Pledge Benefits Harvard Women

DIVERSITY

Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers has pledged $50 million over the next decade to train, recruit, and support the advancement of women at the university. The initiatives, recommended by two task forces, include creation of a senior vice provost position for diversity and faculty development; salary subsidies; adjusting "tenure clocks" and leave policies for faculty with children or other family responsibilities; and improving mentoring and advising for female graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty.<p>The task forces were appointed three months ago in the wake of Summers' remarks suggesting that innate differences between the sexes might explain why fewer women than men have succeeded in math and science careers.

The task forces were appointed three months ago in the wake of Summers' remarks suggesting that innate differences between the sexes might explain why fewer women than men have succeeded in math and science careers.

"Women and minorities remain significantly underrepresented in relation not just to their proportions in the broader population, but in comparison to their presence in the student body of Harvard's 10 schools and, in many cases, to their numbers in the pool of Ph.D.s in individual academic fields," task force members report.

Summers says $50 million is an initial commitment. Some recommendations will be implemented immediately, including the search for the senior vice provost, preparing a leadership development program focusing on diversity issues, planning for study centers for students in undergraduate science courses, and preparing a survey for junior faculty.

"Because they address fundamental issues about the way we conduct our core academic business, these recommendations have the power to make Harvard not only more welcoming and diverse, but a stronger and more excellent university overall," Summers says.

Comments will be accepted through June 30 and should be submitted to tfw_comments@harvard.edu.