[81alum]

I like that Saller was provost at UChicago. They have long stood strong for free speech and I pray that he brings that attitude to his new role. Stanford sorely needs it

from the SAA email on Saller

The Board has appointed Professor Richard Saller to serve as president of Stanford University on an interim basis. His appointment will begin on September 1, 2023, and will continue until the next president of the University is in place.


Dr. Saller is the Kleinheinz Family Professor of European Studies at Stanford. He is both a preeminent scholar in his field and an established leader at Stanford and in higher education. Prior to coming to Stanford, he served for five years as provost of the University of Chicago, where he was a professor for two decades.

From 2007 to 2018, Dr. Saller was the dean of Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences. In that role, he recruited a broad range of faculty in diverse fields, increased endowed chairs and graduate fellowships, oversaw construction of the Stanford arts district, and spearheaded a campaign to strengthen humanities education and increase enrollment in humanities courses. The Board extends its gratitude to Dr. Saller for his willingness to serve the University in this role.

Although you wouldn't know if from what has been released so far, Saller is actually a classicist, specializing in Roman social and economic history. Your guess is as good as mine re whether he is sympathetic to or antagonistic towards NCAA athletics on campus. I'd bet that Condi is much more sympathetic to big-time football, basketball, and baseball at elite universities than Saller. I wonder if Saller looks favorably on the institution of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece.

We will just have to wait to find out his priorities.  On the one hand, U Chicago is Division III and proud of having one of the best Div III programs in the country.  No "big time" sports, no NILs, no transfers, no scholarships--just the old "pure" amateur ideal.  But on the other hand, Saller was at Stanford during the absolute height of our athletic success and must have witnessed the remarkable coming-together of elite academics and elite sports.  My guess is that as an interim he won't be inclined to make any major changes regardless of whatever his personal views might be.

[81alum]

I like that Saller was provost at UChicago. They have long stood strong for free speech and I pray that he brings that attitude to his new role. Stanford sorely needs it

from the SAA email on Saller

The Board has appointed Professor Richard Saller to serve as president of Stanford University on an interim basis. His appointment will begin on September 1, 2023, and will continue until the next president of the University is in place.


Dr. Saller is the Kleinheinz Family Professor of European Studies at Stanford. He is both a preeminent scholar in his field and an established leader at Stanford and in higher education. Prior to coming to Stanford, he served for five years as provost of the University of Chicago, where he was a professor for two decades.

From 2007 to 2018, Dr. Saller was the dean of Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences. In that role, he recruited a broad range of faculty in diverse fields, increased endowed chairs and graduate fellowships, oversaw construction of the Stanford arts district, and spearheaded a campaign to strengthen humanities education and increase enrollment in humanities courses. The Board extends its gratitude to Dr. Saller for his willingness to serve the University in this role.

Although you wouldn't know if from what has been released so far, Saller is actually a classicist, specializing in Roman social and economic history. Your guess is as good as mine re whether he is sympathetic to or antagonistic towards NCAA athletics on campus. I'd bet that Condi is much more sympathetic to big-time football, basketball, and baseball at elite universities than Saller. I wonder if Saller looks favorably on the institution of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece.

We will just have to wait to find out his priorities.  On the one hand, U Chicago is Division III and proud of having one of the best Div III programs in the country.  No "big time" sports, no NILs, no transfers, no scholarships--just the old "pure" amateur ideal.  But on the other hand, Saller was at Stanford during the absolute height of our athletic success and must have witnessed the remarkable coming-together of elite academics and elite sports.  My guess is that as an interim he won't be inclined to make any major changes regardless of whatever his personal views might be.