The Harvard Corporation, the long-standing institution that holds the highest authority at Harvard University, has overturned a faculty vote and upheld the decision made by the Administrative Board to bar 13 “encampment” activists from graduating. These 13 seniors had violated university policies by participating in the “encampment.” Following the Administrative Board’s determination that they should not be granted graduation, the faculty conducted a vote, with the majority overwhelmingly rejecting the penalties and advocating for the reinstatement of the students.
The Harvard Crimson reported Wednesday:
“The Harvard Corporation rejected an effort by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to confer degrees on 13 seniors facing disciplinary charges for participating in the pro-Palestine encampment, an unprecedented veto that opens a new front in the internal battles that have convulsed Harvard for the past year. “Today, we have voted to confer 1,539 degrees to Harvard College students in good standing,” the Corporation wrote in a joint statement on Wednesday. “Because the students included as the result of Monday’s amendment are not in good standing, we cannot responsibly vote to award them degrees at this time.”
Pro-Palestinian students staged a walkout during Harvard’s graduation ceremony on Thursday in a show of protest.
After walking out of commencement, Harvard protestors are marching and chanting this morning:pic.twitter.com/upCZutWzuU
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) May 23, 2024
Earlier this year, Claudine Gay, the former president of Harvard, stepped down from her position, citing various reasons including her mishandling of antisemitic protests that took place on campus. It is worth noting that Harvard Corporation, which is affiliated with Harvard University, is widely regarded as the oldest corporation in the Western Hemisphere.