Harvard University became the leader of the resistance of the academic world against the Trump government – and soaked in the praise of the White House critics – when it refused a selection of pushy requirements And Took the government in court last month.
Saw legal experts a strong casebuilt by A team of elite conservative lawyersTo recover Billions of research dollars that the government was undressed. Proponents welcomed the unusually sharp public tone of Harvard.
“Congratulations to Harvard for refusing to renounce her constitutional rights to Trump’s authoritarianism,” wrote Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on social media last month.
But behind the scenes, several high civil servants of Harvard and in its top board believe that the university confronts a crisis that could last until President Trump is no longer out of power, according to three people involved in the discussions. Even if Harvard’s legal matter is successful, these officials say that the school is still confronted with enormous problems that the oldest and richest university of the nation can force to reconsider its identity and scale.
Every outcome probably seems to lead to significant cuts on the research and workforce of Harvard and undermines priority for years. Without the vast research apparatus, there is a fear that it could become more as a small, education -oriented Liberal Arts College.
University leaders believe that the only clear options either collaborate with Mr Trump or somehow quickly obtain huge sums of money, perhaps from private donors, the three people said. They spoke about the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private councils of school officials.
The cross currents are different from those of the university in its modern history. For centuries, Harvard cherishes his independence, his swaggering proud and his record of academic excellence. But Mr. Trump enjoyed the unleashed of chaos that, according to many, will be difficult to comprehend as long as he sees the university as a target.
On Monday, the Trump administration strengthened the collision and threatened to choke For an indefinite period to Harvard.
“They can make your life unpleasant, even if they violate the law and a court ultimately determines that they are violating the law,” said Samuel R. Bagenstos, who was the general counsel of the Health and Human Services department during the BIDEN administration.
Harvard refused to comment on Thursday. But the dean of the Faculty of Art and Sciences, the largest division of Harvard, acknowledged the extent of the university’s problems during a faculty meeting this week.
“These federal actions have initiated changes that will not be undone, at least not in the near future,” said the dean, Hopi E. Hoekstra, according to De Krant Campus, the Harvard Crimson.
“Although Harvard challenges the financing residence in court, we cannot assume that the resolution will be reached quickly, or, even if Harvard has the upper hand, that the funds will be fully returned,” Dr. Hoekstra.
Mr. Trump and the executive power have enormous leverage about the school. The education secretary, Linda McMahon, said on Monday that the federal government would stop issuing subsidies and contracts to Harvard in the future, or at least trying. Harvard received approximately $ 687 million in federal investigation money during the tax year 2024, making the federal government the largest source of income for a portfolio of projects that vary from tuberculosis to space research.
Harvard recently spent $ 750 million in bonds and the donation is valued at more than $ 53 billion. But the majority of the donation money is limited, Which means that it cannot be spent as will.
Harvard has already imposed recruitment and started with fired. And the university has an internal group, now known as the Research Continuity Committee and studies how the university can use a much smaller pot of research money that does not come from the federal government.
For now, the Harvard Corporation, the board that supervises the university, has decided to stay and continue to fight the course. Board members are acutely sensitive to the commotion that followed when the Columbia University and large law firms such as Paul, Weiss, deals with Mr. Trump, according to two of the three people involved in the discussions.
But some civil servants have wondered whether the school may have less recoil for a deal, because Harvard leaders could frame any agreement as a successful arrangement in the muscular lawsuit they have brought. That lawsuit was a response to A list of requirements that the government sent in AprilWho obliges the university to submit new audits to change admission and recruitment methods, to dilute the influence of the faculty and to determine ‘point of view diversity’.
The company has told the school’s lawyers not to get in touch with the Trump administration, according to the two people involved in discussions.
Complicating things is whether the White House will honor a deal.
Lawrence H. Summers, a former President of Harvard, said in an interview that it was difficult to assess a possible scheme before the conditions became public. But he said, “It would be a tragedy if Harvard would solve this in a way that gave support and encouragement to the idea of Extralegal extortion.”
“Harvard is almost uniquely well positioned – much better than any individual law firm or an individual company or almost any other institution – to withstand illegal extortion because of his resources, because of his prestige, because of the width of his network,” he said.
The Trump government has encouraged the university to negotiate. Harrison Fields, a spokesperson for the White House, said last month that Harvard’s aggressive response The requirements of the administration was ‘Showboating’. He added: “They know more than anyone else that playing Ball will hurt their team.”
The Trump government repeated its goal this week to cause as much damage as possible, when Mrs. McMahon declined a letter and told Harvard that it would not receive future federal subsidies. Although experts in the field of government contracts and spotting subsidies with the Missive, the government can essentially put on the blacklist through a process called DeMarment.
Deparment is not an overnight procedure and can be challenged. But a victory for Harvard can be a hollow, because the Trump administration could still try to manipulate the process of making subsidies from the school, academics said this week in interviews.
Dr. Daniel W. Jones, a former Chancellor of the University of Mississippi who also led the Medical School there, said that federal agencies had a significant influence on financing decisions, even when Peer Review was involved.
“They could find a reason,” said Dr. Jones, a former president of the American Heart Association who often consults on subsidies. “So much has been turned upside down.”
Disputes can take months or years. Harvard is looking for a quick end to the current case against the government, but the next hearing is only in July. Professions can also extend the battle, so that Harvard is stripped of money and time.
Dr. Jones has also noted that researchers “not only can stop science and pick it up again.” Even if Harvard eventually wins in court, the financing of disturbances could have already built up or compromised carefully structured projects.
“Harvard is in a really bad place,” said Mr. Bagenstos, the Biden officer. He added all higher education, “is here in a really bad place.”
Apart from the research financing, there will be nothing to prevent the administration from saddling the school with more heavy and potentially expensive investigations, as is currently carried out by at least five different departments and agencies, including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior Security.
Some university officials fear that those investigations, which so far seem to be only civil matters, could swell in full criminal investigations in the coming months.
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