)

[akip]

I hope that year expands into five or ten... (if not a lifetime...) :)

he's 11 and he's supposed to start challenging my omniscience shortly---otherwise he'll never leave home. since i don't want to be washing his underwear when i'm 70, i think it's better for him to hate me for a while. hopefully not forever, though. ;)

[silentpaul]

he's 11 and he's supposed to start challenging my omniscience shortly---otherwise he'll never leave home. since i don't want to be washing his underwear when i'm 70, i think it's better for him to hate me for a while. hopefully not forever, though. ;)
See? I'd never make half as good a mother as yourself. We men are kinda dumb that way... ;)

[Breeze]

he's 11 and he's supposed to start challenging my omniscience shortly

Even we don't challenge your omniscience...

[akip]

Even we don't challenge your omniscience...

yeah, but you don't see half of what my kid does. he has a ringside seat and lives to catch me out.