Assistant Provost Marsha K. Semuels said that the provost's office performs a unique and valuable function.
"What we do is very important," she said.
Some see the office of the provost as an important assistant to the president, where important tasks can be pursued without distracting the president from his main responsibilities.
The recent merger between Harvard and Radcliffe is an example of an ideal task for a provost, and, some say, were it not for Fineberg, the merger would not have happened.
Possible 'Radcliffes of the Future'--major conceptual issues facing the University--are distance learning and the move to Allston, and are characterized by the need for personal negotiations that can be time consuming.
By handling these negotiations, the provost leaves the president free to concentrate on other duties.
If Summers does decide to appoint a provost, he would have to determine who he would to fill the position.
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