February 3, 2005

Lawrence H. Summers
Office of the President
Harvard University
Massachusetts Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138

Dear President Summers:

Since 1881, when the American Association of University Women objected to—and disproved—a Boston physician’s contention that higher education is harmful to women’s health, AAUW has fought for equity for women and girls. AAUW continues our work because equity is still an issue, as proved by the events of the past few weeks.

The 100,000 members of AAUW have been following the controversy caused by your recent comments about women’s abilities in math and science as well as the challenges that women face in academia, particularly in their bids for tenure. We are discouraged and disappointed by your observations, and we cannot help but wonder what message is being sent to girls when the president of one of America’s most prestigious universities suggests that Barbie was right after all: For girls, math is tough.

Your letter of apology dated January 19 and your letter of January 29 to the organizations that advocate gender equity and equal opportunity, of which we are one, encourages us. We appreciate your recognition that women face significant challenges in their academic careers, and we are heartened that you feel you’ve learned from this experience.

AAUW is also encouraged by your plans for action. Committing Harvard to recognizing and reducing barriers to the advancement of women in science is a lofty and worthy goal.

AAUW offers you the following resources, tools, and programs to help you meet your goal:

• AAUW offers to serve on the task forces you are assembling .
  We are also available to assist in any way in which we can offer our
  125-year perspective and leadership on the issue of sex discrimination
  in academia.

• We encourage Harvard to become a member of the AAUW College/University Partnership Program, which is composed of leading institutions committed to fostering educational equity while providing growth opportunities for students, faculty, and staff. Harvard’s inclusion in this program would not only affirm your commitment to equity, it would also entitle you to assistance from AAUW, including the development of stronger community relationships and benefits from AAUW’s research and advocacy efforts on education and equity for women and girls.

• We’ve provided a copy of Tenure Denied: Cases of Sex Discrimination in Academia, a research report published by the AAUW Educational Foundation and AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund in 2004. Tenure Denied chronicles the stories of women who took their fight for tenure to the courts. We draw your attention to Chapter 6, which lists recommendations for colleges and universities.

Many prestigious colleges and universities in the country such as Princeton University, Duke University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have performed extensive self-audits to evaluate where the institution fails its female professorate. We know that Harvard conducted research into its own policies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 2004.

While your initial report found that you were frequently on par with other comparable universities, we believe that Harvard could do much better across all disciplines. In the area of tenure for women, Harvard fails to make the grade. Your report even concedes that tenure offers to women since 2001 have declined by 13 percent. Confronting the reasons for this decline is a critical part of improving the diversity of your current and future faculty.

We support your recent suggestions for ways to improve the status of women on the faculty at Harvard, including “ enhanced leave, parental teaching relief, delayed tenure clocks, and better childcare options.”

Additionally, you must ensure that Harvard’s policies comply with civil rights laws. AAUW has substantial experience supporting campus women who have challenged sex discrimination in the courts. Unfortunately, laws such as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are as important today in combating sex stereotypes as these laws were when they we re enacted.

We’ve also provided a copy of A License for Bias: Sex Discrimination, Schools, and Title IX, a research report published by the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund in 2000. It explains the pervasiveness of sex discrimination at all levels of education, analyzes sex discrimination complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights by students and employees at all levels of the educational system, and includes an action agenda for stronger enforcement of Title IX.

According to A License for Bias, “Women who do persist in nontraditional fields often face hostility from male students and faculty and receive only limited support because of the lack of female faculty in these areas.”

• The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund offers to collaborate with you on conducting a campus program at Harvard University. LAF launched its campus outreach initiative in 1997 to educate students and staff about sex discrimination issues, share ways to address and prevent sex discrimination, and provide action steps to create a more equitable campus climate. LAF has presented programs on many campuses, and staff is available to work with you to develop an appropriate program.

AAUW’s 100,000 members across the country will be closely following your progress. We hope you will accept our offer of support and look forward to speaking with you soon. Leslie Annexstein, director of the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund, is available to meet with you to discuss these important issues. Please contact her at 202/785-7735 or annexstl@aauw.org.