In the days after Lawrence H. Summers was named Harvard’s 27th president, professors in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) lauded his reputation at the United States Treasury—an opinionated, straightforward leader who wasn’t afraid to stake out and defend unpopular positions.

But for some senior professors in FAS, the initial perception of Summers as a bold leader has transformed into one of a headstrong leader.

In the first half-year of his presidency, Summers has become a regular in national headlines and has seemingly stirred up more controversy than Neil L. Rudenstine did in his decade-long tenure as president.

But the pace of his progress has carried a stiff price—a trail of professors extending far past the Department of Afro-American Studies is uneasy with a style they characterize as inattentive and stubborn rather than merely assertive and direct. While a faculty with more than 400 tenured members has a broad spectrum of opinions, professors say grumblings about the President’s style are emanating from many corners of the Faculty.

Summers says that his decisions are made based on careful consideration of individual cases and issues rather than “general principle.” While acknowledging that “sometimes decisions have to be made where there are divided views,” he says that, “Ultimately, [the University] moves in a consensual way.”

But, says one senior professor, “the feeling is that he’s not building consensus.”

“Will we all get used to [Summers’ style]? I hope so,” says Professor of Government Jennifer L. Hochschild. “But if it has the effect of upsetting major departments, it’s deeply problematic.”

A ‘Touchy Topic’

The criticism of Summers has focused more on his modus operandi than his rapidly developing curriculum vitae as President.

According to Professor of the History of Science Everett I. Mendelsohn, Summers earned high marks from Faculty for his delicate handling of the Harvard Committee on Employment and Contracting Policies’ report on wages for Harvard’s lower-paid workers and his statement in a December Faculty meeting about the University’s handling of federal information requests about foreign students.

But, Mendelsohn says, those encouraging signs only partially mitigated the climate of nervousness about Summers that preceded his arrival and was exacerbated by the public controversy with Fletcher University Professor Cornel R. West ’74, which was viewed by administrators as a clash of style rather than substance.

“Everyone heard he was a very bright man with a tendency for arrogance,” he says. “There was a bit of wariness from advance publicity.”

Professors are careful not to criticize him too loudly. Even typically outspoken Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield ’53 calls Summers’ interaction with Faculty a “touchy topic.”

“He’s clearly going to be a strong president,” Mansfield says, “but he has to keep the community with him.”

Perhaps the one issue on which Summers has built complete consensus is that his approach could not be more different from the formal, delicate, and collegial proceedings characterized by Rudenstine and outgoing Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles.