Harvard University President Lawrence Summers' problems with his faculty, it seems, are not just about his views on women's ability to master mathematics and science -- they are also about his leadership style.
Faculty members interviewed yesterday -- a day after they adopted an unprecedented "no confidence" vote against the beleaguered administrator -- said Summers also came under attack because of his managerial style, which some called dictatorial and bullying.
"He has ruled through fear and intimidation," said Lorand Matory, the Harvard professor who submitted the no-confidence motion. "There's significant concern on campus about his dictatory administration style."
Richard Summers -- the president's brother and the associate director of the psychiatry residency program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania-- said this conflict arose after his brother tried to reform the curriculum and administration at Harvard.
"Everyone seized upon his personal characteristics as a vehicle for trying to preserve the status quo," Richard Summers said. "He is a bold thinker; he's a thought leader. That's why he was hired and that's why there's this incredible tension and crisis."
Summers' tenure at Harvard has been rocky since he was appointed in 2001, after working as secretary of the Treasury and chief economist of the World Bank. Revamping Harvard's science and math departments has been a main priority of his presidency.
"He has appeared to disparage some disciplines," said Judith Ryan, a professor of German and comparative literature at Harvard. "He doesn't value [some] areas of study highly."
Matory added that "Summers has been hostile to freedom of inquiry on campus."
Summers has been plagued by controversy since a Jan. 14 economics conference, at which he said innate differences between the sexes might account for the lack of women in science and math professions.
"The remarks about women in science and math, they functioned as a catalyst," Ryan said. "They brought a lot of people out of the woodwork who had been having trouble with Summers' managerial effort."
Harvard professors consequently approved two measures on Tuesday that expressed their dissatisfaction with Summers.
"I was surprised by [Tuesday's] vote of no confidence, but I am confident that the members of the Harvard community will be able to face this challenge together," Penn President Amy Gutmann said in an e-mail interview.
Both motions are symbolic and do not require Summers' resignation. Only the Harvard Corporation -- the university's governing board -- can demand that Summers step down.
"We recognize the concerns that have been expressed, most recently in today's meeting," said James Houghton, a senior fellow of the Harvard Corporation, in a statement of support for Summers. "We of course take seriously the views of the faculty across Harvard, as all of us move forward to advance the University's vital academic aims."
Richard Summers said his brother has been inaccurately portrayed, however.
"The media coverage of this whole thing has ... made it into a more personal story about Larry," he said. "Everybody sort of portrayed a certain type of personality which is just not accurate. It missed the warmth and idealism and sense of humor that Larry has."
Some Harvard professors voted in favor of the motions precisely because they wanted more control over university decisions.
"We do want a stronger faculty role in university governance," Ryan said. "We feel that that's been eroded over the years, most particularly over the past few years when Summers has been president."
Regardless of the outcome of Tuesday's vote, the controversy has brought new attention to the issue of women in science.
"I think it really sends a message to all administrators as to how important it is to mentor, encourage and promote women," said Susan Davidson, deputy dean of Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science. The Engineering School is "already actively recruiting women and minorities. ... [The no-confidence measure] reinforces the fact that we need to keep doing what we're doing."
Ryan added that Summers' comments may harm Harvard's reputation.
"People are going to worry whether Harvard has been able to create an atmosphere that is hospitable to women," Ryan said. "We're going to have to undo some damage there."
