Some Harvard University faculty members are calling for a restructuring of the university, whose "image has been tarnished."
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), as pressure mounts on Rector Gay, who has been criticized for her "free speech" approach to demonstrations against Israel on campus, to resign, some faculty members have called for the resignation of members of the Board of Governors who have expressed their support for her.
DEMAND FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
Former Harvard Medical School Dean Jeffrey Flier said in a statement that the university's reputation "has taken a very significant hit around the world" because of the recent developments.
Kit Parker, a lecturer in the Department of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, said the university was at a crossroads and that Board members should resign to change the course.
An unnamed faculty member asked members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives to appoint a government official to the Board of Governors to ensure "greater transparency and public accountability."
A spokesperson for Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said the Governor was aware of the proposal and "looks forward" to reviewing it.
WHAT HAPPENED?
On December 5, as part of a hearing titled "Holding Campus Presidents Accountable and Combating Antisemitism" at the US Congressional Committee on Education and the Workforce, Harvard University President Claudine Gay, University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) President Sally Kornbluth were called to testify about their approach to incidents of antisemitism on college campuses.
The three rectors spent hours answering questions about disciplinary action against students on anti-Semitic issues, how universities represent diverse views, and security on campus.
Gay, Magill and Kornbluth, who became chancellors in the last year, said they would fight against anti-Semitism and the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment and hatred in all its forms.
All three were forced to resign after facing intense criticism and pressure for considering demonstrations against Israel as a form of free speech.
Magill, the Rector of the University of Pennsylvania, resigned following pressure.
The Harvard University administration, on the other hand, announced that Rector Gay would remain in his position despite the backlash he received for his statements at a hearing on anti-Semitism in the US Congress.
With this decision, the university administration, despite intense pressure from donors and some politicians, took a stand in favor of the free discussion of non-criminal ideas.
