Unspecified websites targeted at Harvard undergraduate women, minorities, and LGBTQ students have been shut down, according to The Crimson's report.
Harvard University is undergoing significant changes in its diversity initiatives, with key offices serving minority, LGBTQ, and women students either being dismantled or restructured. The Office for BGLTQ Student Life, the Harvard College Women’s Center, and the Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations have been replaced by the Office of Culture and Community, which notably avoids explicit mentions of diversity, equity, or protected categories such as race or gender.
This transition is part of broader efforts to align with federal demands, as the Trump administration has accused Harvard of violating federal antidiscrimination laws, specifically the Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination based on race, colour, or national origin. The administration has threatened to revoke federal research funding, tax-exempt status, and even international student enrollment certification, putting the university's federal funding and ability to receive federal student aid at risk.
The university's shift in administrative vocabulary from "diversity, equity, and inclusion" to terms like "community" and "growth" reflects a strategic response to federal pressure. Harvard’s new Office of Culture and Community emphasises integrity, respect, and excellence but omits direct references to diversity or identity-based equity initiatives, signalling a major concession to federal demands.
Harvard is actively contesting these allegations and the administration’s demands through legal challenges. The university is currently battling the Trump administration in federal court on two fronts: one to claw back the frozen federal funds, with a hearing set for July 21, and the other to block the White House's effort to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students.
In addition to these changes, Harvard is also addressing campus climate issues through other initiatives, such as task forces on antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias. The antisemitism task force, for instance, has recommended updating Harvard's admissions process to focus on the need to work alongside people of differing viewpoints and be prepared to accept disagreements.
Other US universities have also faced similar pressure from the White House and have met at least some of its demands. The Trump administration's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism found that Harvard was in "violent violation" of the Civil Rights Act. The US Departments of Education and Health and Human Services have notified the New England Commission of Higher Education that Harvard may fail to meet accreditation standards due to violations of federal antidiscrimination laws.
CNN's Andy Rose and Betsy Klein contributed to this report. The Harvard Crimson reported the unraveling of diversity initiatives at the university. Harvard College is currently undergoing significant changes in its diversity initiatives, largely marked by the dismantling or restructuring of key offices that previously served minority, LGBTQ, and women students.
- The changes in Harvard University's diversity initiatives are part of a broader response to political pressures, as the federal government, under the Trump administration, has threatened to revoke funding and international student enrollment certification due to allegations of violating federal antidiscrimination laws.
- The University's shift in administrative vocabulary from "diversity, equity, and inclusion" to terms like "community" and "growth" reflects a strategic concession to these political demands, with the new Office of Culture and Community emphasizing integrity, respect, and excellence but omitting direct references to diversity or identity-based equity initiatives.
