14 hours Ago By Sophie Perry
Harvard University has lost billions of dollars of federal funding after defying requests from the Trump administration, including refusing to scrap diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies. Last week, the US government sent the Ivy League university based in Cambridge, Massachusetts a list of orders which it said were to fight antisemitism on campus following high-profile protests against the war in Gaza. However, Harvard president Alan Garber accused the federal government of attempting to “control the Harvard community”.
The list of demands included sweeping changes which would alter the university’s governance, hiring practices and admissions processes. These included implementing “merit-based” admissions and hiring, which must “cease all preferences based on race, color, national origin”, reporting Harvard students who are “hostile” to American values to the government and hiring an external party to audit courses and departments “that most fuel anti-semitic harassment”.In a statement published on the Department of Education website on Monday (14 April) the department’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism said it had frozen “$2.
2 billion in multi-year grants and $60M in multi-year contract value” to Harvard. “Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the statement read. “The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable.
The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”Cambridge, MA – April 12: Protesters hold signs including “Harvard: Protect International Students” and “Stand Up to Bullies!” during a Cambridge Common rally.
The Cambridge City Council partially sponsored the demonstration urging Harvard University to resist what organizers described as President Trump’s attempts to influence the institution. (Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)In response, Harvard president Garber described the demands as “unprecedented” and said that they violate the university’s first amendment rights, and also “exceed the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI”, adding the university rejects the demands and “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”“No government.
.. should dictate what private universities can teach”“It threatens our values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge,” his letter reads.
“No government – regardless of which party is in power – should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”He continued: “Our motto – Veritas, or truth – guides us as we navigate the challenging path ahead. Seeking truth is a journey without end.
It requires us to be open to new information and different perspectives, to subject our beliefs to ongoing scrutiny, and to be ready to change our minds.“It compels us to take up the difficult work of acknowledging our flaws so that we might realize the full promise of the University, especially when that promise is threatened.”Garber added Harvard has made it “abundantly clear that we do not take lightly our moral duty to fight anti-semitism” and implemented “many steps to address anti-semitism on our campus” during the last 15 months.
Since returning to power for the second term, Donald Trump has sought to purge DEI polices from federal government, the military and educational institutions. More widely beyond the military, DEI has been a hot button issue in the US thanks to the efforts of right-wing pundit Robby Starbuck whose campaign to “restore sanity to corporate America” has resulted in numerous big-name businesses – such as Walmart, Ford, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson and Jack Daniels – reversing their equality policies. The post Harvard loses billions in federal funding after defying Trump orders on DEI and protests appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.
.
