CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (TND) — Harvard University’s governing body on Wednesday denied a faculty push to award degrees to 13 seniors undergoing disciplinary action for their involvement in a pro-Palestine demonstration on campus.
Harvard was one of several schools across the country to host a Gaza solidarity encampment in protest of the conflict in the Middle East. Video of the encampment shared via Instagram shows students rushing a campus lawn and hurriedly setting up tents as onlookers cheer.
In a statement, the Harvard Corporation explained its decision is in keeping with university rules.
“In coming to this determination, we note that the express provisions of the Harvard College Student Handbook state that students who are not in good standing are not eligible for degrees,” the corporation wrote. “We also considered the inequity of exempting a particular group of students who are not in good standing from established rules, while other seniors with similar status for matters unrelated to Monday’s faculty amendment would be unable to graduate.”Members of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences last week voted to award degrees to the students during a meeting. In an open letter to Interim President Alan Garber, the staff argued their students did nothing wrong.
“We, the undersigned Harvard faculty and staff, are alarmed that Harvard undergraduate students who engaged in peaceful protest are being sanctioned in an unprecedented, disproportionate, and arbitrary manner compared to students engaging in similar acts of civil disobedience in Harvard’s history,” the letter reads. “These sanctions undermine trust. Students and faculty acted based on the widespread understanding that the university would facilitate prompt graduation, as had been stated in direct communications from the President.”
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“The primary outcome of these highly irregular Administrative Board proceedings will be to unduly harm these students’ future employment and current livelihood and to create further division on campus at a time when we should come together to honor our graduates,” staff added.Over 500 faculty and staff members signed the letter.
Hundreds of students walked out of Harvard's commencement Thursday to protest the corporation's decision, according to the Harvard Crimson. Students reportedly chanted "let them walk" while some held Palestinian flags. University leaders continued the ceremony and did not acknowledge the protesters, according to the Harvard Crimson.
Harvard professor Steven Levitsky predicted Wednesday the ruling could lead to an uprising among teaching faculty, according to the Harvard Crimson.
“I would expect a faculty rebellion, possibly a faculty rebellion against the entire governance structure, because there’s already a fair amount of mistrust toward the Corporation to begin with,” Levitsky told the publication.
A university spokesperson directed The National Desk to the corporation's statement when reached for comment Thursday.
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