The Trump administration has increasingly wielded federal research funding as a tool for influence, blocking billions in research grants and threatening additional cuts to coerce universities into adopting reforms it deems vital. Columbia University, among others, is being urged to make changes at the departmental leadership level.
On Friday, federal officials sent Harvard University a list of stipulations necessary to maintain its financial link with the federal government. In a response issued on Monday, Harvard argued that compliance with these demands would equate to a federal takeover of the institution. To emphasize its position, the university even modified its homepage to highlight the research initiatives that would be jeopardized if funding were withheld.
Diversity, but only the approved brand
Harvard has publicly shared the communication received from the government detailing its requirements. In line with the administration’s priorities, many of the requests focus on the university’s diversity initiatives. The requirements include a complete halt to diversity-focused efforts in admissions and hiring, along with a mandate to submit data on faculty and student demographics for federal auditing. There are also measures aimed at combating perceived antisemitism, such as the defunding of pro-Palestinian organizations. More broadly, university officials are instructed to ensure that admitted students uphold “American values and institutions.”
The letter also includes various culture war demands, such as implementing a mask ban and prohibiting the “de-platforming” of speakers on campus. Additionally, the government seeks to review all faculty hires for plagiarism, a concern that previously led to the resignation of Harvard’s former president after her congressional testimony. Any breach of the updated conduct standards by non-citizens would need to be reported immediately to the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, likely to facilitate potential deportation.
Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the government’s letter is its alarming shift in rhetoric concerning diversity. Having long criticized Harvard’s existing diversity practices as antithetical to a meritocratic approach, the administration is now insisting on the enforcement of what it labels “viewpoint diversity.” The term lacks a clear definition in the correspondence but appears to suggest a push for conservative representation within academic settings. Harvard is tasked with conducting an audit of its students, faculty, staff, and leadership to ensure compliance with this standard, necessitating that every department achieve an undefined level of viewpoint diversity. Departments failing to meet these criteria would be compelled to hire new faculty in order to align with the federal government’s expectations.
