Harvard has ‘never been weaker,’ ex-Facebook exec warns
CNN
The Harvard brand, one of the most prestigious among all universities, took nearly 400 years to build. But it’s taken just three months to call that brand very much into question.
The Harvard brand, one of the most prestigious among all universities, took nearly 400 years to build. But it’s taken just three months to call that brand very much into question. The university’s initial response to the October 7 terror attack on Israel was criticized, even by its own top board. Harvard President Claudine Gay’s testimony before Congress was an unmitigated disaster. And now Gay is mired in a plagiarism scandal. All of this has opened up Harvard to fierce criticism from politicians and alumni, some of whom have vowed to close their checkbooks. One such Harvard graduate, venture capitalist and former Facebook executive Sam Lessin, told CNN he believes the university has “never been weaker” — and he’s pointing the finger at the very top. “The Harvard brand is deeply embattled,” Lessin said in a phone interview. “Gay has demonstrated extreme weakness as an administrator and as a leader. The Harvard Corporation has not communicated well with the outside world.” Lessin, who worked at Facebook from 2010 to 2014 before co-founding San Francisco-based Slow Ventures, is hoping to fix Harvard by getting elected to the university’s powerful Board of Overseers.