Who Should Run Universities?

Rethinking university leadership

After weeks of criticism from alumni, donors and public officials — and disastrous testimony on Capitol Hill — Liz Magill stepped down as the University of Pennsylvania’s president on Saturday over her stance on combating antisemitism. Meanwhile, the heads of Harvard and M.I.T. remain under pressure, with some of their fiercest critics continuing to call for them to resign, too.

That has ignited a broader debate about how American universities are run, and raised a question: Should these institutions look outside of academia for their top leadership?

A recap: Magill resigned — followed shortly by Scott Bok, the chairman of Penn’s board of trustees — days after she gave evasive, legalistic answers to lawmakers on whether students advocating the genocide of Jews should be disciplined. Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard, faces similar pressure from alumni including the financier Bill Ackman, though she has also won support from faculty; the Harvard Corporation, a governing board that could oust her, is set to meet on Monday.

Modern universities may require different kinds of leadership. Traditionally, university presidents have been either academics or veteran school administrators: 83 percent of those leaders have had a doctorate, while just 1.4 percent had a master’s in business administration, according to the American Council for Education.