Some Harvard faculty members have pledged to donate 10 percent of their pay to the school in its fight against the Trump administration, following the administration’s decision to freeze $2 billion in federal funding for the university, which has prompted a lawsuit from the school.
In a letter shared online, the organizers behind the effort asked senior faculty to donate 10 percent of their pay to the school for a year or until the situation is resolved.
“We are heartened by the University’s rejection of the Trump administration’s demands. We also recognize that the University now faces severe financial damage for its defense of academic freedom,” the letter states. “The Trump administration has already cut off more than $2 billion in grants, is considering revoking the University’s tax-exempt status, and has threatened to revoke its certification for enrolling foreign students.”
“These financial consequences are halting research, limiting graduate student enrollment, and stopping hiring of both faculty and staff. Many faculty are already affected by salary freezes,” it adds.
The letter was signed by Ryan Enos, Jeff Flier, Archon Fung, Oliver Hart, Rebecca Henderson, Steve Levitsky, Eric Maskin, Martha Minow, Dani Rodrik, Theda Skocpol, and Steve Walt.
How the funds would be used wasn’t detailed in the letter, but the organizers said they’re putting together a plan and requested that others sign the non-binding agreement to privately share their backing as they move ahead with the process, NBC 10 Boston noted.
“We envision that faculty who have made the pledge will hold a vote and if the majority agrees that the university is making a good faith effort to use its own resources in support of staff, student, and academic programs, faculty will proceed with their donation,” the letter notes.
As many as 84 professors signed on to the effort, according to WCVB 5.
Harvard has become a target for the Trump administration after it called on the school to end all preferences “based on race, color, national origin, or proxies thereof.”
It also pushed the school to put in place “merit-based” policies by August, prompting Harvard to respond by defying the administration as it uses its control of federal educational funding to push its agenda on universities.
The Trump administration has accused several universities of not doing enough to prevent antisemitism last year in connection with campus protests against the war in Gaza.
Harvard leadership has said that the school will not bow to the president, calling his administration’s actions a threat to academic freedom and the independence of all universities.
Previously this week, the Trump administration announced federal probes into Harvard as well as the Harvard Law Review following allegations of race-based discrimination.
After the release of an internal report on antisemitism and bias against Arabs, Harvard pledged to put in place its own reforms.
Hearings for the funding lawsuit filed by Harvard are set to take place at the end of July.
“The financial costs will not be shared equally among our community. Staff and students in many programs, in particular, are under greater threat than those of us with tenured positions,” the letter notes, going going on to state that signing on to the effort “would signal a commitment by faculty to use means at our disposal to protect the university and, especially, staff and students who do not have the same protections.”
