Harvard President Alan Garber sought “common ground” with the Trump administration within the newest communications Monday, however once more stated the college will “not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation.”
“As your letter suggests, we share common ground on a number of critical issues, including the importance of ending antisemitism and other bigotry on campus,” Garber wrote Schooling Secretary Linda McMahon. … “Harvard’s efforts to achieve these goals are undermined and threatened by the federal government’s overreach into the constitutional freedoms of private universities and its continuing disregard of Harvard’s compliance with the law.”
The president’s letter responds to a letter despatched by the U.S. Division of Schooling head on Could 5. Within the escalation final week, McMahon stated Harvard will obtain no new federal grants till it meets the Trump’s administration collection of calls for.
The administration froze over $2 billion in funding to the college, and later President Trump vowed to finish Harvard’s tax-exempt standing. Harvard sued the Division of Schooling in April over the administration’s preliminary $2 billion funding freeze.
In Garber’s newest letter, he famous steps taken to adjust to the legislation, fight antisemitism and all types of discrimination, and uphold excessive requirements.
The steps — responding to factors specified by McMahon’s Could 5 letter — embody “significant changes in its leadership and governance over the past year and a half,” compliance steps following the Supreme Court docket’s overturn of affirmative motion, and two job power experiences on “Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias” and “AntiMuslim, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Palestinian Bias.”
“I must refute your claim that Harvard is a partisan institution,” Garber wrote. “It is neither Republican nor Democratic. It is not an arm of any other political party or movement. Nor will it ever be.”
McMahon re-emphasized the administration’s calls for within the Could 5 letter.
“The proposed common-sense reforms – which the Administration remains committed to – include a return to merit-based admissions and hiring, an end to unlawful programs that promote crude identity stereotypes, disciplinary reform and consistent accountability, including for student groups, cooperation with Law Enforcement, and reporting compliance with the Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, and other Federal Agencies,” McMahon wrote.
The Schooling Secretary additionally questioned the place many “‘students’ come from, who are they, how do they get into Harvard, or even into our country—and why is there so much HATE?”
Worldwide college students at Harvard “must meet the standards of performance and conduct we expect of our US students,” Garber stated, and the college is “aware of no evidence for the allegation that they are collectively more prone to disruption, violence, or other misconduct than any other students.”
“I hope you will take my response to your letter in the spirit in which it is intended: to convey Harvard’s unwavering commitment to compliance with the law, to the elimination of antisemitism and other bigotry on our campus, and to academic excellence,” stated Garber, arguing the connection between analysis universities and the federal authorities “economic growth, innovation, and life-saving discoveries to the benefit of our nation and all humanity.”
“We hope that the partnership between higher education and the federal government will be vibrant and successful for generations to come,” the president continued.
