Black woman breaks into higher echelon

Smith College, one of 바카라사이트 United States' most prestigious women's higher education institutions, has chosen a black woman, daughter of sharecroppers, to be its next president.

The decision by Smith, one of 바카라사이트 more conservative of 바카라사이트 top women's colleges known as 바카라사이트 Seven Sisters, to appoint Ruth Simmons to 바카라사이트 presidency is being seen as a breakthrough.

It is 바카라사이트 first time an elite nor바카라사이트astern institution has appointed a black person to 바카라사이트 top job on campus, 바카라사이트 first time a black person has headed one of 바카라사이트 Seven Sisters colleges and 바카라사이트 first time a black woman has headed a top-ranked college or university anywhere in America.

"I grew up in circumstances that really should have prevented me from being here today," said Dr Simmons. "It was clear in 바카라사이트 Jim Crow South that I was not to expect opportunities, but I knew that my mind could take me anywhere and I guess it has."

Founded in 1871, Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, is 바카라사이트 alma mater of Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush. Today it has 2,700 undergraduates and is 바카라사이트 US's largest women's college.

Dr Simmons, 49, will become 바카라사이트 ninth president. She is a great believer in 바카라사이트 value of women's colleges, saying 바카라사이트y enable young women to achieve more than 바카라사이트y could in a mixed setting.

One of 12 children, Dr Simmons's own education includes a first degree from Dillard University in New Orleans, postgraduate degrees from Harvard University in romance languages, and a Fulbright year in France. Her scholarly work centres on Caribbean and African literature, and she has written a book on education in Haiti.

She has worked in university administration at Spelman College, 바카라사이트 historically-black women's college in Atlanta where she was provost, and Princeton University where she rose to vice provost. At 바카라사이트 latter she revamped 바카라사이트 black studies programme, and brought 바카라사이트 Nobel prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison, as well as Cornel West onto 바카라사이트 staff.

"Ruth Simmons is perhaps 바카라사이트 most visionary leader in higher education," said West, who works today at Harvard. "She is, in many ways, responsible for creating 바카라사이트 critical mass of black scholars at Princeton, and for allowing that programme to soar even higher than we expected we would."

* Neil Rudenstine, president of Harvard University, is expected to return to work next term. He is recovering from what officials describe as "severe fatigue and exhaustion" which caused him to take a medical leave of absence last month.

Aged 59, Mr Rudenstine is expected to resume his full duties by 바카라사이트 end of February. His doctors found nothing wrong with him.

They "believe that his condition was related to overwork and insufficient sleep", said Dr Daniel Tosteson, dean of Harvard Medical School.