Harvard Corporation denies degrees to students over free-Palestine sit-in
This unprecedented veto challenges a resolution by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to include these students in this year’s graduation list
Muslim Network TV Desk
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts – In a contentious decision, the Harvard Corporation has refused to grant degrees to 13 senior students for participating in peaceful free-Palestine sit-in.
The move sparks a potential faculty uprising against the university’s highest governing body.
This unprecedented veto by the Corporation challenges a resolution by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) to include these students in this year’s graduation list, deepening internal conflicts at Harvard University.
According to the college newspaper Harvard Crimson, the Corporation faced a pivotal choice during their deliberations on Tuesday — either accept the FAS’s amended degree list or challenge the authority of its largest faculty body by rejecting it.
Opting for the latter, the Corporation maintained its stance that the students involved were not in “good standing” and hence ineligible for graduation.
“This decision was difficult but necessary,” a Corporation spokesperson stated on Wednesday.
“While we respect the faculty’s perspective, the integrity of our disciplinary processes must be upheld to maintain order and fairness across the university.”
The college newspaper reported that FAS had earlier voted decisively during a usually procedural meeting, with 115 faculty members supporting the degree conferral for the controversial students.
This move by the FAS, intended to overturn the disciplinary decisions handed down just days before by the Harvard College Administrative Board, has led to significant tension.
Steven Levitsky, a professor, expressed concerns on the Corporation move.
“If the Corporation does not reconsider, we might see a faculty rebellion. There’s already significant mistrust, and this could exacerbate the situation further,” he said.
Critics of the Corporation’s decision argue that it reflects broader leadership issues within Harvard’s governance, accusing it of failing to adequately represent university stakeholders.
The disciplinary actions against the students, which include suspensions and probations, have been criticized as overly harsh and inconsistent with the university’s usual practices.
Interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber had previously assured student protesters that the university would seek to handle their cases expediently and fairly, in accordance with existing precedents.
Despite this, the Corporation’s recent statement emphasizes that the FAS vote did not alter the disciplinary rulings nor did it restore the students to good standing, which are prerequisites for graduating.
As the situation unfolds, the many in the university community are advocating for the rights of students to protest.
Others, however, say it was a tussle between academic governance and student activism.
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