After months of scrutiny over her leadership, outgoing Harvard president Claudine Gay has resigned amidst a plagiarism scandal.
Despite her forced resignation, however, Gay will still receive a salary of around $900,000 per year from Harvard University, where she will remain a member of the staff and return to the department of political science.
According to The Crimson, Gay’s predecessor Lawrence S. Bacow earned over $1.3 million in calendar year 2021. While her exact salary has not been disclosed on tax forms, in the same time frame, Gay earned $879,079, up from the previous year’s $824,068, when she was the dean of the faculty of art and sciences. She also reportedly enjoyed free housing at Elmwood, the Harvard president’s residence, during her tenure.
Despite the uproar over her resignation, Gay has been assigned to a new teaching role within the political science department and will retain her previous salary. Her successor, however, will take over at Elmwood, signaling a clear break from Gay’s controversial tenure.
Harvard has already named its provost, Alan Garber, as the interim president. However, the process of finding a permanent replacement is likely to be lengthy and involve both the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, which is composed of a 32-member panel of alumni.
Gay’s resignation has come as a shock to many within the Harvard community, where she had only taken up her position as president on July 1. The plagiarism scandal which eventually led to her resignation is still being investigated, but it is clear that Gay’s tenure has been marked by controversy and tension.
