The day after the Trump administration announced a review of $9 billion in federal funds given to Harvard due to its alleged lack of efforts to combat campus antisemitism, Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, sent an email to the community. The email had a subject line that caused initial optimism, suggesting Harvard would stand up against the review. However, the email’s content disappointed, with Garber emphasizing academic freedom and pledging engagement with the administration rather than offering a plan to safeguard the university’s independence from governmental interference.

Protesters at Harvard expressed dismay at the university’s actions, comparing its response to the more defiant stance taken by Princeton University. Faculty and student bodies at Harvard and nationwide have been vocal in their support of the university’s freedom from political interference and have started organizing to defend academic integrity. Despite Harvard’s considerable endowment, concerns about potential political interference and the suppression of pro-Palestinian voices have sparked debates about institutional autonomy and the role of academic freedom.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/apr/04/harvard-faculty-anxiety-trump