Harvard’s Role in the Trump Administration

Recently, a coalition of Harvard student activists gathered in front of Massachusetts Hall and presented a list of demands to University President Drew G. Faust, calling upon Faust and the rest of the Harvard administration to “embark on a course of action that upholds our community values in the face of a new political reality.” This “Inaugurate a New Harvard” event, co-sponsored by Divest Harvard, the Harvard Islamic Society, Our Harvard Can Do Better, Student Labor Action Movement, Act on a Dream, Protect Undocumented Students at Harvard, Ethnic Studies Coalition, and Concilio Latino, demonstrates collaboration from a range of student organizations. We commend the intersectionality and the turnout from different student groups at this event, and hope that this sets a precedent for the role student organizations should take in facing the Trump administration, especially given the limitations that University administration has in taking direct action.

Many Harvard students have expressed their concerns about Donald Trump, both before and after the election and subsequent inauguration. Student activism to protect the rights of themselves and their peers is encouraging, and we encourage more students to take an active role in confronting significant problems that may continue to arise during the Trump presidency. Because students are not bound by stricter policies like the University as a whole is, it is critical that Harvard students continue to show their support and advocacy in the months to come.

Despite the University’s limitations, we recognize that Harvard has already taken some steps to tackle the problems that may endanger students during the Trump administration. Most notably, the University administration has taken significant steps to protect its undocumented students. However, the administration’s initiatives have often been more political and, as a result, lacking in tangible results. More should be done to directly reassure students that feel targeted by Trump’s policies. For example, Harvard can take more immediate, actionable steps instead of deferring to committees, and go forward with proposals put forward by previous reports. This would be much more productive than bringing together yet another group of students and faculty to discuss issues when there are proposals available that simply require action.

Knowing that Harvard must be tactful in forming its public positions, we are hopeful that the University will hold itself to a higher standard internally, starting by appointing a new Title IX officer that will "remain committed to Title IX enforcement independent of national political change," as Colby Bruno, the senior legal counsel at the Victim Rights Law Center, expressed.

Additionally, even with these constraints on public appearance, Harvard needs to prioritize the mental and physical well-being of students. Harvard admits students of all backgrounds and identities, and it is the University’s responsibility to protect them. It is important that Harvard upholds this duty so that unnecessary burden is not placed on its students. A failure to protect students is a failure to protect the diversity on our campus.

In the face of the Trump administration, Harvard students and administrators alike must take action to ensure the safety of all students on campus. While the University administration's public restraint is understandable and has its merits, students cannot be activists alone. Taking responsibility and initiative on all fronts will be of paramount importance to meet the challenges of the Trump era.