President Faust was the Harvard University president for 12 years.
On September 27th, 2021, Harvard University announced that President Faust would be stepping down as the university’s leader after 12 years in the position. The resignation came as a surprise to many, but there were hints that President Faust had been considering it for some time. In her letter of resignation, President Faust said she was leaving to “spend more time with her family” and spend time on her “personal writing projects.” But how did we get here? How did Harvard come to have such a long-serving president? And what will happen now that she is gone?
What does the Harvard president do?
The role of President at Harvard is an important one. They are responsible for running all aspects of the university, from admissions and finances to teaching and research. The current president is also expected to make public appearances and engage with students and faculty.
Why was Faust so long-serving?
“A decade is not enough.”
In 2012, Drew Gilpin Faust became only the second woman in Harvard’s history to become president of the university. Before taking over as president at Harvard, she had previously been dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University from 2007 until 2011.
