Although Summers initially defended his comments by stating that they were misconstrued, a storm of criticism forced Summers to apologize for his speech over and over again. Despite his apologies, Harvard faculty members have continued to express anger over Summers' management of the school and his comments.
According to ABC News, Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences passed the motion by a 218-185 vote. Even though conflicts have occurred between presidents and faculty throughout Harvard's 400-year history, such a vote had been unprecedented until recently.
The motion was a clear indication of the faculty's desire to have Summers removed from his position as Harvard's president. "This was a resounding statement the faculty lacks confidence in President Lawrence Summers and he should resign," J. Lorand Matory, a professor of anthropology and African and African-American Studies, told ABC News. "There is no noble alternative to resignation."
Although the arts and sciences faculty has demanded Summers' resignation, the University's governing body, known as the Harvard Corporation, has provided support for Summers. In addition, the arts and sciences faculty is only one of the 10 faculty groups that exist at Harvard. Consequently, Summers has not indicated that he intends to step down.
The controversy surrounding Summers' comments has threatened to undermine Summers' agenda of changing the university. According to ABC News, some projects in progress include the expansion of the Harvard campus, improving the atmosphere for women and attracting bright young faculty stars.
Other faculty members have become concerned with the president's retreat from the criticism. "It's very hard to fight for someone who will not fight for himself," Ruth Wisse, a professor of Yiddish, told The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Echoing Wisse, Steven Pinker, an experimental psychologist, told The Chronicle he supported Summers. "I don't know why someone so assertive should be so apologetic," he said. Pinker acknowledged that Summers needs to "soften some edges" but also had to continue being himself. "I hope [they] let Larry be Larry," he said.
Regardless of the controversy Summers has stirred in academia, others continue to support Summers and his original statement. Supporters say that Summers was raising a legitimate academic question. As some people support or criticize the Harvard president, others have begun to think about Summers' ability to lead Harvard successfully even after the controversy cools. When asked if Summers could continue to lead Harvard effectively, emeritus professor Ihor Sevcenko told ABC News that it was a "50-50 question." "Much depends on the way he behaves," Sevcenko said.