Up to date March 31, 2025, at 5:25 p.m.
Three federal businesses introduced a overview of greater than $8 billion in “multi-year grant commitments” to Harvard as a part of an ongoing investigation into the College by the Federal Job Power to Fight Antisemitism on Monday.
The overview — which was launched by the Division of Training, Division of Well being and Human Companies, and america Normal Companies Administration — marks a drastic escalation within the Trump administration’s threats towards Harvard over its response to pro-Palestine protests and alleged campus antisemitism.
The overview additionally contains greater than $255 million in contracts.
It comes weeks after the Trump administration pulled more than $400 million in federal funding to Columbia College, demanding in change that Columbia change disciplinary insurance policies and place its Center Japanese, African, and South Asian research applications beneath administrative management.
Columbia in the end caved to most of the calls for — however the change resulted in large nationwide backlash and the abrupt ouster of the college’s interim president. Harvard, confronted with an unprecedented risk to its operations, could also be compelled to determine how a lot it’s keen to concede as a way to protect its federal funding.
The general public announcement of the overview into Harvard’s funds didn’t define particular calls for however linked to a doc outlining the circumstances issued to Columbia.
“Harvard’s failure to guard college students on campus from anti-Semitic discrimination — all whereas selling divisive ideologies over free inquiry — has put its popularity in critical jeopardy,” Secretary of Training Linda McMahon wrote within the press launch.
Simply 4 days earlier than the Trump administration pulled $400 million in federal funding, Columbia obtained a letter — much like Harvard’s — saying that its federal grants and contracts have been being reviewed. It’s unclear whether or not funding cuts will observe in Harvard’s case.
Beneath the overview, the Trump administration will look at particular person contracts to find out whether or not stop-work orders must be issued. The College may also be anticipated to offer the White Home with a listing of federal contracts not included within the preliminary overview.
A College spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
“We couldn’t perform our mission the way in which we do now with out substantial federal analysis assist, nor may we offer the advantages to the nation that we do now with out that assist,” Garber stated in a December interview with The Crimson.
Harvard has spent months bracing for an unstable political future and doubtlessly large losses to its funding — particularly after the Trump administration repeatedly threatened research funding. Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 introduced a University-wide hiring freeze in early March, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences issued price range steering in February urging FAS management to maintain spending flat in fiscal yr 2026.
However Monday’s overview places Harvard squarely within the crosshairs of extra focused threats.
At Columbia, then-interim President Katrina Armstrong capitulated to the Trump administration’s calls for inside two weeks. However after Armstrong appeared to downplay the extent of Columbia’s concessions at a college assembly — presumably to pacify an outraged professoriate — she abruptly departed from her seat, which was stuffed by one of many faculty’s trustees.
The disaster at Columbia illustrates that, elsewhere, prime college brass have opted to commerce coverage concessions for an opportunity at leniency.
However related strikes at Harvard may ignite backlash among faculty who see them as compromising its educational independence. In a unprecedented present of unity, greater than 600 Harvard college signed a letter urging the College’s governing boards to “refuse to adjust to illegal calls for that threaten educational freedom and college self-governance.”
The federal antisemitism task force — which is investigating 9 different faculties, together with Columbia — plans to visit Harvard’s campus however has not but introduced a date.
This can be a creating story and shall be up to date.
—Workers author Dhruv T. Patel may be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Observe him on X @dhruvtkpatel.
—Workers author Grace E. Yoon may be reached at grace.yoon@thecrimson.com. Observe her on X @graceunkyoon.
