WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has presented a series of requirements that Harvard University needs to fulfill to be eligible for nearly $9 billion in grants and contracts, which represent significant federal funding. being threatened while probing anti-Jewish sentiment on campus.
On Thursday, in a missive to Harvard’s president, three federal agencies laid out requirements deemed essential for maintaining "a continued financial association" with the government. This resembles an ultimatum letter that prompted changes At Columbia University facing the prospect of billions of dollars in reductions.
Several former students and teachers at Harvard urged the institution to resist, condemning the governmental involvement as a threat to educational independence.
The government's correspondence serves as a "test of dominance" rather than an attempt to combat antisemitism, according to Kirsten Weld, a Harvard historian and head of the university chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
If Harvard, the richest university globally, gives in to these requests, the task force won't disappear — they'll come back with even more demands, much like a playground bully," Weld stated. "Harvard needs to challenge this clearly illegal assault through legal channels.
Harvard is the fifth institution in the Ivy League to be the target of a pressure campaign by the administration, during which federal funding for it has been suspended. University of Pennsylvania , Brown , and Princeton to compel adherence to its objectives.
The correspondence characterizes the funds received by Harvard from the federal government as an investment by taxpayers contingent upon performance. It asserts that Harvard has "significantly failed to safeguard American students and faculty against antisemitic acts of violence and intimidation" and insists that the institution must promptly address this issue to retain its financial support, according to the letter.
Harvard chose not to elaborate further, only acknowledging receipt of the letter.
The correspondence requests an prohibition against facial coverings, a requirement similar to one put forth at Columbia University and aimed at supporters of Palestinian rights who occasionally utilize such disguises to conceal their identity. Additionally, Harvard needs to provide clarity regarding its regulations on campus expression which restrict when, where, and how demonstrations and various events can occur.
The letter stated that academic departments at Harvard which contribute to antisemitic harassment should undergo scrutiny and reform to tackle biases and enhance viewpoint diversity. Unlike actions taken by officials during the Trump administration, who targeted Columbia’s Middle East studies department and called for changes in its leadership, this letter refrains from singling out specific university departments or demanding such leadership alterations.
The requirements outlined are typically not as specific as those presented in the Columbia ultimatum, primarily requesting significant alterations aimed at achieving "enduring, systemic reforms," according to the letter. Additionally, this document sets no timeframe, whereas Columbia had approximately one week to adhere to the stipulations.
In a missive to university heads on Thursday, a cohort of alumni stated that Harvard ought to "challenge legally and decline to adhere to unlawful requests that endanger academic freedom and institutional autonomy.”
It’s a moment for bravery, not surrender," stated Anurima Bhargava, one of the alumni authors of the letter. "This is an illegal assault and an effort to intimidate Harvard by jeopardizing the core essence of the university—its researchers, inventors, business starters, and academics.
Others were in favor of the action. Alexander "Shabbos" Kestenbaum, a graduate from the Harvard Divinity School who is currently filing a lawsuit against the institution due to anti-Semitic incidents on campus, stated that Trump's Republican administration is correct in threatening to cut funding.
"Similar to how the federal government threatened to cut funding from racially discriminatory school districts that wouldn’t integrate, the financial leverage remains the final means to compel Harvard to ensure equal treatment and fairness for all its students," Kestenbaum penned in an op-ed for The Crimson, the college’s student-run newspaper.
As part of an independent inquiry into anti-Jewish sentiment at educational institutions, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has requested records from the University of California regarding the employment details and contact information of several hundred professors who endorsed two public statements. The first letter was issued in October 2023; it criticized the assault launched by Hamas against Israel but also voiced empathy towards individuals residing in Gaza. The second statement came out in May 2024, focusing on worries about the security of Jewish students amid campus demonstrations.
Severin Borenstein, a professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and one of the signers of the initial letter, stated on Friday that he thinks the Trump administration intends to interview those signatories who have encountered anti-Semitism.
I believe this is simply the Trump administration employing anti-Semitism as a distraction to target higher education," stated Borenstein, who identifies as Jewish, "and that really displeases me.
Several requests outlined in the Harvard correspondence coincide with President Trump’s policy objectives yet seem somewhat tangentially related to the probe into anti-Semitism.
This involves directives to implement "merit-based" admission and hiring practices and eliminate preferences related to race, religion, gender, or other attributes. Additionally, Harvard has to take steps towards ending such practices. programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion The letter stated that this teaches students and faculty to "form quick judgments about one another using simplistic racial and identity stereotypes."
The separate correspondence specifically states that Harvard needs to adhere to a federal statute mandating the revelation of foreign donations and agreements. This requirement has become a focus for certain Republicans in Congress, who have voiced worries regarding Chinese influence within American educational institutions.
This message was dispatched by personnel from the General Services Administration, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
On Monday, federal authorities informed Harvard that the institution will be subject to an evaluation aimed at assessing its qualification for receiving $255 million in contracts along with over $8 billion in grants.
Harvard University President Alan Garber addressed the issue through a campus communication stating that the institution has "invested significant resources into combating antisemitism" and will present a comprehensive report to authorities.
___
Michael Casey from Associated Press in Boston and Janie Har from Associated Press in San Francisco contributed to this report.
___
The Associated Press' educational reporting is funded by several private foundations. However, the AP maintains full responsibility for all content. See more from the AP here. standards for working with philanthropies, a list Of backers and financed coverage regions at AP.org.
Collin Binkley, The Associated Press