Administration led by Trump announces suspension of new grants for Harvard until University complies with White House's requirements.
Harvard Takes Heated Standoff with Trump Administration
WASHINGTON - In a significant move, Harvard University faces a block on receiving new federal grants after a stern demand from President Donald Trump's administration, as revealed in an Education Department announcement on Monday. This clash has the potential to turn into a major showdown, marking a step-up in Trump's long-standing feud with the prestigious Ivy League institution.
The administration had previously put a hold on $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard, with Trump pushing to revoke the university's tax-exempt status. Facing pushback from Harvard, this situation is shaping up to be a confrontation in Trump's mission to instigate changes in universities he deems to be strongholds of liberalism and antisemitism.
In a press call, an Education Department official stated that Harvard will not receive any new federal grants until it "manages its university responsibly" and complies with federal expectations across numerous issues. This freeze applies to federal research grants and does not affect the financial aid students depend on to cover tuition fees.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, previewed this decision during a call with reporters.
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The official labeled Harvard as having "serious shortcomings" in four primary areas: antisemitism, racial discrimination, abandonment of academic rigor, and viewpoint diversity. Harvard will be required to engage in negotiations with the federal government to regain eligibility for new grants, showcasing it has complied with the administration's demands.
The administration has requested a series of adaptations to the campus policy, including changes aimed at curbing protests and working towards greater ideological diversity among faculty members.
In a letter to Harvard's president on Monday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon accused the university of admitting foreign students who exhibited disregard for the United States.
Harvard's president has previously declared that he will not bow to governmental demands, and the university has filed a lawsuit to lift the funding freeze last month. The lawsuit claimed the freeze was "arbitrary and capricious," violating its First Amendment rights and the statutory guidelines of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The Trump administration had declared previously that Harvard would have to meet a set of conditions to maintain almost $9 billion in grants and contracts. The university, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, boasts a $53 billion endowment, the largest in the nation. Across the whole institution, federal funding accounted for 10.5% of revenue in 2023, excluding financial aid including grants and student loans.
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In the backdrop of this confrontation, Harvard has unequivocally refused to yield to the government's demands. The administration has placed a focus on the following key areas in its demands to Harvard:
Admissions & Hiring Practices
- Abolishing race-based and national origin preferences from admission and hiring criteria by August 2025.
- Eliminating ideological litmus tests in admissions and faculty hiring.
Viewpoint Diversity Reforms
- Yearly reviews of academic programs to evaluate and address viewpoint diversity, with mandatory hiring of faculty and admissions of students to achieve a "critical mass" of divergent viewpoints.
- Departments failing to demonstrate viewpoint diversity are to transfer their hiring and admission authority to "cognate" departments capable of achieving diversity requirements.
Antisemitism & Bias Measures
- Discontinuing departments or programs with egregious antisemitism or bias records, if reforms fail.
- Abolishing disciplinary policies perceived as targeting specific viewpoints, including those enforced under diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
DEI Program Elimination
- Immediate closure of all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, positions, and initiatives.
- Compliance verification through personnel changes and federal-reviewed audits until at least 2028.
The demands tie federal research funding, including $256 million directly awarded to Harvard, to compliance with these requirements, which Harvard has deemed as governmental overreach jeopardizing the university's autonomy. The administration simultaneously froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard until resolution.
- The Trump administration has proposed a series of conditions for Harvard University to maintain its federal funding, which includes abolishing race-based and national origin preferences from admission and hiring criteria by August 2025.
- In response to the administration's demands, Harvard has filed a lawsuit to lift the funding freeze, claiming it as arbitrary and capricious, violating its First Amendment rights and the statutory guidelines of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
- The Trump administration's demands also include measures to combat antisemitism and bias, such as discontinuing departments or programs with egregious antisemitism or bias records, and abolishing disciplinary policies perceived as targeting specific viewpoints.
- The administration's focus on viewpoint diversity also includes yearly reviews of academic programs to evaluate and address viewpoint diversity, with mandatory hiring of faculty and admissions of students to achieve a "critical mass" of divergent viewpoints.
- The demand for increased ideological diversity among faculty members is part of the Trump administration's mission, as they perceive universities like Harvard as strongholds of liberalism. This has sparked controversy and allegations of governmental overreach, as the university views these demands as jeopardizing its autonomy in education-and-self-development and academics.
