‘Disappointed, But Not Surprised’: As Harvard President Garber Loses Interim Title, Students Remain Wary

When students received notice that Alan M. Garber ’76 was confirmed as Harvard’s 31st president Friday afternoon, many were far from shocked.

“I was not surprised at all. I saw this coming from a mile away,” Gustavo Merino Martinez ’27 said.

Garber’s elevation from interim to permanent president — at least through 2027 — seemed like a safe, even predictable choice from the Harvard Corporation. In his first semester in Massachusetts Hall, Garber proved himself able to steer the University away from the national controversies that engulfed campus following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

“Especially considering recent political conflict and turmoil, I think that Garber is exactly the president that Harvard has been looking for,” Merino Martinez added.

Still, as Garber continues in the role on a non-interim basis, he will have to contend with a student body whose sentiments range from admiration to apathy to plain disappointment, especially over his handling of student protests and the 20-day pro-Palestine encampment in Harvard Yard.

“I feel like Harvard is more focused on mitigating negative attention from the outside or certain media outlets or certain donors — groups like that — rather than what its students wanted,” Stella Lei ’26 said.

“I was disappointed, but not surprised,” she said.

Irati Egorho Diez ’26 said she felt indifferent about the announcement, adding that it seemed like nothing more than business as usual for the University.

“To be totally frank, the difference between Garber being president and interim president is not that consequential to me,” she wrote in an email. “I would guess many students feel that way.”

Several students said Garber has a long way to go to rebuild trust among affiliates following the end of the encampment in May. Garber was accused of reneging on a deal to end the encampment after dozens of undergraduate and graduate students were suspended or placed on probation for participating in the demonstration.

Though the disciplinary actions prevented 13 seniors from graduating at Harvard’s Commencement ceremonies, 11 wound up receiving their degrees after the Harvard College Administrative Board reversed the suspensions and reduced probations last month.

Still, the repeated flip-flopping under Garber’s leadership left some students with a bitter taste in their mouths.

“I think overall, Garber has a lot of work to do in terms of building up his reputation with the students, because at the moment, there’s not a favorable image of him on campus,” Merino Martinez said.

Other students said that Garber — the first Harvard College alum to become the University’s president since Nathan M. Pusey, class of 1928 — is well positioned to connect with students and understand their experience.

“Harvard has a beautiful and amazing undergraduate experience, and it’s really exciting to me personally to see someone who’s had the Harvard undergraduate experience and gone on to lead the entire university,” said Institute of Politics President Pratyush Mallick ’25.

“It’s definitely a benefit, and especially in a time when we’re learning about student experiences and they’re at the center point of campus tension,” he added. “Understanding the undergraduate experience and tailoring towards it is an amazing initiative that I hope President Garber focuses on.”

Eunice S. Chon ’26, who took a freshman seminar taught by Garber in 2022, expressed admiration for Garber’s academic abilities and attention to detail.

“He’s the smartest person I’ve met here, and that's not an understatement because you meet all kinds of really notorious intellectuals here. He is someone undoubtedly who knows everything. Any particular perspective or side, he has thought about carefully,” Chon said.

“He might not agree with you, or might say some things that make you uncomfortable, but he is definitely someone who is incredibly meticulous, and that comes across when you talk to him,” she added.

Mallick said he thinks Garber must remain steadfast to his values in order to serve as a successful leader for the next three years.

“I hope that he’s keeping those core principles that he shared at the beginning of the semester through his term as president,” Mallick said.

—Staff writer Darcy G Lin can be reached at darcy.lin@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.