Faust’s First Test

Newly-minted University President Drew G. Faust did not have to wait long to address a potentially fiery public relations issue. On her second day in Massachusetts Hall, Faust wrote to the president of the University and College Union (UCU), which represents British academics, to denounce the organization’s boycott of Israeli academics and universities.

Faust was blunt and forceful, writing in a public statement about the letter that “such a move subverts the academic values and freedoms necessary to the free flow of ideas that are the lifeblood of universities.”

For a first major public statement, Faust hit a home run with her vigorous support of academic freedom and discourse. We agree that the boycott would adversely affect the world of academia and the freedoms of speech and study academics need to produce their best work. As Faust wrote, “academics should be promoting, not undermining, the fullest possible collaboration with Israeli universities as well as other universities in the Middle East and elsewhere.”

More importantly, Faust used her new bully pulpit just the way she should—by addressing issues directly relating to Harvard and its academic mission.

The president of Harvard is in a particularly precarious position with regards to her public statements because it is difficult, if not impossible, to disentangle comments she makes in her capacity as the chief representative of Harvard from the comments she makes as a private academic. For this reason, we believe that the president of Harvard, when speaking in her role as the representative, should constrain her public comments to issues that directly impinge on the University and academia and not stray far from these issues into potentially hazardous territory.

That’s not to say the president cannot express opinions on controversial issues, particularly in more private settings. But she must always be aware that her role as Harvard’s president isn’t one that can be shed and put on as easily as a coat. One need only look back a few years to former President Lawrence H. Summers’ now infamous comments on women in science to see the ills that can come of an unwise comment on a subject that is not proximate to the University.

In this case, Faust wisely constrained her comments to the academic issues at hand rather than the broader and far thornier issues in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. We hope she continues to show such good judgment and tact.