Harvard seeks Gutmann as pres. - again

University President Amy Gutmann made the list of about 30 leading contenders for Harvard University's next president, according to an article published yesterday in The Harvard Crimson.

The search committee for Harvard's next president privately released the list to the Board of Overseers - a board of prominent alumni - on Sunday.

And sources told the Crimson that Gutmann, who made the final rounds of Harvard's last presidential search, was included this time around, too.

But that doesn't mean she's getting ready to leave Penn anytime soon.

University spokeswoman Lori Doyle said Gutmann has made it clear that she has no plans to leave Penn in the foreseeable future.

"It's no surprise that Dr. Gutmann is on the list, specifically since she is a Harvard alum," Dolye said. "Just because you are on the list doesn't mean you're interested in the job."

The list included leaders of top universities, Harvard administrators and directors of nonprofit foundations, according to the article.

Harvard spokesman John Longbrake said Harvard officials will not comment on the matter as long as the search is in process.

Candidates who have publicly denied interest in the position appeared on the list, and the committee is not taking candidates' declared interest into account, according to the article.

Other potential picks include Columbia's president, Lee Bollinger, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and former Harvard provost and head of Harvard's Institute of Medicine Harvey Fineberg.

The candidates' perceived qualifications don't ensure that Harvard's search will be easy - finding someone to fill this position will be especially difficult because of the tenuous relationships between Harvard faculty and the school's former president Larry Summers, experts say.

As a result of these relationships, the prospective president must consider how the faculty will respond to potentially daring initiatives, said Raymond Cotton of the Washington-based Mintz Levin law firm, which specializes in presidential contracts.

Cotton added that how strong Board of Trustees support will be for the next president - especially if the faculty is displeased with the choice - is another factor.

"It's a very bad situation at Harvard," he said.

He added that, in the past, when the trustees conceded to the faculty's demands regarding presidential selection, there were negative implications for the next president.

But Cotton said it's possible that these factors might not even come into play.

"Given its reputation," he said, "if there is an exception, [it] will be" Harvard.

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