The search for the next University president is now in its final days. Though the deliberations have unfortunately been kept secret, it appears likely that only four candidates remain in consideration by the Search Committee: University of Michigan President Lee C. Bollinger, Harvey V. Fineberg '67, Princeton professor Amy Gutmann '71 and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers. These candidates are all exceedingly strong, and we are sure the University would prosper under any of them. But because the deliberations have been conducted outside of the public eye, and because students have been repeatedly excluded from meaningful participation, we feel it necessary to express to the committee our views on the candidates and the criteria on which they should be assessed.

The first and foremost consideration should be undergraduate education. The administration of President Neil L. Rudenstine has been marked by relative disinterest in issues of undergraduate education in favor of fundraising and administrative activities. Now that Harvard's capital campaign is complete and the coffers full, the new president must not squander the opportunity to invest in the undergraduate experience, especially in areas where Harvard may be falling behind such as science and technology. The College remains the central part of this University, and the next president's strengths and interests should reflect this fact--he or she should have an intense interest in, and significant experience with, undergraduate education. Second, the next president of the world's leading university should be a powerful national voice on education issues. Third, the next president should have a strong scholarly background. Finally, Harvard's next president should be a significant actor on the political stage, wielding a political influence commensurate to Harvard's stature in the nation and the world. With these criteria in mind, we now turn to the candidates, in alphabetical order.

Lee C. Bollinger

Bollinger has little on his resume relating to direct connection to undergraduates, but he is reportedly very well regarded by students at the University of Michigan. His public advocacy on issues of affirmative action and minority education show him to have the potential to be a powerful player on the national stage. He is also a renowned First Amendment scholar and, perhaps more than any of the candidates except Summers, has articulated a political platform. But Bollinger is the diametric opposite of Fineberg in terms of Harvard affiliation; though his daughter is a member of the Class of 1998, Bollinger did not attend and has never taught at Harvard and may have much to learn about Harvard's administration.

Harvey V. Fineberg

Fineberg has been a front-runner in the presidential search perhaps even before it began. He has been a strong administrator and an invaluable player in the Rudenstine era, and has a good record of pushing for science and technology improvements in the College. His long tenure at the University gives him better knowledge of Harvard than any other candidate. But he has played a relatively small role in undergraduate education. Fineberg is well-liked by students in his role as a professor at the School of Public Health, but undergraduates have had little interaction with him. And while he has spoken out on issues of public health, he has not articulated a broader vision for undergraduate education. Fineberg has been constrained in the last few years by his role as a central member of the Rudenstine administration, from which it would have been difficult for him to differ on policy issues. Yet we would feel more comfortable knowing that Fineberg has a vision for the University more expansive than that shown during the Rudenstine years.