Harvard University Appoints its First Woman President*

Details

Case Code : CLMISC008
Publication date : 2008
Subject : Miscellaneous
Industry : -
Length : 03 Pages
Price : Rs. 100

To download this case click on the button below, and select the case from the list of available cases:

» Miscellaneous Short Case Studies
» Miscellaneous Case Studies **
» ICMR Case Collection
» ICMR Courseware
» View Detailed Pricing Info

Key words:

Harvard University, Harvard Business School, President, Drew Gilpin Faust, Lawrence H. Summers, MBA programs, Executive Business Education, Case Study Method, General Management education, Managers, Lectures, Fieldwork, Simulations, Equal Employment Opportunities for Women, US, The Harvard Crimson, Scholar, Teachers, Real business environment, Research institutions, Glass Ceiling, Women in Management, Women Empowerment, Feminism

Note

* This caselet is intended for use only in class discussions.
** More comprehensive case studies are priced at Rs.200 to Rs.700 (US $5 to US $16) per copy.

 

Abstract:

On February 11, 2007, Drew Gilpin Faust was appointed as Harvard University's 28th President. She was the first female president in the University's 371 year old history. Her appointment was viewed as an indicator of the progress made by women in the present generation which led to them being treated at par with men.

Introduction On February 11, 2007, Harvard University (Harvard) announced that Drew Gilpin Faust (Faust), the dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and the Lincoln Professor of History at Harvard, would be the university’s 28th President, with effect from July 01, 2007. Harvard, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the US. It is one of the most prestigious institutions in the world with reputed schools (or faculties) such as Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School (well-known for the general management focus of its MBA program and having pioneered the case study method), Harvard School of Public Health, etc. Harvard also had the largest financial endowment for any academic institution in the world, which was around US$29.2 billion (as of 2006).

Faust was the first woman president in the 371 year old history of Harvard. James Houghton, the chairman of the search committee, said, "This is a great day, and a historic day, for Harvard. Drew Faust is an inspiring and accomplished leader, a superb scholar, a dedicated teacher, and a wonderful human being."

Several academicians welcomed the appointment of Faust as Harvard's next president. Claire Van Ummersen (Ummersen), director of the Office of Women in Higher Education at the American Council on Education, said, "Harvard is making a statement at a critical time when we are seeing student bodies [at many schools] that are well over 50 percent women." Ummersen further added, “We see women faculty increasing in number, and the place where we have lagged most is in research institutions having women at the executive level... Hopefully, this will have some influence on boards of trustees or overseers of other institutions."...