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Time of India
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
How Harvard is reshaping itself under pressure from Trump and internal dissent
President Alan Garber leads Harvard through post-DEI and antisemitism scrutiny Harvard University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the United States, is undergoing significant internal restructuring amid increasing political and cultural pressure. The shift is occurring under the leadership of Alan Garber, the university's 31st president, who stepped into the role following the resignation of Claudine Gay. President Donald Trump, in his ongoing critique of elite universities, has focused his attention on Harvard, accusing the institution of fostering antisemitism and liberal bias. The criticism intensified after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, with Trump threatening to withdraw nearly $7 billion in federal funding unless action was taken. According to The Atlantic, Garber was informed by government officials that the Department of Education was examining Harvard's practices, leading to growing tension between the university and the administration. A new president and a divided campus Alan Garber, a trained economist and physician, was previously Harvard's provost and a relatively quiet figure in public discourse. His presidency began at a moment of institutional upheaval, marked by mounting criticism from both the federal government and student activists on campus. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Many Are Watching Tariffs - Few Are Watching What Nvidia Just Launched Seeking Alpha Read More Undo According to The Atlantic, Garber told Harvard's governing board that he believed 'the MAGA critique is not entirely wrong,' referencing criticism of elite institutions by supporters of President Trump. The transition in leadership followed intense scrutiny of former President Claudine Gay's handling of campus unrest and her remarks before Congress regarding antisemitism. As reported by The Atlantic, Gay's resignation was influenced by accusations of plagiarism and failure to curb antisemitic rhetoric among students, further complicating Harvard's internal dynamics. Federal scrutiny and external pressure President Trump's administration has placed elite institutions like Harvard under federal review for alleged violations of civil rights. The Department of Education opened investigations into the university's response to antisemitism following complaints filed after the October 7 attacks. These investigations are part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to challenge the ideological direction of higher education institutions. The financial implications are substantial. As The Atlantic reported, Garber received a call from federal officials indicating that Harvard's eligibility for nearly $7 billion in federal funding might be reconsidered if reforms were not made. This development contributed to mounting pressure within the university's leadership circles to act swiftly and visibly. Restructuring DEI and academic review Garber initiated a comprehensive review of Harvard's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. The initiative, led by law professor Vicki Jackson, was described as a reassessment of the university's institutional approach to diversity and inclusion. According to The Atlantic, Garber clarified that this review did not signal a retreat from DEI, but rather a reflection on how to ensure 'inclusion and belonging' are pursued in a politically sustainable way. In parallel, Garber launched a working group on antisemitism, headed by Raffaella Sadun from Harvard Business School. The group was tasked with delivering a set of actionable recommendations by the end of the spring term, in an effort to reassure Jewish students and counter perceptions that the university was indifferent to antisemitism on campus. Tensions with faculty and student groups The internal changes have not been without conflict. Faculty members have raised concerns about perceived concessions to political pressure. As The Atlantic reported, Garber faced criticism from some faculty who viewed his actions as appeasing the federal government at the expense of academic independence. Student groups have also voiced frustration, particularly in response to administrative policies affecting campus speech and demonstrations. Harvard has grappled with ongoing protests and sit-ins, many related to the Israel-Palestine conflict and broader demands for institutional transparency and accountability. Looking ahead Despite the challenges, Garber remains committed to steering Harvard through its current period of transformation. His leadership comes at a moment when elite universities across the US are being asked to redefine their missions in the face of increasing scrutiny. As The Atlantic noted, Garber's approach reflects a calculated effort to protect Harvard's institutional integrity while navigating the demands of a deeply polarized political environment. The coming months are expected to test his ability to balance federal expectations, internal reforms, and the university's traditional commitment to academic freedom. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mooresville school shooting plot shows long-term toll of Indiana's opioid crisis
In 2021-22, Indiana hit a record high number of Hoosier deaths due to drug overdoses, 2,755. According to last Friday's publicly available probable cause affidavit, one of those deaths was Trinity Shockley's mother. Shockley was a senior in Mooresville Schools until Feb. 20 when her plans for a Valentine's Day mass shooting in the cafeteria were discovered. This is the same school my daughter attends, the same cafeteria my daughter would have been sitting in with her friends during the planned attack. Hicks: How to create equal opportunities in post-DEI Indiana More than 320,000 children lost a parent to drug overdoses during the opioid crisis, according to the most recent data. Shockley's case is a stark reminder that efforts to combat the opioid crisis have entered a new phase. While the first two years of support have focused on supporting addicts directly, a better understanding of and support for the children of addicts deserves attention. More than 57,500 Hoosier children were affected by the opioid crisis, with the highest concentration in rural areas. This is more than the number of children affected by autism and childhood diabetes combined. The effects of having a parent that is an addict or has substance usage disorder is widely studied and very clear: Higher rates of child abuse and neglect Lower academic achievement Higher rates of family breakdown Higher rates of mental health issues Lower rates of family involvement and support Increased rates of incarceration as an adult Increased rates of addiction and substance usage disorder as adults The emotional and long-term toll of navigating life with a parent that is an addict is not just overwhelming Hoosier children and families, but also costing our state systems billions. According to the most recent estimates, children with a parent that's an addict cost our state $37,000 in health care, $44,000 in child welfare and social programs, and $186,000 in special education costs. Pediatricians, schools, therapists, and social services are increasingly seeing more high-need cases at greater frequencies than ever before. This means state agencies are overwhelmed by providing services and supporting kids displaying high acuity behaviors. These trends are not set to slow anytime soon. By 2030, the innocent victims of the opioid crisis are set to have cost the state $10.5 billion. Indiana received $980 million in opioid settlement dollars to be doled out over 18 years. If there is one thing we have learned from this crisis, it's that only treating the addict is ineffective because it leaves family members like Shockley untreated. We've also learned that rural areas were hit far harder than urban areas. The challenges to providing support in rural areas have proven to be far more difficult and have shown less efficacy to date. To curb the systemic impact and give these innocent victims a shot at a healthy future, we need to work smarter not harder. We need to be investing opioid settlement dollars into evidence-based, data-driven approaches that support inner agency collaborations of all the systems that support the children of addicts. We need infrastructure that ensures data from each of these agencies are talking to each other in tangible ways. We need to focus on efforts that coordinate data and responses across health care, law enforcement, child welfare agencies and education to reduce redundancies and ensure kids are getting the best we have to offer. We need to support innovative approaches that address academic achievement, health outcomes and workforce development needs in the professional areas meeting the needs of children who have a parent battling addiction. Most importantly, rural Indiana needs more support. As a Mooresville mom, it's difficult to express my gratitude to Mooresville Schools and the police department for their handling of last week's incident. Their quick and decisive action ensured that all the children in our community were safe. As an educational professional who has been working with kids with mental health needs for more than 20 years, I can't help but be impressed by the teachers, counselors, administrators, school nurses, coaches, staff members and officers who served bravely last week. If you follow Mooresville Schools on social media, you know their hashtag is #BeMoore. After last week, I would argue that their hashtag should be #DoingMoore because they are clearly doing more with less to support our kids. Addie Angelov is the co-founder and CEO of the Paramount Health Data Project. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mooresville school shooting plot points to opioid crisis | Opinion
