Harvard deprives 13 students of graduating over Pro-Palestine protests
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The Harvard Corporation veto of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) decision highlights the tense relationship between the university’s faculty and administration.
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People walk past the remnants of an encampment of tents in Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP)
A group of 13 students sanctioned by Harvard University’s governing board have been rejected from receiving their degrees and graduating because of their participation in pro-Palestine protests.
The Harvard Corporation veto of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) decision, which The Harvard Crimson paper called "unprecedented", highlights the tense relationship between the university’s faculty and administration following the increasing Gaza solidarity encampments across the US.
FAS voted on Monday to let the 13 students receive degrees and graduate, but the corporation’s veto barred the students from graduating.
The corporation released a statement saying, "Because the students included as the result of Monday’s amendment are not in good standing," adding, "We cannot responsibly vote to award them degrees at this time."
Read more: Harvard to be investigated by US govt for Muslim discrimination
Around 115 faculty members attended to vote on Monday to allow the sanctioned students to graduate and support them, while Professor Steven Levitsky warned in an interview for The Harvard Crimson that the faculty could revolt if their vote is overruled.
"I would expect a faculty rebellion, possibly a faculty rebellion against the entire governance structure, because there’s already a fair amount of mistrust toward the Corporation, to begin with," he said.
Too late to backtrack?
Harvard suspended five students last week and sanctioned more than 20 others for their participation in a pro-Palestine campus encampment.
In an attempt to look good, the corporation claimed that the students may still receive their degrees once their disciplinary cases go through the standard university process, yet it remains dependent on the outcome.
"We care deeply about every member of our community — students, facility, staff, researchers and alumni — and we have chosen a path forward that accords with our responsibilities and reaffirms a process for our students to receive prompt and fair review," the corporation continued in its statement.
This follows a decision by Harvard to discuss student concerns on the university's endowment concerning "Israel" after which protesters against the Israeli war on Gaza took down their tents in the university yard on May 14, pending the talks.
Read next: List of US colleges advocating for divestment from 'Israel': Newsweek
Harvard oversees the biggest academic endowment in the world, amounting to around $50 billion, and invests part of it in funds and companies, some of which are linked to "Israel".
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In a statement on Instagram, the student protest group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP coalition) said that after surviving beyond the student move-out, the encampment has come to an end, however, "the struggle for Palestinian liberation goes on."
