“It’s going to be done for the purpose of outreach for the new Institute,” she says. “That’s great, but it’s not going to be done for alumnae.”
Rogers says, however, that alumnae are a “treasured Radcliffe constituency,” and continuing to host reunions and maintaining mentorship programs is in keeping with the Institute’s commitment to preserving its own heritage.
Faust acknowledges that at times this feat involves sacrifice.
“You have to understand what you are doing grows out of the past,” she says of her approach to incorporating Radcliffe’s alums into its evolving future, “and be pretty clear about when and why you’re going to do it—even if it may not make everybody happy.”
—Alexandra N. Atiya contributed to the reporting of this story.
—Staff writer Ella A. Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@fas.harvard.edu.
—Staff writer Elizabeth S. Widdicombe can be reached at widdicom@fas.harvard.edu.