Harvard says it will refrain from making statements on public policy issues

On Tuesday, Harvard said it would no longer issue statements on public policy issues. File photo: Matthew Healey/UPI

May 29 (UPI) — Harvard University officials will not comment on public policy issues in the future as the campus remains divided over the Israeli-Hamas war.

The move was a step toward adopting a key recommendation from Harvard’s faculty-led “Institutional Voice” working group, which said Tuesday that Harvard should not “issue official statements on public matters that do not directly impact the core function of the university.” claims. to the student newspaper The Harvard Crimson.

“Because few, if any, world events can be completely isolated from conflicting viewpoints, issuing official statements expressing sympathy risks alienating some members of the community by expressing implicit solidarity with others,” the working group said in its three-page report.

All university administrators, members of governing boards, deans, department chairs, and faculty councils should avoid commenting on public issues in accordance with this policy.

The working group left some wiggle room for university officials to speak out on specific issues, with some centers advocating for specific policies. However, he added that these individuals and centers should avoid giving the impression that they are speaking on behalf of the university.

The report indicated that future university leaders should rely on the report when questioned about the university’s silence on specific issues.

“It should be made clear that the reason for the silence is the belief that the university’s purposes are best served by speaking only on matters directly related to its functions, and not by making declarations on other matters, however important they may be in their own right,” the report said. . .

Harvard leaders have faced criticism for the university’s slow response to Hamas’s attack on Israel last October. She was severely criticized again when a pro-Palestinian student group accused Israel of Hamas’ actions. This has prompted some large donors to stop donating.

President Claudine Gay resigned under pressure in December after testifying before Congress about the university’s response to allegations of plagiarism.