Harvard U. President's Remarks About Women and Science Draw More Criticism -- This Time, From Peers

Printer friendly E-mail article Subscribe Order reprints HEADLINES   U.S. eases certain visa requirements on students and scientists New education secretary calls for a knowledge campaign at colleges To regain public trust, U. of Texas president says, colleges must take steps on costs Federal judge awards $1-million in damages to Yale U. in patent dispute with Nobel laureate Harvard U. president's remarks about women and science draw more criticism -- this time, from peers Professor who was accused of making derogatory remarks in class wants UNLV to clear his record U.S. agency recommends requiring meningitis vaccinations for freshmen in dormitories Colleges should do more to prevent campus violence, report says National Academy of Engineering elects 84 new members and foreign associates

The presidents of three of America's most prestigious universities have written an essay criticizing a suggestion made last month by Lawrence H. Summers, president of Harvard University, that biological differences are among the factors that might account for the paucity of women at the top ranks of science and mathematics.

The essay, which appeared on Saturday in the The Boston Globe, was signed by Susan Hockfield of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Shirley M. Tilghman of Princeton University, and John L. Hennessy of Stanford University.

"Speculation that 'innate differences' may be a significant cause for the under-representation of women in science and engineering may rejuvenate old myths and reinforce negative stereotypes and biases," wrote the three presidents, who are a neuroscientist, a molecular geneticist, and a computer scientist, respectively.

Criticism of the Harvard president's comments, which he made on January 14 during an economics conference in Cambridge, Mass. (The Chronicle, January 19), is by no means new. His remarks caused a vigorous debate in higher education and have been characterized variously as "clueless," "idiotic," and "insensitive." But the reprimand by the three presidents, while striking a milder tone than most of the criticism, was a noteworthy departure from the usual diplomatic politeness of academic administrators toward a peer.

• Tenure System Should Be Made Less Rigid to Reflect Modern Lifestyles, Report by College Leaders Says (2/11/2005)

• The Long Winter of Mr. Summers (2/11/2005)

• In Aftermath of Comments by Its President, Harvard Creates 2 Panels to Advance Female Professors (2/4/2005)

• Harvard's President Wonders Aloud About Women in Science and Math (1/28/2005)

• Where the Elite Teach, It's Still a Man's World (12/3/2004)