The Trump administration has put a hold on over $2.2 billion in grants and contracts given to Harvard University, as the institution refused to follow recent demands made by the US government regarding campus rules and governance.
In a letter sent to Harvard, the administration demanded big changes, such as bringing in “merit-based” admission and hiring policies, performing an audit on the views of students and faculty about diversity, and banning face masks on campus — a move believed to target pro-Palestinian protestors.
The government also told the university to stop supporting or funding any student group that is linked to illegal acts, violence, or harassment. These new demands are part of a larger campaign by the Trump administration to push universities to follow its political goals, especially related to protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Harvard President Alan Garber responded strongly. In his letter to the university, he said the demands were a violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights and went beyond what the government is allowed to do under Title VI, which protects students from discrimination based on race, colour or origin.
He also added that no political party or the government should dictate how a private university educates, who it admits or employs, or what it researches. Garber added that Harvard already acted to combat antisemitism and will keep getting better on its own terms.
Other leading US universities including the University of Pennsylvania, Brown, and Princeton are likewise under similar pressure and funding freezes by the Administration. They have already implemented changes in anticipation of losing the funds allocated by the government.
The action drew passionate reactions. Harvard alumni wrote a letter to the school, urging it to resist legally and defend its autonomy. Demonstrations also took place in Cambridge, and a lawsuit was launched by the American Association of University Professors. The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration failed to observe the appropriate legal procedures prior to freezing the funds.
The plaintiffs’ letter indicates that the demands raised are political and not legal rectifications. They think that the actions are intended to impose specific political views upon the university.
This major clash between government power and university freedom is now a topic of debate across the US, especially as it affects the funding and functioning of well-known institutions.
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Source: Moneycontrol.
News Desk
