Discussion · bonfire.cafe

@petersuber@fediscience.org · 6 months ago

Kudos to #Harvard for standing up to the #Trump admin.

Friday, April 11, the Trump admin expanded its list of demands to Harvard. (Note that Harvard made the govt letter public on the Harvard website.)
https://www.harvard.edu/research-funding/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/04/Letter-Sent-to-Harvard-2025-04-11.pdf

Today, Harvard President Alan Garber issued a public letter to the university community, explaining the latest Trump demands and the university's 𝙣𝙤 answer. "The University will not negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights."
https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/the-promise-of-american-higher-education/

Also see Harvard's official answer to the Trump admin, through its lawyers. "Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government. Accordingly, Harvard will not accept the government’s terms as an agreement in principle."
https://www.harvard.edu/research-funding/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/04/Harvard-Response-2025-04-14.pdf

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petersuber

@petersuber@fediscience.org replied · 6 months ago

Update. Also see the coverage in the _Harvard Crimson_, the student newspaper …
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/15/harvard-denies-trump-demands/

… and in _Harvard Gazette_, the official source of Harvard news …
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/04/harvard-wont-comply-with-demands-from-trump-administration/

… and in _Harvard Magazine_, an independent source of Harvard news.
https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2025/04/harvard-resists-trump-administration

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Harvard Magazine

Harvard Resists Federal Regulation of Academic Affairs | Harvard Magazine

President Garber rejects federal regulation of academic affairs.

Harvard Gazette

Harvard won’t comply with Trump administration’s demands — Harvard Gazette

“The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” says President Garber.

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/15/harvard-denies-trump-demands/

petersuber

@petersuber@fediscience.org replied · 6 months ago

Update. Here's the letter of demands from the #Trump admin to #Columbia.
https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/6d3c124d8e20212d/85dec154-full.pdf

Note that it's much shorter and less extreme than the letter to #Harvard.
https://www.harvard.edu/research-funding/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/04/Letter-Sent-to-Harvard-2025-04-11.pdf

There are probably many reasons why. Thinking out loud:

* Trump and Trumpists had a long-standing animosity against Harvard.
* Columbia's capitulation emboldened them to reach for more.
* Harvard receives more federal money than Columbia, giving Trump more leverage.

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View (PDF)

petersuber

@petersuber@fediscience.org replied · 6 months ago

New #Trump admin position on its letter to #Harvard: It was a mistake but we're standing by it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/business/trump-harvard-letter-mistake.html

Trump : Harvard
:: Trump : Kilmar Abrego Garcia

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https://www.nytimes.com

Trump Officials Blame Mistake for Setting Off Confrontation With Harvard

petersuber

@petersuber@fediscience.org replied · 6 months ago

Update. " #Harvard University sued the #Trump administration in federal court Monday…The lawsuit…seeks to block the Trump administration from withholding federal funding 'as leverage to gain control of academic decision making at Harvard.' Alan M. Garber, the president of Harvard, said in a message to the university community Monday that the Trump administration’s actions are unlawful and beyond the government’s authority."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/04/21/harvard-sues-trump-administration-funding-antisemitism/

PS. Exactly. Every university subject to this kind of unlawful pressure should sue. Same for law firms.

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petersuber

@petersuber@fediscience.org replied · 6 months ago

Update. After #Harvard said 𝙣𝙤 to the #Trump admin …
https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/the-promise-of-american-higher-education/

… and took the further step of suing the Trump admin …
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/04/21/harvard-sues-trump-administration-funding-antisemitism/

… and after independent lawyers and law professors said its lawsuit was strong …
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/23/legal-analysis-harvard-trump-lawsuit/

… and after its strong stance stirred student, faculty, staff, alumni, and donor enthusiasm …
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/us/harvard-donors-trump.html

… some other donors, all wealthy, "implored the [university] to slow down and negotiate."
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/business/harvard-trump-deal.html

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