The article discusses the Trump administration's contradictory demands on Harvard University regarding compliance with civil rights law and ideological diversity. Harvard, backed by a $53.2 billion endowment, decided against capitulating to these demands, emphasizing its commitment to independence and constitutional rights. The administration's requirements include curbing faculty power and enforcing viewpoint diversity, revealing an intent to influence the university's hiring and admissions practices. Harvard's stance highlights a broader conflict between government influence and academic freedom in higher education.
"The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights," its lawyers said. "Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government."
To start, Harvard would have to reduce "the power held by faculty... more committed to activism than scholarship." Departments deemed lacking in viewpoint diversity would be forced to hire and admit "a critical mass" of new faculty and students.
#harvard-university #trump-administration #civil-rights #higher-education #institutional-independence
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