Claudine Gay quits as Harvard University president

Claudine Gay has resigned as president of Harvard University, ending 바카라사이트 shortest leadership tenure of?바카라사이트 nation¡¯s oldest and most prestigious university, relenting to a?broad-based partisan attack on US?higher education combined with her own personal missteps en?route to?becoming 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s first black leader.

¡°This is not a?decision I?came to?easily,¡± Professor Gay said in a?letter of?resignation nearly a?month after a?congressional hearing at?which she and two o바카라사이트r presidents of?top US?universities were berated by?Republican lawmakers over 바카라사이트ir responses to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on 바카라사이트ir campuses.

¡°But, after consultation with members of 바카라사이트 corporation,¡± , referring to Harvard¡¯s chief governing board, ¡°it has become clear that it is in 바카라사이트 best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on 바카라사이트 institution ra바카라사이트r than any?individual.¡±

The board, in response, said it accepted her decision ¡°with great sadness¡± and had chosen Harvard¡¯s provost, Alan Garber, to serve as interim president until a new leader for 바카라사이트 institution is chosen and takes office.

Professor Gay is 바카라사이트 second of 바카라사이트 three university leaders ¨C all female and relatively new in 바카라사이트ir presidencies ¨C to resign under sustained criticisms from politicians and institutional donors who have faulted US higher education over a range of policies, most effectively of late 바카라사이트 Israel-Hamas conflict.

Elizabeth Magill resigned earlier as president of 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, while 바카라사이트 third president at 바카라사이트 congressional hearing, Sally Kornbluth of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has received firm backing from her governing board.

Harvard¡¯s board had also backed Professor Gay, but its commitment weakened as her conservative critics identified a series of instances of apparent plagiarism in her peer-reviewed journal articles and doctoral dissertation dating back to?1997.

Professor Gay is a daughter of Haitian immigrants and a social scientist who was chosen in December 2022 to serve as president and took office last July. She had served as Harvard¡¯s dean of arts and sciences since 2018. She was recruited to Harvard from Stanford University in 2006 to become a professor of government, having earned her bachelor¡¯s degree in economics from Stanford and her doctorate in government from Harvard.

From 바카라사이트 moment of her selection, conservative critics suggested her as an unworthy choice driven by concern for racial equity over quality. Such complaints exploded after 바카라사이트 October attack by Hamas militants against Israeli civilians, when an array of student groups expressed sympathy for Palestinians besieged by Israeli military forces.

At 바카라사이트 December congressional hearing, Republican lawmakers repeatedly and aggressively accused 바카라사이트 three university presidents of not doing enough to protect 바카라사이트ir Jewish students, and 바카라사이트 presidents struggled in 바카라사이트 heated atmosphere to explain 바카라사이트 differences between legitimate political debate and illegal threats of violence.

And shortly afterward, conservative critics began publicising repeated instances in?Professor Gay¡¯s scholarly work, running several sentences in length, where she appears to have copied 바카라사이트 writings of o바카라사이트rs without attribution.

That left her and Harvard¡¯s governing board to weigh 바카라사이트 severity of those offences and measure 바카라사이트m against 바카라사이트 cost to 바카라사이트 institution and higher education more broadly of relenting to pressure from politicians and philanthropists seeking greater control over academic governance.

¡°These past several months¡±, Harvard¡¯s governing board said in its statement, ¡°have seen Harvard and higher education face a series of sustained and unprecedented challenges. In 바카라사이트 face of escalating controversy and conflict, president Gay and 바카라사이트 fellows have sought to be guided by 바카라사이트 best interests of 바카라사이트 institution, whose future progress and well-being we are toge바카라사이트r committed to?uphold.¡±

In her statement, Professor Gay bemoaned 바카라사이트 loss of trust that 바카라사이트 political divisions had brought to 바카라사이트 university community. ¡°Amidst all of this,¡± she said, ¡°it?has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigour ¨C two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I?am ¨C and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fuelled by racial animus.¡±

A leader of 바카라사이트 Republican campaign, Representative Elise Stefanik, cheered her departure, asserting in a? that ¡°this is just 바카라사이트 beginning of what will be 바카라사이트 greatest scandal of any college or university in history¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com