Harvard, the first major US institution that defies Trump. What the university's letter looks like

In a letter to students and teachers, the president of Harvard University, Alan Garber, assures that Harvard “will not abdicate from his independence or his rights guaranteed by the Constitution.”.

Harvard University, the oldest university in the US, has rejected the requests of the Trump administration, which accuses her of allowing anti -Semitism to bloom and threatens to cut nearly $ 9 billion.

On Monday, the President of the University, Alan Garber, published a letter on the Harvard website saying that “no government-regardless of the party in power-should dictate what private universities can teach, who can admit and hire what fields of study and research.”

Below, full letter:

“Dear members of the Harvard community,

For three quarters of the century, the federal government has granted grants and contracts Harvard and other universities to help pay the work which, together with the investments of the universities themselves, led to revolutionary innovations in a wide range of medical fields, engineering and scientific.

These innovations have made countless people in our country and around the world to be healthier and safer. In recent weeks, the federal government has threatened its partnerships with several universities, including Harvard, due to accusations of anti-Semitism on our campuses. These partnerships are among the most productive and beneficial in the history of America. The new borders attract us with the prospect of progress that will change life – from treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes, to discoveries in artificial intelligence, quantum science and engineering and many other fields of possibility. The withdrawal of the government from these partnerships now risks not only the health and well -being of millions, but also the economic security and vitality of our nation.

On Friday night, the administration issued an updated and extended list of requirements, warning that Harvard should comply if it intends to “maintain the financial relationship with the federal government.” It is clear that the intention is not to work with us to address anti-Semitism in a cooperative and constructive way. Although some of the requests presented by the government aim to combat anti -Semitism, most are a direct government regulation of Harvard's “intellectual conditions”.

I encourage you to read the letter to better understand the unprecedented requests made by the federal government to control the Harvard community. These include “auditing” requirements of the views of students, teachers and our staff and “reducing the power” of certain students, teachers and administrators concerned due to their ideological opinions. We have informed the administration through our legal adviser that we will not accept the proposed agreement. The university will not abdicate from its independence and will not give up its constitutional rights.

The prescription of the administration exceeds the power of the federal government. It violates the rights to the first amendment of Harvard and exceeds the legal limits of the Government Authority under Title VI. And it threatens our values ​​as a private institution dedicated to searching, producing and disseminating knowledge. No government – regardless of the party that is in power – should not dictate what private universities can teach, who can admit and hire and what areas of study and research can follow.

Our motto-Veritas, or the truth-guides us as we browse the difficult path that awaits us. The search for truth is an endless journey. This asks us to be open to new information and different perspectives, to submit the beliefs of a continuous analysis and to be prepared to change our opinion. This obliges us to take on the difficult work to recognize our defects, so that we can achieve the full promise of the University, especially when this promise is threatened.

We have shown very clearly that we do not easily take our moral duty to combat anti -Semitism. In the last 15 months, we have taken many measures to address anti -Semitism on our campus. We intend to do much more. As we defend Harvard we will continue to:

• to cultivate a flourishing culture of open research on our campus; to develop the tools, skills and practices necessary to constructively engage with each other; and to expand the intellectual diversity and views within our community,
• to assert the rights and responsibilities we share; to respect the freedom of expression and dissent, while ensuring that the protests take place at a time, in a place and in a way that does not interfere with teaching, learning and research; and to improve the coherence and correctness of the disciplinary processes,
• Let us work together to find ways, according to the law, to promote and support a vibrant community that exemplifies, respects and embraces the difference. As we do this, we will also continue to comply with the Student for Fair Admissions Decision v. Harvard, which has established that Title VI of the Civil Rights Law prohibits universities to make decisions “based on race”.

These goals will not be achieved by asserting power, unrelated to the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard and dictating our way of operation. The task of addressing our shortcomings, fulfilling our commitments and embodies our values ​​is ours and we must define it and undertake it as a community.

The freedom of thinking and research, together with the long -term commitment of the government to respect and protect, allowed universities to contribute essentially to a free society and to a healthier and more prosperous life for people everywhere. We all have a common interest in protecting this freedom. We now proceed, as always, with the conviction that the fearless and unrestricted pursuit of truth releases humanity – and with faith in the sustainable promise that American colleges and universities hold for our country and the world. “