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Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding changes

harvard.edu

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Re: Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding changes

#601

Post by mikeryan »

benrapscallion wrote: post #561
bretpiatt wrote: post #32

With their endowment above $50 billion, combined with Federal plus Non-Federal sponsored revenue at 16% of operating budget, it makes sense to me they just forgo Federal funds and operate independently. If all 16% is canceled, then they'd need to draw an additional $1 billion per year from endowment at current budget levels. That would put them above 7% draw so potentially unsustainable for perpetuity, historically t…

Harvard affiliated hospitals are dependent on NIH funding for survival. Wonder if they are included in the scope of this.

NIH falls under HHS, and the HHS acting general counsel was a signatory on the original letter.

That said, affiliated hospitals are not owned or operated by Harvard.

The affiliates could be pushed to drop their affiliation if NIH wanted to play hardball with Harvard.

Re: Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding changes

#602

Post by amatecha »

TimorousBestie wrote: post #283
kweingar wrote: post #224

The aggregate demands of the administration are confusing and contradictory. They seem to be simultaneously asking for: - an end to diversity initiatives - a new diversity initiative for diverse points of view - a new policy of not admitting international students with certain points of view - ending speech-control policies - auditing the speech of certain departments and programs - ending discipline of students who…

It’s a good strategy. Even if Harvard had attempted to satisfy every bullet point, the govt could still retort that their demands were not satisfied.

Like the whole initial excuse for the tariffs on imports from Canada "because of fentanyl" despite https://www.npr.org/2025/02/02/nx-s1-5283957/fentanyl-trump-...

Re: Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding changes

#603

Post by colechristensen »

Vegenoid wrote: post #439
colechristensen wrote: post #6

I would have preferred a much more concise refusal.

I’m not sure if you wanted it shorter for tonal reasons rather than simply for length of time to read, but I think it was pretty concise.

It's bad rhetoric. Using stronger, more direct language would have been much more effective at making their point and having their point reach a broader audience. We need leaders who refuse to comply with an authoritarian government and do so with proud defiance. This message was meandering and weak.

Harvard has "fuck you money". They should go ahead and make it clear that they know they have this power and are expressing it (not necessarily with the vulgarity, yet)

Re: Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding changes

#604

Post by tmpz22 »

rtp4me wrote: post #597
acmj wrote: post #587

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People here have little idea about how Harvard works. Harvard is financially vulnerable. It is currently running on a deficiency considering the endowment. And Harvard can't freely use most endowment for personnels anyway. If the government takes away funding, Harvard will have a financial crisis. I guess the leadership made the decision in hope someone could stop the government before bad things happen but when bad…

With $50B in the endowment, how are they financially vulnerable? Honest question.

Much of the endowment is earmarked towards specific ends. It is not a slush fund for discretionary spending.

Re: Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding changes

#605

Post by [deleted] »

os2warpman wrote: post #431
porphyra wrote: post #261

Merit-based admission sounds good to me. Harvard is vigorously defending its "right" to continue to deny admissions to highly qualified Asian applicants out of nothing but pure racism, and somehow they are the good guys?

Merit is not easily definable. Standardized tests are bullshit, IQ tests are phrenology, class rankings are not comparable across school districts. Someone who was president of every club at school may be less able than a kid who had to flip burgers in the evenings to help make rent. Merit to a university may mean "someone whose charisma and social connections will bring great repute to the institution" more than "a…

[deleted]

Re: Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding changes

#606

Post by Braxton1980 »

imgabe wrote: post #596
Braxton1980 wrote: post #589

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The current admin is openly anti-intellectual. Edit: "We need to attack the universities in this country" "The professors are the enemy" Specific clip https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/1ichg58/ya... If you want the full speech it's on YT so if you reply with "context" you should back that up

Current universities are openly anti intellectual.

What evidence do you have of this?

Re: Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding changes

#607

Post by const_cast »

porphyra wrote: post #261

Merit-based admission sounds good to me. Harvard is vigorously defending its "right" to continue to deny admissions to highly qualified Asian applicants out of nothing but pure racism, and somehow they are the good guys?

When the "other side" is pretty much evil, yeah, you are the good guys. Like, by default. I would even go so far to say Harvard could do much, much worse and they would still be the good guys.

On a closely related note, you are legitimately out of touch with reality if you believe any part of this is done with the intention of "merit". This is done to strengthen allegiance to MAGA and conservative ideology.

Does that sound a bit scary and fascist-like? You decide. But it's explicitly stated as the goal of this constriction on higher education in Project 2025. So, take it up with them, not me.

Re: Harvard's response to federal government letter demanding changes

#610

Post by imgabe »

os2warpman wrote: post #431
porphyra wrote: post #261

Merit-based admission sounds good to me. Harvard is vigorously defending its "right" to continue to deny admissions to highly qualified Asian applicants out of nothing but pure racism, and somehow they are the good guys?

Merit is not easily definable. Standardized tests are bullshit, IQ tests are phrenology, class rankings are not comparable across school districts. Someone who was president of every club at school may be less able than a kid who had to flip burgers in the evenings to help make rent. Merit to a university may mean "someone whose charisma and social connections will bring great repute to the institution" more than "a…

“Merit definitions can be faulty, so completely abandon any attempt to measure merit and admit people based on vibes.”

This is why Harvard students now need remedial algebra classes.

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