“If the University were to accede to the Department of Education’s demands, it would be empowering bureaucrats in Washington to impose their own viewpoints on universities for generations to come.” https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/16/cafh-harvard-trump-demands-hostile-takeover…
Three Academic Freedom Councils in the Boston Globe
As chairs of the Academic Freedom Councils at Columbia, Harvard, and Princeton universities, we are alarmed at the threats to academic freedom currently faced by American universities… https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/04/opinion/universities-academic-freedom…
CAFH in the NYT: Dr Jeffrey Flier Opinion Essay
The recent announcement that the Trump administration will review $9 billion in federal grants and contracts awarded to Harvard, citing the university’s inadequate response to antisemitism, marks a dramatic moment in Harvard’s history…https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/opinion/harvard-medicine-higher-education.html…
CAFH in the Crimson: Diversity Statements
In this week’s CAFH column in the Crimson, Randall Kennedy and Edward Hall debate the use of mandatory diversity statements in faculty hiring. Randall Kennedy (Law School), “Mandatory DEI Statements Are Ideological Pledges of Allegiance. Time to Abandon Them.” Edward Hall (Philosophy), “Don’t Eliminate. Improve.”…
CAFH in the Crimson: Tolerance and Truth-Seeking
The latest iteration of the CAFH column identifies two essential values of a University: tolerance and truth-seeking. Christopher Winship (Sociology), “Harvard, Academic Freedom, and the New Wars of Religion” Lachlan Forrow (Medical School), “Truth, Social Justice, and the ‘Telos’ of a University”…
CAFH in the Crimson: Institutional Neutrality
In this week’s edition of the CAFH column, Bertha Madras (Medical School) and Janet Halley (Law School) ask, “Should Harvard adopt Institutional Neutrality?” Bertha Madras, “Take It From a Former Activist: Universities Need to be Neutral.” Janet Halley, “Institutional Neutrality or Institutional Deception?”…
CAFH in the Crimson: Faculty Viewpoint Diversity
CAFH has launched a regular column in the Crimson that allows faculty members to offer contrasting takes on campus life. This week’s installment asks whether universities have a faculty viewpoint diversity problem. Pippa Norris, “Young Scholars Are Not the Enemies of Free Speech on Campus.” Tyler Vanderweele, “Higher Education Has a Viewpoint Diversity Problem. Here’s…
CAFH in the Crimson: Merit and Admissions
CAFH has launched a new regular column in the Crimson that allows faculty members to offer contrasting takes on campus life. First up, meritocracy, admissions, and legacies. Steven Pinker, “Harvard Admissions Should be Meritocratic.” James Hankins, “Do You Want Your Children to Go to Harvard?“…
Harvard Magazine: “Is Harvard Campus Conversation Constrained?”
“[D]iversity of viewpoints is a thing to be prized. It should be a strength. It’s the raw material out of which greater wisdom and understanding can be forged, but only if students are actually engaging across differences in a serious, respectful, and ideally, curiosity-driven manner. And the sense from the students, especially the ones involved…
Harvard Crimson: Two Takes on the Council
On May 1, the Harvard Crimson Editorial Board published two editorials with very different takes on the Council on Academic Freedom. Read them and see: “We don’t entirely trust the council’s intentions in constructing this freedom right now.”Editorial Board: “Some Cautious Counsel to the Academic Freedom Council” “[W]e should begin by assuming good faith and…