On Monday, Harvard University firmly declined requests from the Trump administration to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and to conduct ideological screenings of international students, an action that could jeopardize nearly $9 billion in federal funding.
Harvard President Alan Garber articulated in a message to the university community, “No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”
This decision follows the issuance of a list of demands by the Trump administration as part of an evaluation of Harvard’s substantial federal funding.
Among the administration’s requests were the abolition of DEI initiatives and the implementation of screenings for international students to identify alleged supporters of terrorism, antisemitism, and those opposed to “the American values and institutions inscribed in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.”
The White House has yet to respond to Finance Newso’s inquiries for comments on the situation.
Since President Donald Trump took office again in January, the administration has intensified its focus on colleges and universities in a broader effort to dismantle DEI programs across the nation.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration withheld $400 million in funding from Columbia University due to its response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus, while Columbia agreed to many of the administration’s stipulations.
Additionally, the White House recently ceased over $1 billion in federal aid to Cornell University and around $790 million to Northwestern University.
