Hopi E. Hoekstra, dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences, said in an interview Wednesday that Harvard's Board of Trustees has not begun a search, even privately, for a 31st president.
Hoekstra met with the Board of Supervisors, the university's second-highest governing body, during a regularly scheduled meeting last weekend. She said the presidential search was not discussed in some of the oversight meetings she attended.
“As far as I know, the search for the president has not yet begun,” Hoekstra said.
Members and superintendents of Harvard University, the highest governing body, were on campus last weekend, but Hoekstra's comments were made pending the announcement of a formal presidential search committee by Penny S. Pritzker '81, the company's senior fellow. He indicated he intended to take his time.
Harvard's current schedule differs greatly from recent precedent, even though the search committee has not been announced until three months into the term of Alan M. Garber '76, Harvard's interim president.
In each of the past two presidential elections, the establishment of a committee was announced within a month of the incumbent president's resignation announcement.
The change in pace could mean that Harvard's Board of Trustees has approved Mr. Gerber's leadership following the turbulent resignation of former Harvard President Claudine Gay in January. This also increases the likelihood that the company is prepared to keep Gerber in his position through the next academic year.
Two weeks ago, George Q. Daley '82, dean of Harvard Medical School, said in an interview with The Crimson that he wanted Garber to be the next permanent president.
Hoekstra declined to endorse Daley, but said he expected Garber to be a candidate for the position.
“He brings a deep knowledge and love of Harvard and a sense of stability. I think we have an incredibly good relationship with President Gerber,” Hoekstra said.
The next Presidential Commission of Inquiry will be comprised of all 12 members of the company and three supervisors. Historically, universities have formed advisory committees of faculty, students, and staff to provide input on research.
During the search that led to the selection of former Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow, Hoekstra served on the Faculty Advisory Committee as a representative of the FAS science department.
Harvard's Board of Trustees typically operates behind closed doors, and past presidential search processes have drawn criticism for a lack of transparency. Members of the company and senior Harvard administrators have defended the opacity of past investigations, arguing that recruiting and vetting candidates requires confidentiality.
In an interview Wednesday, Hoekstra did not say whether he thought the presidential search process should be more transparent. Instead, she pointed to her own experience on faculty advisory committees and highlighted existing avenues for seeking the input of her faculty.
“Part of our job was to talk to our faculty colleagues and express our opinions on the presidential election,” Hoekstra said. “From that perspective, we’ve had a lot of faculty support in this process.”
—Staff writer Tilly R. Robinson can be reached at tilly.robinson@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @Tilly Robin.
—Staff writer Neil H. Shah can be reached at neil.shah@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @neilhshah15.
