First at Harvard
The real history is yet to be made by Drew Gilpin Faust.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

THE SELECTION of the first woman to lead the nation's oldest and most prestigious university is indeed a historic milestone, even in an age accustomed to the achievements of accomplished women. Kudos for Drew Gilpin Faust and Harvard University. But far more significant than the history made by Ms. Faust's selection are the challenges facing Harvard and, by virtue of the example it sets, for all of higher education.

Ms. Faust, a current Harvard dean and noted historian of the Civil War South, assumes the presidency two years after Lawrence H. Summers's tenure blew up in a controversy, ostensibly over comments he made about the aptitude of women in academia. Mr. Summers's real undoing was that he tried, albeit brusquely, to shake up an institution that had become fossilized by tradition.

The shortcomings he saw still exist, and we hope Ms. Faust will show the vigor to attack them. Her challenges will include determining the proper balance between the sciences and the humanities, bringing diversity to the political outlook of the faculty, reinvigorating the undergraduate curriculum and promoting interdisciplinary cooperation among departments too concerned about turf.

Ms. Faust's appointment was embraced by those who pointed to her knowledge of the campus, her administrative experience and her academic values. She also -- unlike her predecessor -- is credited with good people skills, which could give her an advantage in bringing about change, if she is so inclined. Will she be? We admire what she's accomplished, as reflected in her comments to a reporter for the New York Times: "I've always done more than I ever thought I would." At the same time, we hope she is already aiming for more than consensus and a restoration of peace.