Fundamental Commitments

At least part of the difference between the approach of Rudenstine and Summers to diversity may be more style than of substance.

Rudenstine’s approach to leadership tended to avoid controversy. Summers, in contrast, takes nothing for granted.

Summers maintains that it is important “to make every aspect of our policies better, stronger, and more effective.”

But even so, Summers says Harvard’s fundamental commitment to diversity is something that should not be questioned.

“[Diversity] is essential if we’re to carry out our mission of excellence in teaching and scholarship,” he says.

Nor has Summers made any actions to change Harvard’s official policies on diversity.

“I’m certainly very comfortable with these practices [of diversity in admissions] and have made no move to alter them,” Summers says.

And prominent advocates of diversity at Harvard appreciate such an underlying belief.

“The president of Harvard has a tremendously powerful bully pulpit, and the symbolic power of his opinion is incalculable, so it’s important that he is identified with this policy [of diversity],” Gates says.

—Kate L. Rakoczy contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Catherine E. Shoichet can be reached at shoichet@fas.harvard.edu.