Harvard accreditation threatened by US, student data subpoenaed

Free Malaysia Today

10-07-2025

Harvard is accused of violating anti-discrimination laws and failing to meet accreditation standards. (AFP pic)
WASHINGTON : President Donald Trump's administration is intensifying its fight against Harvard University, warning that its accreditation may be in danger and formally moving to subpoena the school in a bid for information on foreign students.
The department of education and the department of health and human services said today they had notified the New England commission of higher education that Harvard may be in violation of anti-discrimination laws and failing to meet the commission's accreditation standards, citing antisemitism on campus after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The department of homeland security separately announced it was sending subpoenas because the school had 'repeatedly refused past non-coercive requests to hand over the required information for its student visitor and exchange programe certification'.
The agency is seeking 'relevant records, communications, and other documents relevant to the enforcement of immigration laws since Jan 1, 2020'.
The White House's latest moves cast doubt on the progress of negotiations between Harvard and federal officials to resolve a standoff which has seen the government freeze billions of dollars of research funding and the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based school sue the US.
Trump expressed optimism about a near-term settlement last month.
Those conversations stalled as of late June, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Education secretary Linda McMahon said yesterday in a cabinet meeting that the administration was 'negotiating hard' with both Harvard and Columbia University.
'I think we're getting close to having that happen. It's not wrapped up as fast as I wanted to, but we're getting there,' she added.
Harvard spokesman Jason Newton said in a statement that 'while the government's subpoenas are unwarranted, the University will continue to cooperate with lawful requests and obligations'.
The administration's actions amount to 'harmful government overreach', he said.
'Harvard remains unwavering in its efforts to protect its community and its core principles against unfounded retribution by the federal government,' Newton said.
'Secret weapon'
US President Donald Trump had expressed optimism about a near-term settlement with Harvard last month. (AP pic)
Trump has called accreditation his 'secret weapon', and pledged on the campaign trail to overhaul the system.
He said that he would allow for the creation of new accreditors that will impose 'real' standards on colleges, such as eliminating wasteful administrative roles and protecting free speech.
McMahon said in statement today that the administration expects Harvard's accreditor 'to keep the department fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards'.
'By allowing antisemitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers,' McMahon said.
NECHE, Harvard's accreditor, said on its website that it was aware the school had received a letter from the federal government outlining anti-discrimination violations.
NECHE president Larry Schall pointed to the post in response to a request for comment.
The commission 'takes its role seriously with regard to any investigations faced by its institutions to ensure appropriate monitoring and action in accordance with commission policy and procedures', the website read.
Trump has also pressured Columbia's accreditation status.
In early June, the education department said the school no longer meets standards for accreditation, pointing toward leadership's 'deliberate indifference' to the harassment of Jewish students.
Columbia received a warning that its accreditation may be 'in jeopardy' from the Middle States commission on higher education, which cited 'insufficient evidence' that the school is in compliance with certain standards like fostering a respectful campus climate.
Accreditation provides institutions access to federal student aid and a guarantee to students, faculty and employers that the school can impart a quality education.
While accreditors are the only authorities who can revoke a school's crucial status, the commissions themselves can lose recognition from the education department.
Colleges the accreditor oversees would then lose access to federal student aid unless they switch to a compliant agency or the original one regains approval.
Foreign students
As it pursues information about foreign students, the administration is alleging that Harvard has failed to implement discipline on campus and allowed a dramatic rise in crime.
Trump has waged a campaign to overhaul the school's policies on matters including admissions and faculty hiring, citing the wave of antisemitic rhetoric and violence on campuses across the US.
Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem has demanded Harvard hand over the information on foreign students, including disciplinary records, video footage of protest activity and records relating to illegal activity by students over the past five years.
The administration blocked the school from enrolling international students, but Harvard won a preliminary injunction against that order.
Harvard has been front and centre in the administration's clash with US colleges.
As the oldest and richest US university, Harvard has borne the brunt of Trump's anger as it pushed back on administration demands.
The administration has revoked more than US$2.4 billion in Harvard's research funding and also threatened the university's tax-exempt status.
The school has also challenged the funding freeze in court.
'We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way,' DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.