Harvard to include students, faculty in search for president
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. --Harvard University students and faculty will play a role in finding a replacement for outgoing President Lawrence H. Summers, the elite college has announced, indicating the new search may be more inclusive than the last one.
The university's governing board, known as the Corporation, will appoint two advisory groups -- one composed of students and one of faculty members, according to an announcement made Thursday on Harvard's Web site.
The chairs of the advisory boards will join search committee meetings occasionally and members of the search committee will attend advisory board meetings from time to time, the statement said.
The ultimate choice for a new president remains with the Corporation.
Some professors have expressed interest in playing a larger role in the search. Summers announced last month that he would step down as president in June -- a decision made a week before he faced a second no confidence vote from faculty.
After he announced he would resign, about 80 students rallied outside of his office expressing their support for him.
The Corporation has named a nine member search committee, including six Corporation members and three members of the university's auxiliary board, the board of overseers.
During the last presidential search, committee members provided no formal, ongoing role for faculty and students, but they did consult them and alumni.
"Seeking a new president is obviously a matter of crucial importance to the university, and we hope to benefit from the perspectives of the many people who care about Harvard," said James R. Houghton, a senior member of the Corporation and chair of the search committee.
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