Free Speech at Harvard

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(September, 2024) For the second time in a row, Harvard has ranked dead last in the annual college free speech survey conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Click here to read their analysis and reasoning for Harvard’s “abysmal” ranking. Read FIRE’s 2025 report, “What Is the State of Free Speech on America’s College Campuses?”

To restore Harvard’s reputation, faculty should speak up
by John Evangelakos, Jason H.P. Kravitt, and William Schmalzl
July 4, 2024 The Boston Globe

Harvard Alumni for Free Speech submitted a comment letter on June 24, 2024 to Harvard’s Open Inquiry and Constructive Dialogue Working Group. We are awaiting that group’s final report.
Click here for our letter.

An Attack on Free Speech at Harvard
By Jeffrey Flier, June 21, 2024, The Atlantic

The Trump Gag Order Violates Your Freedom of Speech
by Alan Deshowitz, Professor Emeritus at Harvard Law School, June 21, 2024, The Wall Street Journal

A Harvard Dean’s Assault on Faculty Speech
by Keith E. Whittington, June 20, 2024, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Harvard dean: ‘Faculty speech must have limits’ when it ‘incites external actors’
by Matt Lamb, June 19, 2024, The College Fix

Harvard dean’s essay arguing for limiting faculty speech causes uproar
By Ross Cristantiello, June 19, 2024, Boston.com

A Harvard Dean Causes Firestorm With Call To Limit Faculty Speech
By Michael T. Nietzel, June 19, 2024, Forbes

Harvard Dean Bobo’s Appeal to Institutional Loyalty Falls Short
By Joseph M. Knippenberg, June 19, 2024, Minding the Campus

From the Leadership of CAFH: Don’t Punish Faculty Speech
By Jeffrey S. Flier, Eric S. Maskin, and Steven A. Pinker, June 19, 2024, The Harvard Crimson

Harvard Faculty Slam Social Science Dean’s Proposal to Limit Faculty Speech
By Tilly R. Robinson, June 18, 2024 The Harvard Crimson

 

Statement by Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard: The Freedoms of a University
February 4, 2024

Council on Academic Freedom Proposes Statement of Principles for University Adoption
By Tilly R. Robinson and Neil H. Shah, Harvard Crimson, Feb. 2, 2024

The Harvard Alumni Association Keeps Harvard Governance Homogenous
by Harris Hartz, Harvard Crimson, January 31, 2024

No Task Force Can Save Harvard
By Dominic Green, January 25, 2024, Wall Street Journal

College students’ fastest-vanishing freedom? Curiosity
By Howard Axelrod, Boston Globe January 25, 2024

Senior Harvard Officials Clarify Protest Guidelines as Students Return to Campus
By Emma H. Haidar and Cam E. Kettles, Harvard Crimson, Jan. 20, 2024

Why I Left Harvard
by Carol Hooven, Jan 16, 2024 – The Free Press

Veritas Betrayed
by Omah Sultan Haque, MD, PhD, Jan 15 2024, The Pursuit of Truth

HAFFS Scholarship for 2024 Hoover Institution Summer Policy Boot Camp

HAFFS is once again offering $1,000.00 travel scholarships to the first two Harvard students accepted into the 2024 Hoover Institute’s Summer Policy Boot Camp.

Visit the Summer Policy Boot Camp for more information.
To apply for the HAFFS scholarship, please contact HAFFS after your acceptance into the Hoover program.

I Led Harvard Medical School. With Gay’s Resignation, the Corporation Must Rethink Its Approach to Governance.
by Jeffrey S. Flier, Harvard Crimson
Jan. 3, 2024

In the aftermath of Claudine Gay’s resignation, here’s how Harvard can reform itself
by Angel Eduardo, FIRe
Jan. 2, 2024

Harvard President Resigns After Mounting Plagiarism Accusations
by Jennifer Schuessler, Alan Blinder and Anemona Hartocollis, NY Times
Jan. 2, 2024

Who Are the Members of the Harvard Corporation?
by Colbi Edmonds
Dec. 24, 2023

Furor Over Antisemitism Is Trampling Free Speech
by Red Jahncke
Dec. 26, 2023

Harvard faculty appeal to the university’s board to address its growing number of crises
by Laura Dolan, Nicki Brown and David Goldman, CNN
Dec. 26, 2023

Harvard’s board facing pressure to resign as Ivy League university’s reputation takes ‘substantial hit’
by Jackie Salo and Melissa Koenig
Dec. 25, 2023

Harvard slammed for threatening The Post in bid to keep Claudine Gay plagiarism scandal secret
by Ryan King and Josh Christenson
Dec. 24, 2023

The Harvard Double Standard
by Jeffrey S. Flier
Dec. 23, 2023

Harvard must wake up
By Michael Goodwin
Dec. 23, 2023

Harvard withholds racial demographics of Class of 2028 early admits
by Maggie Kelly
Dec. 20, 2023

Finding right mix on campus speech policies
by Christina Pazzanese, The Harvard Gazette
December 14, 2023

Finding right mix on campus speech policies

Supreme Court Decision on Harvard Misses Most Consequential Problem on Campus
by Red Jahncke
July 2, 2023

I’m Not Done with Harvard Quite Yet
By Samuel J. Abrams, AEIdeas
December 20, 2023

Harvard’s Claudine Gay uses ‘free speech’ as a defense after a history of squelching it
By Connor Murnane and Angel Eduardo
Dec. 11, 2023

The Day The Empress’ Clothes Fell Off
by Andrew Sullivan
Dec. 8, 2023

Harvard Bans ‘Cisheterosexism’ but Shrugs at Antisemitism
by Elise Stefanik, Wall Street Journal
Dec. 7, 2023

Five Takeaway’s from Harvard President Claudine Gay’s Testimony Before Congress
by The Harvard Crimson
Dec 6, 2023

Elise Stefanik Questions Claudine Gay on Harvard’s Free Speech Policies
Dec. 5, 2023

As It Happened: Harvard President Claudine Gay Testifies Before Congress on Antisemitism
by The Harvard Crimson
Dec. 5, 2023

Harvard’s Hamas Confusion
By William McGurn
Nov. 27, 2023

Defending Speech When Speaking Is Hard
By The Crimson Editorial Board
November 19, 2023

Harvard Faculty Statement In Support of Academic Freedom
Letter to President Gay by Academic Freedom Faculty
Nov. 13, 2023

On Nov. 4, 2023, Harvard alumnus Bill Ackman posted an open letter to Harvard President Claudine Gay about Harvard’s failure to communicate appropriately after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack. The letter notes Harvard’s failures in the area of free speech, and proposes concrete action.

Harvard’s Double Standard on Free Speech by John Tierney (Oct. 29, 2023)

“On Free Speech, Harvard Fails with Flying Colors” – FIRE Quarterly, Fall 2023

The College Fix interviewed experts on administrative growth at Harvard, and concluded that having 2,600 more administrators than undergrads may negatively impact upon free speech.

“Now Is the Time for Administrators to Embrace Neutrality,” by HAFFS Advisory Board Member, current professor of medicine and former Dean of the Harvard Medical School, Jeffrey Flier.  (October 13, 2023)

“About Those Free Speech Rankings” – The Harvard Crimson Discusses the FIRE 2023 Campus Free Speech Survey Results

Does Harvard Have an Academic Freedom Problem? by The Harvard Crimson

More Than 70 Harvard Faculty Form Council on Academic Freedom, Co-Led by Steven Pinker

WSJ: Harvard Has a Free Speech Moment

Boston Globe: New faculty-led organization at Harvard will defend academic freedom

The Cancellation of Professor Roland Fryer by Rob Montz

Harvard alumni form group to fight for free speech on campus

Harvey For Harvard By Jeff Jacoby

2022 FIRE Rankings for Harvard

Harvard Faculty Don’t Want Dissonance

Canceled by Harvard: An Evening With Dr. Devin Buckley

Harvard B School Club’s “Free Speech” Series Censors Itself 

DR. DEVIN BUCKLEY DEPLATFORMED BY HARVARD

The Harvard Bait & Switch: Harvey Silverglate on the University’s Free Speech Fakery