President-elect Drew Faust has persuaded Alan Stone, Harvard's v-p for government, etc., to stick around for another year, even though Stone had previously tendered his resignation.

“It was a very plausible decision at the time, but on reconsideration I was delighted to stay,” Stone told the Crimson. “You make decisions based on your latest information.”

Chalk this up as a wise move on Faust's part.

In my experience, Stone has not impressed; in my dealings with him, he's been—how can I put it?—unhelpful.

But a number of people whose opinion I respect say that Stone is really talented and a huge asset to the university. They tell me that he does excellent work with community relations and that he's a savvy adviser to the university's higher officers.

So with that in mind, I think you have to consider this a third consecutive smart personnel move by Drew Faust. The consensus opinion seems to be: Good move to keep Steve Hyman, good move to let Donella Rapier go, and it's important to have Alan Stone around to help with the transition, if not beyond.

Which indicates something interesting about Faust: She doesn't feel an inherent need to "shake up" the university, which was one of Summers' mandates from the Corporation. She's making her decisions on a case-by-case basis. Smart. There's still no sign of her doing anything bold, but perhaps when the appropriate time comes, we'll see that from her.

And it's also possible that boldness is overrated....methodical, steady progress could be just what Harvard needs right now.