2008 Woodie Awards
Harvard's break through glass ceiling a big plus
Britt Braudo
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Opinion
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Years ago, it was unimaginable to believe that women could fill the shoes of men in the workplace. Now, in the 21st century, gender equality has become commonplace in this country, and women are no longer confined to work jobs formerly deemed "too low" for men.
Monday's appointment of Drew Gilpin Faust as the first female president of Harvard University helps bridge the gap between men and women in the workplace. With her selection, four of the eight Ivy League schools are now led by women.
Numerous other academic institutions have female presidents as well, including Emerson. However, this decision shows that Harvard used excellent judgment in picking an incredibly qualified candidate.
This breakthrough extends beyond the realm of university administration. The number of female students in higher education has surpassed the male population in recent years, and females regularly score on par with males on standardized tests.
The appointment came under speculation as Faust replaced Lawrence Summers, whose five-year tenure was plagued with controversy. Summers suggested in a speech that "innate difference" between men and women might explain the lack of women in top science jobs. This caused a national uproar and many called for his resignation.
Some suggest Faust was appointed to counterbalance Summers' sexist statements and to dispel ideas of sexism in the Harvard system, but Faust's qualifications speak for themselves.
These qualifications go way beyond the fact that she is a woman, which was the sole focus of most media outlets following the story. This is not to say Faust's appointment as the first female president is unimportant or insignificant, but the focus should not be only on her gender.
She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and was the dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, which fully merged with Harvard in 1999. She is experienced, dedicated and will have a positive influence on the Harvard infrastructure.
Monday's appointment of Drew Gilpin Faust as the first female president of Harvard University helps bridge the gap between men and women in the workplace. With her selection, four of the eight Ivy League schools are now led by women.
Numerous other academic institutions have female presidents as well, including Emerson. However, this decision shows that Harvard used excellent judgment in picking an incredibly qualified candidate.
This breakthrough extends beyond the realm of university administration. The number of female students in higher education has surpassed the male population in recent years, and females regularly score on par with males on standardized tests.
The appointment came under speculation as Faust replaced Lawrence Summers, whose five-year tenure was plagued with controversy. Summers suggested in a speech that "innate difference" between men and women might explain the lack of women in top science jobs. This caused a national uproar and many called for his resignation.
Some suggest Faust was appointed to counterbalance Summers' sexist statements and to dispel ideas of sexism in the Harvard system, but Faust's qualifications speak for themselves.
These qualifications go way beyond the fact that she is a woman, which was the sole focus of most media outlets following the story. This is not to say Faust's appointment as the first female president is unimportant or insignificant, but the focus should not be only on her gender.
She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and was the dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, which fully merged with Harvard in 1999. She is experienced, dedicated and will have a positive influence on the Harvard infrastructure.
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