Harvard President Admits School ‘Went Wrong’ Allowing Professor Activism
The Harvard leader admitted that the university allowing professors to express their personal opinions in class was a bad idea that has “chilled free speech and debate on campus.”
Harvard University President Alan Garber made the remarks during an episode of the Identity/Crisis podcast, the Harvard Crimson reported Saturday.
According to the article, Garber claimed that “faculty activism had chilled free speech and debate on campus.”
He said: “And we had a rule that professors could hold different political views, in their own time, but in their teaching they had to be completely objective. That’s what changed, and that’s where I think we went wrong.”
Garber continued:
Because think about it. If a professor in a class said, “Here’s what I believe about this issue,” how many students, some of you would probably be willing to address that issue, but most people wouldn’t, but how many students would actually be willing to confront a professor who has expressed a strong opinion on a controversial issue?
This is partly what has happened, and I am happy to say that I think there is a real movement to restore balance in education.
The Crimson said Garber took office when students were divided over the deadly terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the university’s handling of the response was heavily criticized. However, the article says it is working to restore a culture of debate.
During the podcast episode, Garber said he has long believed in “unfettered” free speech.
In May, Garber said, “The administration and others have said that there are too few conservatives on campus and that their opinions are not welcome, to the extent that that’s true, it’s a problem that we really need to address,” according to Breitbart News.
Importantly, in announcing his retirement, Harvard professor James Hankins recently criticized the university for changes made after the Chinese coronavirus pandemic and the George Floyd riots, citing anti-white and anti-male resolutions, according to Breitbart News.
He said his decision to retire came after enduring the university’s coronavirus rules and essentially “taking a knee” in response to the Floyd riots, saying it had adverse effects on the school’s graduate admissions process:
“While reviewing graduate applicants in fall 2020, I came across an exceptional candidate who was a perfect fit for our program,” Hankins wrote in his essay, “Why I’m Leaving Harvard,” published Monday in Compact Magazine.
“In past years, this candidate would have immediately risen to the top of the candidate pool,” continues the professor. “In 2021, however, I was informally told by a member of the admissions committee that “it” (i.e. admitting a white man) “wasn’t going to happen this year.” »
Hankins also said the changes at the university showed why young people are in a “state of moral and intellectual disorientation.”
