Highlight
How Lesley University Descended Into Crisis
As Harvard began to make international headlines in fall 2023, its lower-profile neighbor in Cambridge had spiraled into a full-blown upheaval of its own.
‘Keeper of the Keys’: Meet the Secretary of Harvard’s Secretive Governing Boards
Marc L. Goodheart ’81 is the most powerful person at Harvard no one has ever heard of.
Undergrad Sues Harvard IRC After Removal Over $170,000 ‘Financial Stress Test’
Theo J. Harper ’25 sued the Harvard International Relations Council after he was temporarily removed from the group in December for redirecting $170,000 to an unofficial bank account over two months as part of a secret financial stress test unbeknownst to the IRC’s top leadership.
‘This Has to Stop’: Harvard Set to Consider Institutional Neutrality
Interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 is expected to announce a working group that will consider a policy of institutional neutrality, a move that comes just months after the University became embroiled in controversy over its response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
88 Days: The Unraveling of Claudine Gay’s Harvard Presidency
Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned on Jan. 2, ending her tenure as the University's 30th president after it was clear the Harvard Corporation lost confidence in Gay's ability to lead amid mounting allegations of plagiarism and unrelenting criticism of her congressional testimony.
Harvard President Claudine Gay Resigns, Shortest Tenure in University History
Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday afternoon, a stunning downfall for Harvard’s first Black president and former dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Former Harvard Corporation Head William Lee ’72 Helped Prepare Gay Ahead of Testimony, Highlighting Complex Dual Roles
Former Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow William F. Lee ’72 and a team of lawyers from his firm, WilmerHale, played a major role in prepping University President Claudine Gay ahead of her disastrous congressional testimony, according to three people familiar with the situation.
Harvard President Gay Traveled to Washington to Quell the Backlash. Her Testimony Only Made it Worse.
Harvard President Claudine Gay appeared before Congress Tuesday to quell the backlash against the University. Instead, the hearing ended with members of Congress demanding Gay’s resignation and the leadership of Harvard Hillel saying they don’t trust her to protect Jewish students at the University.
‘Bullied Into Leaving’: Harvard Research Admin File Workplace Complaints, Leave Department En Masse
Top Harvard officials repeatedly failed to address workplace complaints against Associate Dean for Research Administration Services Lauren Ferrell that accused her of creating a toxic work environment, according to 10 current and former University administrators.
The Abolitionist and the Prisoners’ Union
Fifty years ago, the Massachusetts corrections commissioner handed the keys to the men incarcerated at Walpole State Prison. They ran the facility for two months — to prove to the world that prisons shouldn’t exist at all.
Battling in Court and on Campus, HBS Professor Francesca Gino Denies Data Fraud Allegations
As Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino continues to battle for vindication in court and the public eye following accusations that she committed data fraud, faculty within HBS have grown increasingly wary of the sanctions against Gino — and the administration that imposed them.
What’s in a Name? Ken Griffin’s $300 Million Donation Floods Harvard with Cash and Questions
Republican megadonor Kenneth C. Griffin ’89 $300 million donation to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences — which renamed the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences — raised questions about Harvard’s donor practices in general, with many wondering exactly how, why, and for how much Harvard sells the naming rights to its major schools and institutions.
Leaving Legacy Behind
With the Supreme Court widely expected to strike down race-conscious admissions this summer, another Harvard College admissions practice — legacy and donor preferences — could be collateral damage.
Bloated or Beneficial? Harvard’s Growing Admin
In 2004, Harvard employed just under 5,300 full-time administrators. Nearly two decades later, this figure has seen a whopping 43 percent increase. In contrast, the University’s faculty, starting at 2,000 members, has only increased by 11 percent in that same time period.
Dan Schrag, Top Harvard Climate Scientist, Faces Allegations of Bullying and Toxicity Spanning Two Decades
A nationally respected voice on climate science and policy, Harvard professor Daniel P. Schrag faced disciplinary measures in 2021 after students and staff raised concerns about his professional conduct. In interviews over the past year, more than two dozen people have said Schrag created a poor working environment for those around him over the past two decades.
‘Ghosted’: Clients, Mentors Seek Money and Answers from Harvard Dropout’s College Admissions Startup
Clients and former admissions mentors are still seeking refunds, compensation, and answers more than six months after the acquisition of college consulting startup Acceptitas, which cut ties with its mentors in late 2022, leaving many unpaid and unaware of their termination for months.
‘Still Unresolved’: Harvard Student Group Missing Approximately $30,000 After Leadership Dispute
The former president of the Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative, just weeks after the conclusion of her term, transferred approximately $30,000 from the organization’s bank account to her own. In the months since the Jan. 1 transfer, HUFPI has tried — and failed — to recover all the funds from its former president, Sama E.N. Kubba ’24.
Harvard Terminates University Health Services Physician Following Misconduct Reports, Triggering Medical Board Investigation
A Harvard University Health Services physician was terminated last year after receiving several complaints from female patients aged 18 to 31 who alleged misconduct and inappropriate behavior during physical examinations.
Harvard Misinformation Expert Joan Donovan Forced to Leave by Kennedy School Dean, Sources Say
Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf is forcing out online misinformation expert Joan M. Donovan from her role at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and ending her research project, according to three HKS staff members with knowledge of the situation.
‘Long Overdue’: Leverett Affiliates Say Former Faculty Deans’ Early Departure is Years in the Making
In June, Leverett House’s faculty deans stepped down from their posts — a year before the end of their term. For some affiliates who allege a pattern of mismanagement and a loss of house culture, their departure is "long overdue."
Harvard Holds Human Remains of 19 Likely Enslaved Individuals, Thousands of Native Americans, Draft Report Says
Harvard University holds the human remains of at least 19 individuals who were likely enslaved and almost 7,000 Native Americans — collections that represent “the University’s engagement and complicity” with slavery and colonialism, according to a draft University report obtained by The Crimson.
Since the Harvard Kennedy School Overhauled its Financial Aid Team, Students Say Services Have Suffered
The Harvard Kennedy School restructured its admissions and financial aid teams in 2021, laying off almost all of its enrollment services staff. But the restructuring, more than a dozen students said, has often left them in the dark about the state of loans, financial aid, and other basic student services.
38 Harvard Faculty Sign Open Letter Questioning Results of Misconduct Investigations into Prof. John Comaroff
Nearly 40 Harvard faculty members signed onto an open letter this week questioning the results of misconduct investigations into John L. Comaroff, a professor of African and African American Studies and Anthropology who was placed on unpaid leave last month.
Harvard Professor’s Paper Claiming ‘Comfort Women’ in Imperial Japan Were Voluntarily Employed Stokes International Controversy
A paper by Harvard Law School Japanese legal studies professor J. Mark Ramseyer that claims sex slaves taken by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II were actually recruited, contracted sex workers generated international controversy, academic criticism, and student petitions at Harvard this week.
‘The Achilles Heel of Title IX’
Students pursuing complaints of sexual misconduct at institutions other than their own said they faced both logistical and psychological hurdles while seeking restitution through Title IX offices. Experts said such inter-institutional cases can fall through the cracks of Title IX legislation.