Ivy presidents value Shapiro's leadership

President Shapiro's decision to resign at the end of this year has evoked expressions of sadness from presidents of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Shapiro's move also means that the Council of Ivy Group Presidents — an eight-member organization that meets twice per year — will lose its most senior member shortly after bidding farewell to the presidents of Harvard and Brown universities.

"I hate to think of myself [as] an older statesman now [in the council], but there is unfortunately a high turnover in the university presidencies these days," Yale President Richard Levin, who has held his post since 1993, said. "It is fairly frequent in the Ivy League."

But Levin emphasized that ties between schools run far deeper than the relationships between their presidents. He noted that Ivy League provosts, academic deans and other administrators also meet frequently to discuss relevant matters.

"I don't think that the good relationships that now prevail in the Ivy League will be jeopardized by these three vacancies," he said.

Shapiro also said that he expects the atmosphere of cooperation that now exists between the schools to remain.

Other Ivy League presidents said Shapiro would be missed. Dartmouth College President James Wright said he values Shapiro's contributions. "I admire [Shapiro] for, among other things, his commitment to core values . . . his energy and his ability to inspire and to lead," Wright said.

"Not only Princeton, but American higher education is the better because of his contributions," Wright added.

Columbia University President George Rupp said he thinks very highly of Shapiro and has enjoyed working with him.

"All of us who have served with him as fellow presidents are enormously grateful for his leadership as a colleague," Rupp said. "We hope and expect that he will continue to contribute both to higher education and to the broader society as president emeritus."

The Council of Ivy Group Presidents is composed of the presidents of the eight Ivies. The council was formed in 1954 to maintain the academic and athletic standards of the Ivy League, and it discusses issues ranging from player behavior in athletic contests to updated information technology programs.

"We often share ideas and try out new proposals with each other," Shapiro said. "Our shared experiences help each of us do a better job."

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The council has recently experienced the departure of former Brown President Gordon Gee — and in addition to President Shapiro's future absence, anticipates the departure of Harvard president Neil Rudenstine '56 at the end of this year.

Gee, who served the shortest term in Brown's history, abruptly left to become Vanderbilt University's seventh chancellor last year after only two years on the job.

Though some speculated that financial considerations may have played a role in his decision, Gee maintained that he had struggled upon arriving at Brown's campus and believed that Brown was not a "good fit" for him.

Citing outside interests as well as the "right moment for new leadership at Harvard," Rudenstine said he plans to leave the Harvard administration after a nine-year term at the helm of the university.

"I don't think one can these days afford to skip a beat in the life of these institutions," Rudenstine said, explaining that he did not feel prepared to commit to a new fundraising campaign, which the university needs, and thus felt it was time for him to leave.

Commenting on the timing of the three departures, Shapiro said, "The other Ivy League presidents have been a great source of inspiration and wisdom for me. The timing of these various resignations are unrelated to each other and each of these great universities will be able to attract wonderful new leaders."

Rudenstine agreed with Shapiro that the close temporal proximity of the presidents' departures would not prevent the institutions from finding qualified replacements. "Quite honestly, I can't imagine that Princeton or Harvard are not going to choose very excellent people," he said. "In fact," Rudenstine added, "I don't think that it will be hard for Princeton to find a successor. [Shapiro's] accomplishments are quite spectacular I believe . . . The institution is very strong financially and I believe it has a very bright future," he said.

"Hal has done a wonderful job. He has brought to the institution the kind of leadership, the kind of steadiness and the wise thoughtfulness to keep it very much the extraordinary place it always has been," said Rudenstine, who once served as Princeton's provost. "It remains one of the very, very few treasured places that there are."

Shapiro announced last week his plans to resign his presidency at the end of the academic school year. He plans to resume teaching and researching full-time at the University, however, upon completion of his responsibilities as president and after a short sabbatical.