Latest news with #Diversity
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Harvard affinity group graduations held off campus amid ‘capitulation' to Trump
As graduating Harvard University students celebrated completing their degrees this week, some remained irked at the school for its decision a month ago to withdraw support for special ceremonies celebrating members of various identity groups. Under pressure from the Trump administration, Harvard said it would no longer fund, staff or provide space for affinity group graduation ceremonies, such as events honoring graduating students who are Black, veterans, Muslim or members of other groups. The school said at the same time that it would rename its Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging to the Office of Community and Campus Life. Some students saw the two moves as the school capitulating to the Trump administration, even as it battled the government tooth and nail on other matters. At the time, Harvard senior Victor Flores told MassLive he was more excited to celebrate his upcoming graduation at a ceremony for other Latin American students than to attend the main graduation, which was held Thursday. 'There's nothing like celebrating in community, especially with peers of similar backgrounds and similar experiences,' Flores said. Read more: 'Willing to capitulate': Cracks emerge in Harvard's resistance to Trump over DEI Without Harvard's support, space or funding for identity group graduation ceremonies, he and other students took the challenge of planning the events on themselves. Eight affinity groups held graduation ceremonies over the past week, and at almost every one, speakers criticized the university for backing away from the events, according to the Harvard Crimson, the school's student newspaper. At the Harvard Black Graduation, attended by more than 500 people at an off-campus hotel in Cambridge, New York Times reporter Nikole S. Hannah-Jones told graduates they 'deserved better than the capitulation of those in power here that would force you, with very little notice, to hold this graduation off campus and with no university support,' according to the Crimson. Other unofficial affinity group ceremonies honored Latino, first-generation, low-income, LGBTQ+, Muslim, veteran, disabled, and Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American graduates, the student paper reported. Ahead of Harvard's main commencement ceremonies on Thursday, Gabriel Rodriguez said his brother, a first-generation college student in a Mexican-American family, was among those students whose affinity group celebrations lost university support. 'He and his friends had to rally, and the rest of the Latino students had to rally, to get a Latino graduation set up,' Rodriguez said. 'They were able to raise $15,000, but the fact that it had to happen on their own and they didn't have the university's support really makes a difference.' Rodriguez said the last few months have been stressful — for his brother on a campus under pressure from the federal government, and for the family watching it from afar. Harvard has spent weeks as the focal point of President Donald Trump's assault on higher education as his administration applied increasing pressure to enact massive change to Harvard's admissions, hiring, management and curriculum. Read more: Here's everything Trump has stripped from Harvard so far — and what is threatened 'We were worried, because whenever there's such a spotlight on a university, you just never know what's going to happen,' Rodriguez said. 'And so there were concerns that we just want to make sure that he was safe and that he was in a good place.' At an affinity group ceremony for first-generation and low-income students this week, Anthony Jack, author of 'The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students,' said the event had been 'marred by broken promises' by Harvard, according to the Crimson. 'They tried to take our commencements away,' Jack said. 'But nothing — no executive order, no coerced concession — can take away all that went into making this day possible.' Harvard commencement speaker says it's fitting to 'hear from an immigrant like me' Many foreign students already fleeing Harvard University due to Trump order Protesters pack outside Harvard commencement as families focus on their graduates Trump admin starts 30-day countdown on Harvard foreign students Shadow of Trump administration hangs over Harvard University commencement Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Harvard University President Gets Standing Ovation After Taking Dig at Trump During Graduation Speech
Harvard University President Alan Garber received a standing award for celebrating students from "around the world" during his commencement speech. The ceremony came amid relentless attacks on the university by the Trump administration. In recent days, the White House has attempted to block Harvard from enrolling international students and cancelled $100 million more in federal contracts with the institution. Harvard University hosted its commencement ceremony for the class of 2025 on Thursday, May 29, amid the institution's ongoing feud with President Donald Trump and his administration. The ceremony, held at the historic Tercentenary Theatre in Harvard Yard, featured remarks from prominent students, illustrious keynote speakers and faculty heads, each of whom addressed the tensions between the university and the current political administration. Most notably, Harvard President Alan Garber began his remarks with an apparent dig at the Trump administration's attempts to kick out all of the university's foreign students. "To the class of 2025, from down the street, across the country and around the world," he began, pausing for applause before repeating himself for emphasis. "Around the world, just as it should be." The simple expression of solidarity with the entirety of his student body earned Garber a standing ovation. Keynote speaker Dr. Abraham Verghese, a bestselling author and professor at Stanford Medical School, praised Harvard and its students for 'courageously defending the essential values of this university and indeed of this nation.' 'No recent events can diminish what each of you have accomplished here,' he told the graduates. In April, the Trump administration issued Harvard — and several other prominent U.S. universities — a list of demands targeting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, the admission of international students, pro-Palestinian protests and more. Since their bold refusal to comply with Trump's demands, Harvard has become the lightning rod for the administration's ire. Recently, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced she had ordered the termination of the school's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which allows Harvard to enroll international students. The university sued, and on May 23, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the Trump administration from revoking Harvard's SEVP certification without further legal process. Then, on May 27, Trump ordered the cancellation of the government's remaining federal contracts with Harvard, worth an estimated $100 million. At the time, Garber called the move "perplexing," but said he believed the university needed to remain "firm in our commitments to what we stand for. And what we stand for — I believe I speak for other universities — is education, pursuit of the truth, helping to educate people for better futures." "Why cut off research funding?" Garber continued. "Sure, it hurts Harvard, but it hurts the country because after all, the research funding is not a gift. The research funding is given to universities and other research institutions to carry out work — research work — that the federal government designates as high-priority work. It is work that they want done. They are paying to have that work conducted." "Shutting off that work does not help the country, even as it punishes Harvard, and it is hard to see the link between that and, say, antisemitism," he noted. Students also referenced the ongoing attacks on their university during Thursday's commencement speeches. Salutatorian Aidan Robert Scully, who delivered his speech in Latin, told the crowd that, 'Neither powers nor princes can change the truth and deny that diversity is our strength.' Chinese graduate student Yurong 'Luanna' Jiang, reflected on how Harvard had opened her eyes to a global community. 'When I met my 77 classmates from 32 different countries, the countries I knew only as colorful shapes on a map turned into real people, with laughter, dreams, and the perseverance to survive the long winter in Cambridge,' she said. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Fellow graduate Thor Reimann noted, 'We leave a campus much different than the one we entered, with Harvard at the center of a national battle over higher education in America.' 'Our university is certainly imperfect, but I am proud to stand today with our graduating class, our faculty, and our president in the shared conviction that this ongoing project of veritas is one worth defending,' he shared. Read the original article on People
The Hill
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
16 states sue over research grant cuts
Attorneys general from 16 states filed a Thursday lawsuit against the Trump administration's cuts to research grants funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Earlier this month, the NSF said it would no longer reimburse indirect costs for research exceeding 15 percent. The move comes after an April announcement that struck more than $200 million in funds for studies exploring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in addition to misinformation. The coalition of states says that a federal law requires the NSF to increase the 'participation of women and underrepresented minorities' in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 'This administration's attacks on basic science and essential efforts to ensure diversity in STEM will weaken our economy and our national security,' New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement on the lawsuit. 'Putting politics over science will only set our country back, and I will continue to fight to protect critical scientific research and education,' she added. Alongside New York, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Washington are each listed as plaintiffs in the legal battle. The NSF did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment on the legal challenge. The state's lawsuit comes as a group of 13 schools sued the NSF over slated changes. 'Research projects with more narrow impact limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or characteristics do not effectuate NSF priorities. NSF will continue to support research with the goal of understanding or addressing participation in STEM, in accordance with all applicable statutes and mandates, with the core goal of creating opportunities for all Americans,' the foundation wrote in an April statement. 'NSF will continue to support basic and use-inspired research in S&E fields that focus on protected characteristics when doing so is intrinsic to the research question and is aligned with Agency priorities,' it adds.
Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Harvard given 30 days to respond as Trump administration threatens foreign student ban
The Trump administration signalled on Thursday that it may walk back on its plan to immediately revoke Harvard University's ability to enrol foreign students, following backlash and logistical concerns over the move. As per a report by Reuters, in a court filing, the Department of Homeland Security issued a formal notice of intent to Harvard on Wednesday, warning that it plans to withdraw the university's certification under the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The Ivy League institution now has 30 days to respond. The notice arrived just ahead of a federal court hearing that will decide whether a temporary block on the Trump administration's earlier revocation order should be extended. Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has escalated his campaign against elite universities, placing institutions like Harvard under heightened scrutiny for alleged political bias. But the administration's tougher stance began to take shape well before his latest term. The turning point came in the aftermath of Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which ignited the Gaza war and fuelled widespread campus protests across the United States. At a congressional hearing two months after the October 7 attacks, then-Harvard President Claudine Gay was asked whether 'calling for the genocide of Jews' would violate the university's rules on bullying and harassment. 'It can be, depending on the context,' Gay responded — a statement that stunned students, donors, and lawmakers alike, and exposed deep divisions within Harvard and its alumni network. Gay later issued a public apology, but the fallout, compounded by a separate plagiarism scandal, led to her resignation. Many Jewish advocacy groups said her departure pointed to a broader failure by Harvard to adequately confront antisemitism on campus. Despite the leadership change, the Trump administration has kept up the pressure and launched an aggressive campaign against Harvard, citing alleged antisemitism and discrimination on campus. This began with an executive order targeting institutions that fail to protect Jewish students, followed by investigations, threats to revoke visas of foreign students, and multiple funding freezes. Harvard has been placed under scrutiny by several federal agencies, with demands to dismantle DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programmes, stop race-based admissions, and increase 'viewpoint diversity.' Despite Harvard President Alan Garber's firm defence of academic freedom and constitutional protections, the administration escalated pressure, cutting off new research grants, threatening tax-exempt status, and ultimately revoking the university's ability to enrol international students. The Department of Energy and other agencies also terminated hundreds of millions in funding. Harvard has responded with lawsuits, claiming First Amendment violations and federal overreach.
BreakingNews.ie
18 hours ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
40% of large businesses in Ireland lost employees due to diversity policy changes
40 per cent of large enterprises in Ireland have experienced employee resignations due to recent changes to their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in Ireland, according to a new survey. The survey, from global technology, engineering, and consulting service provider Expleo, got responses from 200 business and IT decision-makers in Ireland. Advertisement It found that the issue of DEI is having a profound impact on businesses in Ireland as they weigh up following global trends, versus doubling down on their existing policies. The research, conducted by Censuswide, found that large enterprises in Ireland are divided on how to address DEI. While 49 per cent said they are increasing their commitment to DEI – and 56 per cent said it is fundamental to the success of their organisation – some 42 per cent believe there is too much focus being placed on it. This uncertainty is already impacting employees, with 47 per cent of decision-makers admitting that individuals are worried about DEI becoming less important. Advertisement Since November 2024, 40 per cent of organisations operating in Ireland have already eliminated, or have planned to eliminate, DEI targets completely. And, of those who include employee pronouns in email signatures, 50 per cent are removing them. Furthermore, almost half (49 per cent) of enterprises who have operations in the US are removing references to DEI that may get them into difficulty Stateside. Managing director for Ireland, Expleo, Phil Codd: said: 'Committing to DEI is not easy. Shortcomings on targets can be demoralising and subject to board scrutiny. But if we abandon targets, we effectively stop holding ourselves to account. 'However, we do have reason to be optimistic. A significant proportion of enterprise leaders said they are increasing their commitment to DEI in Ireland. Advertisement "These are the businesses who are going against the grain and making choices that are not only principled, but commercially smart. In doing so, they are positioning themselves as true leaders who are capable of attracting top talent in an employee market where DEI matters more than ever. 'We see first-hand at Expleo, by enriching our workforces, diversity brings tangible value to organisations by widening perspectives and challenging accepted norms. "It is fundamental to the innovation we bring to our clients and our own revenue growth as a challenger in the IT services space in Ireland. It should be ingrained in the DNA of every organisation. It is time for companies to boldly go forward and embrace DEI at a time when it is under attack.'
