An oft-repeated story about Henry Rosovsky, the longtime second-in-command at Harvard University, tells of how he once greeted a student protest group who came to his office. "You are here for four years," he said. "I am here for life, and the institution is here forever." Now, he asked, what is it that you want to talk to me about? That story is not just funny. It also makes a few sharp points. It highlights the inherent institutional conservatism of academe, for one thing. The university is a place where every idea awaits its time, and no change should be carelessly implemented.

June 15, 2016 ・ From Chronicle of Higher Education